[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 129 (Tuesday, July 30, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5187-S5188]
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)(l) of the Arms Export Control Act, as
amended, we are forwarding herewith Transmittal No. 19-35
concerning the Navy's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and
Acceptance to the Government of Canada for defense articles
and services estimated to cost $44 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. 19-35
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 Canada.
(ii) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment *$38 million.
Other $6 million.
Total $44 million.
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
One hundred fifty-two (152) MIDS JTRS (5) with Remote Power
Supply.
Non-MDE: Also included are spare cables and MIDS batteries;
Link-16 mobile racks; diagnostic support tools; technical
documentation; training and engineering technical support;
and other related elements of logistics and program support.
(iv) Military Department: Navy (CN-P-LKT).
(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: July 29, 2019.
*As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control
Act.
POLICY JUSTIFICATION
Canada--Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS)--Joint
Tactical Radio System (JTRS)(5)
The Government of Canada has requested to buy one hundred
fifty-two (152) MIDS JTRS (5) with Remote Power Supply. Also
included are spare cables and MIDS batteries; Link-16 mobile
racks; diagnostic support tools; technical documentation;
training and engineering technical support; and other related
elements of logistics and program support. The total
estimated program cost is $44 million.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and
national security objectives of the United States by helping
to improve the military capability of Canada, a NATO ally
that is an important force for ensuring political stability
and economic progress and a contributor to military,
peacekeeping and humanitarian operations around the world.
Canada intends to upgrade its current inventory of CF-18
Aircraft, CC-130J, and the Royal Canadian Air Force's Ground
Stations with the purchase of these MIDS JTRS (5) terminals
to be fully interoperable with U.S. and allied forces to
support and compliment joint operations in a net-enabled
environment; have modernized electronic protection and
secure, jam-resistant wave forms; and be capable of improved
Link-16 message exchange and information fidelity including
support to advanced weapon employment. Canada will have no
difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.
The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not
alter the basic military balance in the region.
The principal contractors for MIDS JTRS are Viasat,
Incorporated, headquartered in Carlsbad, CA and Data Link
Solutions, headquartered in Cedar Rapids, IA. The Government
of Canada is expected to negotiate an offset agreement with
the principal contractor(s), in accordance with Canada's
Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy, before
signing the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA), but details
are not known at this time.
Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the
assignment of additional U.S.
[[Page S5188]]
Government or contractor representatives to Canada. However,
it is anticipated that engineering and technical support
services provided by the U.S. Government may be required on
an interim basis for training and technical assistance.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness
as a result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 19-35
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 Multifunctional Information Distribution System
(MIDS) Joint Tactical Radio (JTRS) is a software defined
radio. The MIDS JTRS Programmable Secure Information Security
Architecture Module (PSISAM) is Critical Program Information
(CPI). The PSISAM is embedded in a MIDS JTRS Shop Replaceable
Unit (SRU) and contains the information security hardware and
cryptographic keys necessary to operate the terminal. MIDS
JTRS contains embedded COMSEC and is capable of processing up
to TOP SECRET information. Each MIDS JTRS contains an
embedded SRU that is UNCLASSIFIED Controlled Cryptographic
Information (CCI). Un-keyed terminals and de-energized
terminals are UNCLASSIFIED CCI. When a terminal is operating
on the host platform it is classified up to the level of data
being transmitted.
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 or
equivalent systems, which might reduce weapon system
effectiveness or be used in the development of a system with
similar or advanced capabilities.
3. A determination has been made that Canada can provide
substantially the same degree of protection for the
technology being released as the U.S. Government. This sale
supports the U.S. foreign policy and national security
objectives as outlined in the Policy Justification.
4. All defense articles and services listed in this
transmittal have been authorized for release and export to
Canada.
____________________