[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 73 (Monday, May 7, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2513-S2514]
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. 16-36,
concerning the Department of the Navy's proposed Letter(s) of
Offer and Acceptance to the Government of Bahrain for defense
articles and services estimated to cost $911.4 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,
Gregory M. Kausner,
(For Charles W. Hooper, Lieutenant General, USA, Director).
Enclosures.
transmittal no. 16-36
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: The Government of Bahrain
(ii) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment * $490.9 million.
Other $420.5 million.
TOTAL $911.4 million.
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
Twelve (12) AH-1Z Attack Helicopters
Twenty-six (26) T-700 GE 401C Engines (twenty-four (24)
installed and two (2) spares)
Fourteen (14) AGM-114 Hellfire Missiles
Fifty-six (56) Advance Precision Kill Weapon System II
(APKWS-II) WGU-59B
Non-MDE:
Also includes fifteen (15) Honeywell Embedded Global
Positioning System (GPS) Inertial Navigation System (INS)
(EGI) w/Standard Positioning Service (SPS) (including three
(3) spares), twelve (12) Joint Mission Planning Systems,
twelve (12) M197 20mm gun systems, thirty (30) Tech Refresh
Mission Computers, fourteen (14) AN/AAQ-30 Target Sight
Systems, twenty six (26) Helmet Mounted Display/Optimized Top
Owl, communication equipment, electronic warfare systems,
fifteen (15) APX-117 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF),
fifteen (15) AN/AAR-47 Missile Warning Systems, fifteen (15)
AN/ALE-47 Countermeasure Dispenser Sets, fifteen (15) APR-
39C(V)2 Radar Warning Receivers, support equipment, spare
engine containers, spare and repair parts, tools and test
equipment, technical data and publications, personnel
training and training equipment, U.S. government and
contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support
services, and other related elements of logistics and program
support.
(iv) Military Department: Navy
(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: April 27, 2018
*As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control
Act.
policy justification
Bahrain--AH-1Z Attack Helicopters
The Government of Bahrain has requested twelve (12) AH-1Z
attack helicopters, twenty-six (26) T-700 GE 401C engines
(twenty-four (24) installed and two (2) spares), fourteen
(14) AGM-114 Hellfire Missiles, and fifty-six (56) Advance
Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS-II) WGU-59Bs. This
request also includes fifteen (15) Honeywell Embedded Global
Positioning System (GPS) Inertial Navigation System (INS)
(EGI) w/Standard Positioning Service (SPS) (including three
(3) spares), twelve (12) Joint Mission Planning Systems,
twelve (12) M197 20mm gun systems, thirty (30) Tech Refresh
Mission Computers, fourteen (14) AN/AAQ-30 Target Sight
Systems, twenty six (26) Helmet Mounted Display/Optimized Top
Owl,
[[Page S2514]]
communication equipment, electronic warfare systems, fifteen
(15) APX-117 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), fifteen (15)
AN/AAR-47 Missile Warning Systems, fifteen (15) AN/ALE-47
Countermeasure Dispenser Sets, fifteen (15) APR-39C(V)2 Radar
Warning Receivers, support equipment, spare engine
containers, spare and repair parts, tools and test equipment,
technical data and publications, personnel training and
training equipment, U.S. government and contractor
engineering, technical, and logistics support services, and
other related elements of logistics and program support. The
total estimated cost is $911.4 million.
This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy
and national security of the United States by helping to
improve the security of a major Non-NATO ally which is an
important security partner in the region. Our mutual defense
interests anchor our relationship and the Royal Bahraini Air
Force plays a significant role in Bahrain's defense.
The proposed sale improves Bahrain's capability to meet
current and future threats. Bahrain will use this capability
as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its
homeland defense. This sale will improve interoperability
with U.S. forces. Bahrain will have no difficulty absorbing
these helicopters into its armed forces.
This proposed sale of equipment and support will not alter
the basic military balance in the region.
The principal contractors will be Bell Helicopter, Textron,
Fort Worth, Texas; and General Electric Company, Lynn,
Massachusetts. There are no known offset agreements proposed
in conjunction with this potential sale.
