Group campaigns for defense tech

Six national defense and security associations have demanded that Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore prioritize attention on building effective defenses against chemical, biological and computer attack.

The group of associations, known collectively as the Technology-Industrial Base Coalition, issued a report Wednesday called "Presidential 2000." The report recommends the presidential candidates focus on issues that include:

* Establishing a clear, overall national security policy consistent with military capabilities.

* Making security objectives consistent with military strength.

* Modernizing aging military equipment by funding shortfalls in the Pentagon's budget, including the $15.5 billion gap in the 2001 budget.

* Incorporating commercial business practices into Pentagon business processes.

* Providing more money for military research and development. Only $7.5 billion of a $38.6 billion R&D allocation in the fiscal 2001 budget request for defense is committed to science and technology, the group's report stated.

The coalition is made up of the National Defense Industrial Association, the Association of the United States Army, the Navy League, the Aerospace Industries Association, the Government Electronics and Information Technology Association, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

The coalition report can be found on the National Defense Industrial Assocation's home page.