[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1183-S1184]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ARM SALES NOTIFICATION
Mr. RISCH. 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 to 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. 19-71
concerning the Air Force's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and
Acceptance to the Government of Tunisia for defense articles
and services estimated to cost $325.8 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. 19-71
Notice of Proposed Issuance of Letter of Offer Pursuant to
Section 36(b)(l) of the Arms Export Control Act, as
amended
(i) Prospective Purchaser: Government of Tunisia.
(ii) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment * $123.2 million.
Other $202.6 million.
Total $325.8 million.
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
Three hundred twelve (312) MAU-169 Computer Control Groups
(CCG).
Three hundred twelve (312) MXU-1006/B Air Foil Groups
(AFG).
Four hundred sixty-eight (468) MK81 250 LB GP Bombs.
Eighteen (18) BDU-50s (MK-82 Filled Inert).
Sixty-six (66) MXU-650 C/B Air Foil Groups (AFG), GBU-12.
Sixty (60) Guidance Section, Guided Bombs, MAU-209, GBU-
10,12,16.
Forty-eight (48) MK-82 5001b Bombs.
Five hundred sixteen (516) FMU-152 A/B Fuzes.
Eighteen (18) MAU-169H(D-2)/B Computer Control Groups.
Three thousand two hundred ninety (3290) Advanced Precision
Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS).
Non-Major Defense Equipment (MDE): Also included are four
(4) AT-6C Wolverine Light Attack Aircraft; two (2) Pratt &
Whitney PT6A-68D 1600 SHP engines (spares); six (6) L-3
WESCAM MX-15D Multi-Spectral Targeting System; six (6)
Machine Gun Caliber .50; Cartridge Actuated Device/Propellant
Actuated Device (CAD/PAD); High Explosive Warhead; bomb
components, repair and return of weapons, weapons training
equipment, practice bombs, TTU-595 Test Set and spares, fin
assemblies, rocket motors, training aids/devices/spare parts,
aircraft spare parts, support equipment, clothing and
textiles, publications and technical documentation, travel
expenses, medical services, construction, aircraft ferry
support, technical and logistical support services, major
modifications/class IV support, personnel training and
training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor program
support, and other related elements of logistics and program
support.
(iv) Military Department: Air Force (TU-D-SAC).
(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: February 25,
2020.
*As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control
Act.
POLICY JUSTIFICATION
Tunisia--AT-6 Light Attack Aircraft
The Government of Tunisia has requested to buy four (4) AT-
6C Wolverine Light Attack Aircraft with supporting equipment,
to include: three hundred twelve (312) MAU-169 Computer
Control Groups (CCG); three hundred twelve (312) MXU-1006/B
Air Foil Groups (AFG); four hundred sixty-eight (468) MK81
250 LB GP bombs; eighteen (18) BDU-50s (MK-82 Filled Inert);
sixty-six (66) MXU-650 C/B Air Foil Groups (AFG), GBU-12;
sixty (60) Guidance Section, guided bombs, MAU-209, GBU-
10,12,16; forty-eight (48) MK-82 500lb bombs; five hundred
sixteen (516) FMU-152 A/B fuzes; eighteen (18) MAU-169H(D-2)/
B Computer Control Groups; and three thousand two hundred
ninety (3,290) Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems
(APKWS); two (2) Pratt & Whitney PT6A-68D 1600 SHP engines
(spares); six (6) L-3 WESCAM MX-15D Multi-Spectral Targeting
System; six (6) Machine Gun Caliber .50; Cartridge Actuated
Device/Propellant Actuated Device (CAD/PAD); High Explosive
Warhead;
[[Page S1184]]
bomb components, repair and return of weapons, weapons
training equipment, practice bombs, TTU-595 Test Set and
spares, fin assemblies, rocket motors, training aids/devices/
spare parts, aircraft spare parts, support equipment,
clothing and textiles, publications and technical
documentation, travel expenses, medical services,
construction, aircraft ferry support, technical and
logistical support services, major modifications/class IV
support, personnel training and training equipment, U.S.
Government and contractor program support, and other related
elements of logistics and program support. The estimated
value is $325.8 million.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and
national security of the United States by helping to improve
the defense capabilities and capacity of a major non-NATO
ally, which is an important force for political stability and
economic progress in North Africa. This potential sale will
provide additional opportunities for bilateral engagements
and further strengthen the bilateral relationship between the
United States and Tunisia.
