Hawaii is in line to get nearly a half-billion dollars in military spending for the next federal fiscal year, with millions going to telescopes on Maui and upgrades to the missile range facility on Kauai.

House and Senate conferees approved a bill yesterday that earmarks nearly $496.7 million for military spending in Hawaii, announced Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), a senior Senate conferee.

When added to money already appropriated for military construction in the islands, Hawaii would have more than $865 million in defense spending for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. That is beyond payroll or day-to-day operations, Inouye said.

"The importance of Hawaii in our nation's defense is illustrated by the level of funding the state receives," said Inouye.