[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 52 (Tuesday, March 26, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1978-S1979]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION

  Mr. RISCH. Madam 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. James E. Risch,
     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. 19-27, 
     concerning the Air Force's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and 
     Acceptance to the Government of Belgium for defense articles 
     and services estimated to cost $600 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. 19-27

     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 Belgium.
       (ii) Total Estimated Value:
       Major Defense Equipment* $275 million.
       Other $325 million.
       Total $600 million.
       (iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or 
     Services under Consideration for Purchase:
       Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
       Four (4) MQ-9B, Remotely Piloted Aircraft.

[[Page S1979]]

       Two (2) Fixed Certifiable Ground Control Stations.
       Five (5) AN/DAS-4 Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems (4 
     installed, 1 spare).
       Fifteen (15) Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial 
     Navigation Systems (EGI) (12 installed, 3 spares).
       Five (5) AN/APY-8 Lynx Synthetic Aperture Radars (4 
     installed, 1 spare).
       Five (5) Detect and Avoid Systems (4 installed, 1 spare).
       Non-MDE: Also included are an Initial Spares Package (ISP) 
     and Readiness Spares Package (RSP) to support a 5-year period 
     of performance; communications equipment; Identification 
     Friend or Foe (IFF) equipment; spare and repair parts; 
     support and test equipment; publications and technical 
     documentation; personnel training and training equipment; 
     U.S. Government and contractor engineering; technical and 
     logistics support services; and other related elements of 
     logistical and program support.
       (iv) Military Department: Air Force (BE-D-SAE).
       (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: March 25, 2019.
       *As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control 
     Act.


                          POLICY JUSTIFICATION

       Belgium--MQ-9B SkvGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA)

       The Government of Belgium has requested to purchase four 
     (4) MQ-9B, RPA; two (2) Fixed Certifiable Ground Control 
     Stations; five (5) AN/DAS-4 Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems 
     (4 installed, 1 spare); fifteen (15) Embedded Global 
     Positioning System/Inertial Navigation Systems (EGI) (12 
     installed, 3 spares); five (5) AN/APY-8 Lynx Synthetic 
     Aperture Radars (4 installed, 1 spare); and five (5) Detect 
     and Avoid Systems (4 installed, 1 spare). Also included are 
     an Initial Spares Package (ISP) and Readiness Spares Package 
     (RSP) to support a 5-year period of performance; spare and 
     repair parts; support and test equipment; publications and 
     technical documentation; personnel training and training 
     equipment; U.S. Government and contractor engineering; 
     technical and logistics support services; and other related 
     elements of logistical and program support. The total 
     estimated program cost is $600 million.
       This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and 
     national security of the United States by helping to improve 
     the security of a NATO ally. It is vital to the U.S. national 
     interest to assist Belgium to develop and maintain a strong 
     and ready self-defense capability. This potential sale 
     enhances the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance 
     (ISR) capability of the Belgian military in support of 
     national, NATO, United Nation-mandated, and other coalition 
     operations. Commonality of ISR capabilities increases 
     interoperability between the U.S. and Belgian military and 
     peacekeeping forces.
       Belgium intends to use these defense articles and services 
     to provide for the defense of its deployed troops, regional 
     security, domestic security, and interoperability with the 
     U.S./NATO partners. The current fleet of Belgian Air 
     Component aircraft have proven insufficient to support 
     sustained and persistent ISR operations. The proposed sale 
     will enable the Belgian Air Component to conduct persistent 
     and wide area ISR, including target acquisition, target 
     designation, providing precision coordinates for Global 
     Positioning System (GPS)-aided munitions, battle damage 
     assessment, signal intelligence, communication, and data 
     relays. Belgium will have no difficulty absorbing this 
     equipment and support into its armed forces.
       The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not 
     alter the basic military balance in the region.
       The principal contractor will be General Atomics 
     Aeronautical Systems, Inc., San Diego, California. There are 
     no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this 
     potential sale.
       Implementation of this proposed sale may require multiple 
     trips to Belgium and potentially a deployed location for U.S. 
     contractor representatives to provide initial launch, 
     recovery, and maintenance support.
       There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness 
     as a result of this proposed sale.