The proposed sale will improve Tunisia's ability to meet
current and future threats by increasing their capability and
capacity to counter-terrorism and other violent extremist
organization threats. The AT-6 platform will bolster their
capability to respond to and engage threats in multiple areas
across the country. Additionally, the procurement of the AT-6
aircraft strengthens interoperability between Tunisia,
regional allies, and the United States. Tunisia will have no
difficulty absorbing this aircraft into its armed forces.
The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not
alter the basic military balance in the region.
The prime contractor will be Textron Aviation Defense LLC,
Wichita, Kansas. There are no known offset agreements
proposed with this potential sale. However, the purchaser
typically requests offsets. Any offset agreement will be
defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the
contractor.
Implementation of this proposed sale will require the
assignment of two (2) U.S. contractor logistics
representatives to Tunisia.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness
as a result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 19-71
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:
l. The AT-6 Wolverine is a Beechcraft light attack, armed
reconnaissance and irregular warfare and counterinsurgency
mission aircraft. With a single engine PT6A-68D Pratt &
Whitney engine and Lockheed Martin A-1OC mission computer and
plug- and-play weapons management system with Seek Eagle
certification, the AT-6 Wolverine can fire laser-guided
rockets and deliver general purpose and inertially-aided
munitions.
2. GBU-12 is a 5001b Mk-82 General Purpose (GP) bomb body
fitted with the MXU-650 AFG, and MAU-209C/B or MAU-168L/B
Computer Control Group (CCG) to guide to its laser designated
target. The GBU-12 is a maneuverable, free-fall Laser Guided
Bomb (LGB) that guides to a spot of laser energy reflected
off of the target. Laser designation for the LGB can be
provided by a variety of laser target markers or designators.
3. GBU-58 is a 2501b Mk-81 GP bomb body fitted with the
MXU-1006 AFG, and MAU-209C/B or MAU-l68L/B CCG to guide to
its laser designated target. The GBU-58 is a maneuverable,
free-fall LGB that guides to a spot of laser energy reflected
from the target. Laser designation for the LGB can be
provided by a variety of laser target markers or designators.
4. Mk-82 General Purpose (GP) bomb is a 500 pound, free-
fall, unguided, low-drag weapon usually equipped with the
mechanical M904 (nose) and M905 (tail) fuzes or the radar-
proximity FMU-113 air-burst fuze. The Mk-82 is designed for
soft, fragment sensitive targets and is not intended for hard
targets or penetrations. The explosive filling is usually
tritonal, though other compositions have sometimes been used.
5. BDU-50 (Mk-82 Inert) GP bomb is a 500 pound, free-fall,
unguided, low-drag training weapon. There are no explosive
elements with this bomb; it does not have a fuze and will not
detonate when it hits the ground. It is used from flight
training to give the pilot the insight into aircraft handling
characteristics with the additional weight on the wing.
6. The Joint Programmable Fuze (JPF) FMU-152 is a multi-
delay, multi-arm and proximity sensor compatible with general
purpose blast, frag and hardened-target penetrator weapons.
The JPF settings are cockpit selectable in flight when used
with JDAM weapons.
7. Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) II All-Up-
Round (AUR) is an air-to-ground weapon that consists of an
APKWS II Guidance Section (GS), legacy 2.75 inch MK66 Mod 4
rocket motor, and legacy MK152 and MK435/436 warhead/fuze.
APKWS II uses a semi-active laser seeker. The GS is installed
between the rocket motor and warhead to create a guided
rocket. The APKWS II may be procured as an independent
component to be mated to appropriate 2.75-inch warheads/fuzes
and rocket motors purchased separately, or may be purchased
as an AUR.
8. 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 or be used in the
development of a system with similar or advanced
capabilities.
9. A determination has been made that the recipient country
can provide substantially the same degree of protection for
the technology being released as the U.S. Government. This
sale is necessary in furtherance of the U.S. foreign policy
and national security objectives outlined in the Policy
Justification.
10. All defense articles and services listed in this
transmittal have been authorized for release and export to
the Government of Tunisia.
____________________