The funding, which awaits a final Senate vote and some negotiations between chambers, would include $9 million for new F-16 facilities at Hill Air Force Base and $7 million to help with Hill's landing gear maintenance program.

“With today's funding we make important, necessary investments in our nation's military apparatus,” said Sen. Bob Bennett, a Utah Republican and member of the Senate Appropriations Committee who requested the funds. “Many of these programs aren't well-known to the average American, or written about on the front page, but they are critical components in securing our national defense.”

Among other Utah projects, the defense budget bill includes:

l $6 million to develop a simulation for landing gear maintenance and repairs.

l $5 million for maintenance, repairs and accident and failure probes of the Air Force's intercontinental ballistic missiles and aircraft.

l $3 million to support the Minuteman III missile system.

l $6.5 million for research on unmanned aerial vehicles.

l $2 million for development of “innovative” welding techniques using “friction stirring” science at Brigham Young University.

l $1 million for the University of Utah to design and develop high-powered electrical sources for battleground operations.

l $1 million for the Western Governors University for its online program to allow military personnel to receive credit toward a college degree for skills learned while serving.

l $12 million to assist ATK Thiokol in designing and testing rocket motors for an intermediate-range, submarine missile launch.

l $10 million for research and development of supersonic cruise missile engines.