[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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