[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 83 (Monday, May 4, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2207-S2208]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        ARMS 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 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. 20-08, 
     concerning the Navy's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and 
     Acceptance to the Government of India for defense articles 
     and services estimated to cost $63 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. 20-08

     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 India,
       (ii) Total Estimated Value:
       Major Defense Equipment * $30 million.
       Other $33 million.
       Total $63 million.
       (iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or 
     Services under Consideration for Purchase:
       Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
       Sixteen (16) MK 54 All Up Round Lightweight Torpedoes (LWT)
       Three (3) MK 54 Exercise Torpedoes (MK 54 LWT Kit 
     procurement required).
       Non-MDE: Also included are MK 54 spare parts; torpedo 
     containers; two (2) Recoverable Exercise Torpedoes (REXTORP) 
     with containers; Fleet Exercise Section (FES) and fuel tanks 
     built into MK 54 LWT Kits (above); air launch accessories for 
     fixed wing; spare parts; training, publications; support and 
     test equipment; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, 
     technical, and logistics support services; and other related 
     elements of logistics support.
       (iv) Military Department: Navy (IN-P-ABH).
       (v) Prior Related Cases, if any: IN-P-AAR.
       (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: April 13, 2020.
       *As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control 
     Act.


                          POLICY JUSTIFICATION

                   India--MK 54 Lightweight Torpedoes

       The Government of India has requested to buy sixteen (16) 
     MK 54 All Up Round Lightweight Torpedoes (LWT); and three (3) 
     MK 54 Exercise Torpedoes (MK 54 LWT Kit procurement 
     required). Also included are MK 54

[[Page S2208]]

     spare parts; torpedo containers; two (2) Recoverable Exercise 
     Torpedoes (REXTORP) with containers; Fleet Exercise Section 
     (FES) and fuel tanks built into MK 54 LWT Kits (above); air 
     launch accessories for fixed wing; spare parts; training, 
     publications; support and test equipment; U.S. Government and 
     contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support 
     services; and other related elements of logistics support. 
     The estimated program cost is $63 million.
       This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and 
     national security of the United States by helping to 
     strengthen the U.S.-Indian strategic relationship and to 
     improve the security of a major defensive partner, which 
     continues to be an important force for political stability, 
     peace, and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South 
     Asia region.
       The proposed sale will improve India's capability to meet 
     current and future threats from enemy weapon systems. The MK 
     54 Lightweight Torpedo will provide the capability to conduct 
     anti-submarine warfare missions. India will use the enhanced 
     capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to 
     strengthen its homeland defense. India intends to utilize MK 
     54 Lightweight Torpedoes on its P-8I aircraft. India will 
     have no difficulty absorbing these systems 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 Raytheon Integrated 
     Defense System, Portsmouth, Rhode Island. There are no known 
     offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential 
     sale. Any offset agreement required by India will be defined 
     in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor(s).
       Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the 
     assignment of additional U.S. Government and/or contractor 
     representatives to India; however, U.S. Government 
     Engineering and Technical Services will 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. 20-08

     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 MK 54 Torpedo is a conventional torpedo that can be 
     launched from surface ships, rotary and fixed wing aircrafts. 
     The MK 54 is an upgrade to the MK 46 Torpedo. The upgrade to 
     the MK 54 entails replacement of the torpedo's sonar and 
     guidance and control systems with modem technology. The new 
     guidance and control system uses a mixture of commercial-off-
     the-shelf and custom-built electronics. The warhead, fuel 
     tank and propulsion system from the MK 46 torpedo are re-used 
     in the MK 54 configuration with minor modifications. There is 
     no sensitive technology in the MK 54 or its support and test 
     equipment. The assembled MK 54 torpedo and several of its 
     individual components are classified CONFIDENTIAL. The MK 54 
     operational software is classified as SECRET. The Government 
     of India has not requested nor will it be provided with the 
     source code for the MK 54 operational software.
       2. If a technologically advanced adversary were to obtain 
     knowledge of the hardware and software elements, the 
     information could be used to develop countermeasures or 
     equivalent systems which might reduce system effectiveness or 
     be used in the development of a system with similar or 
     advanced capabilities.
       3. A determination has been made that India can provide 
     substantially the same degree of protection for the sensitive 
     technology being released as the U.S. Government. This 
     proposed sale is necessary to further the U.S. foreign policy 
     and national security objectives outlined in the Policy 
     Justification.
       4. All defense articles and services listed on this 
     transmittal have been authorized for release and export to 
     the Government of India.

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