                         Transmittal No. 19-27

     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 MQ-9B SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) is 
     a weapons capable aircraft designed for Medium-Altitude Long-
     Endurance (MALE) Intelligence, Surveillance and 
     Reconnaissance (ISR) and Target Acquisition and strike 
     missions. The MQ-9B SkyGuardian RPA is not a USAF program of 
     record but has close ties to, and builds upon, the proven 
     success of the MQ-9A Reaper. The MQ-9B RPA is a Missile 
     Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Category 1 system with a 
     designed maximum payload of 4,800 pounds (800 pounds internal 
     and 4,000 pounds external) and is capable of carrying 
     multiple mission payloads aloft with a maximum range of 
     greater than 5,500 nm. The MQ-9B provides up to 40 hours 
     endurance, speeds up to 220 knots true air speed (KTAS) and a 
     maximum altitude of 45,000 feet. The system is designed to be 
     controlled by two operators within a Certifiable Ground 
     Control Station (CGCS). The CGCS is designed to emulate a 
     reconnaissance aircraft cockpit, giving users extensive means 
     to operate both the aircraft and sensors. The MQ-9B is able 
     to operate using a direct Line-of-Sight (LOS) datalink or 
     Beyond Line-of-Sight (BLOS) through satellite communications 
     (SATCOM). The design enables unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) 
     control to be transferred between multiple CGCSs, thus 
     allowing remote-split operations and centralized mission 
     control with other assets. The MQ-9B system can be deployed 
     from a single site that supports launch/recovery, mission 
     control, and maintenance. The system also supports remote-
     split operations where launch/recovery and maintenance occur 
     at a Forward Operating Base and mission control is conducted 
     from another location or Main Operating Base (MOB). The basic 
     MQ-9B Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) is UNCLASSIFIED. However, 
     inclusion of various subsystems, capabilities, and potential 
     weapons results in a maximum classification of SECRET.
       2. The Belgian MQ-9B system will include the following 
     components:
       a. A secure Certifiable Ground Control Station (CGCS) with 
     workstations that allow aircrew to operate the aircraft, 
     execute the mission, and record/exploit downlinked payload 
     data.
       b. The AN/APY-8 Lynx He Block 20A Synthetic Aperture Radar 
     and Ground Moving Target Indicator (SAR/GMTT) system provides 
     an all-weather surveillance, tracking and targeting 
     capability. The system operates in the Ku-band, using an 
     offset-fed dish antenna mounted on a three-axis stabilized 
     gimbal. It has a large field of regard, produces a strip map, 
     and can image up to a 10km wide swath. Swaths from multiple 
     passes can be combined for wide-area surveillance.
       c. The AN/DAS-4 Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS-D) is 
     a multi-use highly advanced EO/IR sensor providing long-range 
     surveillance, high altitude, target acquisition, tracking, 
     range finding, and laser designation developed and produced 
     for use by the U.S. Air Force.
       d. COMSEC is necessary for full functionality of the 
     Embedded GPS-INS (EGI) and the AN/DPX-7 Identification Friend 
     or Foe (IFF)/Transponder.
       e. The Detect and Avoid System (DAAS) with Active 
     Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Due Regard Radar (DRR) is 
     a multi-sensor system that detects and tracks cooperative and 
     non-cooperative air traffic, and enables an autopilot 
     response for deconfliction maneuvers.
       f. The Belgium MQ-9B is intended to be used in the near-
     term only for ISR-type missions. As such, the system is not 
     requested to be armed, but is requested to preserve the 
     option to arm the systems should the need arise at a later 
     time. If weaponized, the system is capable of being equipped 
     with the U.S. Army AGM-114 Hellfire missile and various 
     guided and unguided bombs.
       3. If a technologically advanced adversary were to obtain 
     knowledge of the specific hardware and software elements, the 
     information could be used to develop countermeasures or 
     equivalent systems which might reduce weapon system 
     effectiveness or be used in the development of a system with 
     similar or advanced capabilities.
       4. This sale is necessary in furtherance of the U.S. 
     foreign policy and national security objectives outlined in 
     the enclosed Policy Justification. A determination has been 
     made that Belgium can provide the same degree of protection 
     for the sensitive technology being released as the U.S. 
     Government.
       5. All defense articles and services listed in this 
     transmittal have been authorized for release and export to 
     Belgium.

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