[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.

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