Implementation of this proposed sale will require multiple
trips by U.S. Government and contractor representatives to
participate in program and technical reviews plus training
and maintenance support in country, on a temporary basis, for
a period of sixty (60) months. It will also require three (3)
contractor representatives to reside in country for a period
of two (2) years to support this program.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness
as a result of this proposed sale.
transmittal no. 16-36
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 following components and technical documentation for
the program are classified as listed below:
a. The AH-1 Z-model has an Integrated Avionics System (IAS)
which includes two (2) mission computers and an automatic
flight control system. Each crew station has two (2) 8x6-inch
multifunction liquid crystal displays (LCD) and one (1) 4.2 x
4.2-inch dual function LCD display. The communications suite
will have NON-COMSEC ARC 210 Ultra High Frequency Very High
Frequency (UHF/VHF) radios with associated communications
equipment (antennas, mounts). The navigation suite includes
Honeywell Embedded Global Positioning System (GPS) Inertial
Navigation System (INS) (EGI) w/ Standard Positioning Service
(SPS), a digital map system, a low-airspeed air data
subsystem, which allows weapons delivery when hovering, and a
AN/APX-117/A(V) IFF Transponder.
b. The crew is equipped with the Optimized Top Owl (OTO)
helmet-mounted sight and display system. The OTO has a Day
Display Module (DDM) and a Night Display Module (NDM). The
AH-lZ has survivability equipment including the AN/AAR-47
Missile Warning and Laser Detection System, AN/ALE-47 Counter
Measure Dispensing System (CMDS) and the AN/APR-39 Radar
Warning Receiver (RWR) to cover countermeasure dispensers,
radar warning, incoming/on-way missile warning and on-
fuselage laser-spot warning systems.
c. The following performance data and technical
characteristics are classified as follows for the AH-1Z
Airframe: countermeasure capability--SECRET, counter-
countermeasures capability--SECRET, vulnerability to
countermeasures--SECRET, vulnerability to electromagnetic
pulse from nuclear environmental effects--SECRET, radar
signature--SECRET, infrared signature--SECRET, acoustic
signature--CONFIDENTIAL, ultraviolet signature--SECRET,
mission effectiveness against threats--CONFIDENTIAL, target
sight system--up to SECRET, Tactical Air Moving Map
Capability (TAMMAC)--up to SECRET, Honeywell Embedded GPS INS
(EGI) w/SPS--UNCLASSIFIED, AN/ARC-210 RT 629F-23--
UNCLASSIFIED, AN/APX-117/A(V) IFF Transponder--UNCLASSIFIED,
VCR or DVR--up to SECRET, APR-39 Radar Warning System (RWS)--
up to SECRET, AN/AAR-47 Missile/Laser Warning System (MLWS)--
up to SECRET, AN/ALE-47 Countermeasures Dispenser Set
(CMDS)--up to SECRET.
d. The APKWS is a low-cost semi-active laser guidance kit
developed by BAE Systems which converts unguided 2.75 inch
(70 mm) rockets into precision laser-guided rockets. The
classification is up to SECRET.
e. The AGM-114 Hellfire II Semi-Active Laser (SAL) Missiles
are rail-launched guided missiles developed and produced by
Lockheed Martin. The guidance system employs a SAL seeker.
The SAL missile homes in on the laser energy reflected off a
target that has been illuminated by a laser designator. The
laser can be on either the launch platform or another
platform that can be separated from it by several kilometers.
The target sets are armor, bunkers, caves, enclosures, boats,
and enemy personnel. The weapon system hardware, as an ``All
Up Round,'' is UNCLASSIFIED. The highest level of classified
information to be disclosed regarding the AGM-114 Hellfire II
missile software is SECRET. The highest level of classified
information that could be disclosed by a proposed sale or by
testing of the end item is SECRET and the highest level that
must be disclosed for production, maintenance, or training is
CONFIDENTIAL.
2. If a technologically advanced adversary were to obtain
knowledge of the specific hardware and software elements, the
information could be used to develop countermeasures which
might reduce weapon system effectiveness.
3. The consequences of the loss of this technology to a
technologically advanced or competent adversary could result
in the compromise of equivalent systems, which in turn could
reduce those weapons system's effectiveness, or be used in
the development of a system with similar or advanced
capabilities.
4. A determination has been made that the Government of
Bahrain can provide substantially the same degree of
protection for the technology being released as the U.S.
Government. This sale of the AH-1 Z Helicopter and associated
weapons will further U.S. foreign policy and national
security objectives.
5. All defense articles and services listed in this
transmittal are authorized for release and export to the
Government of Bahrain.
____________________