[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 192 (Monday, November 27, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7329-S7330]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION
Mr. CORKER. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control
Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain
proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification,
the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be
reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the
notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant
information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to
have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received.
If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is
available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations
Committee, room SD-423.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Defense Security
Cooperation Agency,
Arlington, VA.
Hon. Bob Corker,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Pursuant to the reporting requirements
of Section 36(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act, as
amended, we are forwarding herewith Transmittal No. 17-59,
concerning the Army's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and
Acceptance to the Government of Georgia for defense articles
and services estimated to cost $75 million. After this letter
is delivered to your office, we plan to issue a news release
to notify the public of this proposed sale.
Sincerely,
Charles W. Hooper,
Lieutenant General, USA, Director.
Enclosures.
Transmittal No. 17-59
Notice of Proposed Issuance of Letter of Offer Pursuant to
Section 36(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act, as
amended
(i) Prospective Purchaser: Government of Georgia.
(ii) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment* $50 million.
Other $25 million.
Total $75 million.
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
Four-hundred ten (410) Javelin Missiles.
Seventy-two (72) Javelin Command Launch Units (CLUs)
(includes two (2) Javelin Block 1 CLUs to be used as spares).
Non-MDE: Also included are ten (10) Basic Skills Trainers
(BST); up to seventy (70) simulated rounds; United States
Government (USG) and contractor technical assistance,
transportation, and other related elements of logistics and
program support.
(iv) Military Department: Army.
(v) Prior Related Cases, if any: None.
(vi) Sales Commission, Fee, etc., Paid, Offered, or Agreed
to be Paid: None.
(vii) Sensitivity of Technology Contained in the Defense
Article or Defense Services Proposed to be Sold: See Attached
Annex.
(viii) Date Report Delivered to Congress: November 17,
2017.
*As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control
Act.
POLICY JUSTIFICATION
Georgia--Javelin Missile and Command Launch Units
The Government of Georgia has requested to purchase four
hundred and ten (410) Javelin Missiles, and seventy-two (72)
Javelin Command Launch Units (CLUs) (includes two (2) Javelin
Block 1 CLUs to be used as spares). Also included are ten
(10) Basic Skills Trainers (BST); up to seventy (70)
simulated rounds; U.S. Government and contractor technical
assistance; transportation; and other related elements of
logistics and program support. The total estimated cost is
$75 million.
This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy
and national security of the United States by improving the
security of Georgia. The Javelin system will provide Georgia
with increased capacity to meet its national defense
requirements. Georgia will have no difficulty absorbing this
system into its armed forces.
The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not
alter the basic military balance in the region.
The prime contractors will be Raytheon/Lockheed Martin
Javelin Joint Venture of Orlando, Florida, and Tucson,
Arizona. However, these missiles are being provided from U.S.
Army stock and the CLUs will be obtained from on-hand Special
Defense Acquisition Fund (SDAF)-purchased stock. There are no
known offset agreements proposed in conjunction with this
potential sale.
Implementation of this proposed sale will require the
assignment of approximately one (1) U.S. Government and two
(2) contractor representatives to Georgia.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness
as a result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 17-59
Notice of Proposed Issuance of Letter of Offer Pursuant to Section
36(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act
Annex Item No. vii
(vii) Sensitivity of Technology:
1. The Javelin Weapon System is a medium-range, man
portable, shoulder-launched, fire and forget, anti-tank
system for infantry, scouts, and combat engineers. It may
also be mounted on a variety of platforms including vehicles,
aircraft and watercraft. The system weighs 49.5 pounds and
has a maximum range in excess of 2,500 meters. The system is
highly lethal against tanks and other systems with
conventional and reactive armors. The system possesses a
secondary capability against bunkers.
2. Javelin's key technical feature is the use of fire-and-
forget technology which allows the gunner to fire and
immediately relocate or take cover. Additional special
features are the top attack and/or direct fire modes, an
advanced tandem warhead and imaging infrared seeker, target
lock-on before launch, and soft launch from enclosures or
covered fighting positions. The Javelin missile also has a
minimum smoke motor thus decreasing its detection on the
battlefield.
3. The Javelin Weapon System is comprised of two major
tactical components, which are a reusable Command Launch Unit
(CLU) and a round contained in a disposable launch tube
assembly. The CLU incorporates an integrated day-night sight
that provides a target engagement capability in adverse
weather and countermeasure environments. The CLU may also be
used in a stand-alone mode for battlefield surveillance and
target detection. The CLU's thermal sight is a second
generation Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) sensor. To
facilitate initial loading and subsequent updating of
software, all on-board missile software is uploaded via the
CLU after mating and prior to launch.
4. The missile is autonomously guided to the target using
an imaging infrared seeker and adaptive correlation tracking
algorithms. This allows the gunner to take cover or reload
and engage another target after firing a missile. The missile
has an advanced tandem warhead and can be used in either the
top attack or direct fire modes (for target undercover). An
onboard flight computer guides the missile to the selected
target.
[[Page S7330]]
5. The Javelin Missile System hardware and the
documentation are UNCLASSIFIED. The missile software which
resides in the CLU is considered SENSITIVE. The sensitivity
is primarily in the software programs which instruct the
system how to operate in the presence of countermeasures. The
overall hardware is also considered sensitive in that the
infrared wavelengths could be useful in attempted
countermeasure development.
6. If a technologically advanced adversary obtains
knowledge of the specific hardware and software elements, the
information could be used to develop countermeasures or
equivalent systems that might reduce weapon system
effectiveness or be used in the development of a system with
similar or advanced capabilities.
7. A determination has been made that Georgia can provide
substantially the same degree of protection for the sensitive
technology being released as the U.S. Government. This
proposed sale is necessary to further the U.S. foreign policy
and national security objectives outlined in the Policy
Justification.
8. All defense articles and services listed on this
transmittal are authorized for release and export to the
Government of Georgia.
____________________