[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 129 (Tuesday, July 30, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S5189]
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. 19-48 
     concerning the Air Force's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and 
     Acceptance to the Republic of Korea for defense articles and 
     services estimated to cost $950 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. 19-48

     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: Republic of Korea.
       (ii) Total Estimated Value:
       Major Defense Equipment* $0 million.
       Other $950 million.
       Total $950 million.
       (iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or 
     Services under Consideration for Purchase: The Republic of 
     Korea has requested to purchase items and services for 
     follow-on support to the RQ-4 Block 30 Remotely Piloted 
     Aircraft (RPA) program.
       Major Defense Equipment (MDE): None.
       Non-MDE: Contractor Logistics Support (CLS); program 
     management; training for pilots maintenance, logistics and 
     communications personnel; depot and organizational level 
     maintenance; minor modifications and upgrades; spares and 
     repair/return parts; operational flight support; program 
     analysis; publications and technical documentation; U.S. 
     Government and contractor technical and logistics services; 
     and other related elements of logistics and program support.
       (iv) Military Department: Air Force (KS-D-QFU).
       (v) Prior Related Cases, if any: KS-D-SAD.
       (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: None.
       (viii) Date Report Delivered to Congress: July 29, 2019.
       * As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control 
     Act.


                          POLICY JUSTIFICATION

Republic of Korea--Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) for RQ-4 Block 30 
                    Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA)

       The Republic of Korea has requested to purchase Contractor 
     Logistics Support (CLS); program management; training for 
     pilots maintenance, logistics and communications personnel; 
     depot and organizational level maintenance; minor 
     modifications and upgrades; spares and repair/return parts; 
     operational flight support; program analysis; publications 
     and technical documentation; U.S. Government and contractor 
     technical and logistics services; and other related elements 
     of logistics and program support. The total estimated program 
     cost is $950 million.
       This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and 
     national security objectives of the United States by meeting 
     the legitimate security and defense needs of one of the 
     closest allies in the INDOPACOM Theater. The Republic of 
     Korea is one of the major political and economic powers in 
     East Asia and the Western Pacific and a key partner of the 
     United States in ensuring peace and stability in that region. 
     It is vital to U.S. national interests to assist the Republic 
     of Korea in developing and maintaining a strong and ready 
     self-defense capability.
       This proposed sale will enable the Republic of Korea to 
     sustain and operate its fleet of RQ-4 Block 30 remotely 
     piloted aircraft and will significantly advance U.S. 
     interests in standardization with the Republic of Korea's 
     Armed Forces. The potential sale will further strengthen the 
     interoperability between the United States and the Republic 
     of Korea and ensures the Alliance has a robust intelligence, 
     surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability on the 
     Korean peninsula. The ROK 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 contractor will be Northrop Grumman 
     Corporation located in Palmdale, CA. There are no known 
     offset agreements proposed in conjunction with this potential 
     sale. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations 
     between the Purchaser and the prime contractor.
       Implementation of the proposed sale will not require the 
     assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor 
     representatives to the ROK.
       There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness 
     as a result of this proposed sale.
       All defense articles and services in this transmittal have 
     been approved for release and export to the Republic of 
     Korea.

                          ____________________