[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 88 (Monday, May 11, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2340-S2341]
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
[[Page S2341]]
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
or Section 36(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act, as
amended, we are forwarding herewith Transmittal No. 19-68
concerning the Army's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and
Acceptance to the Government of the United Arab Emirates for
defense articles and services estimated to cost $556 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. 19-68
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 the United Arab
Emirates.
(ii) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment* $0 million.
Other $556 million.
Total $556 million.
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
Major Defense Equipment (MDE): None.
Non-MDE: Four thousand five hundred sixty-nine (4,569) Mine
Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicles consisting of a
mix of MaxxPro Long Wheel Base (LWB), MaxxPro Recovery
Vehicle (MRV), MaxxPro LWB chassis, MaxxPro Dash, MaxxPro
Bases Capsule, MaxxPro MEAP Capsules, MaxxPro Plus, Caiman
Multi-Terrain Vehicles without armor, Caiman Base, Caiman
Plus, Caiman Capsule, and MRAP All-Terrain Vehicles (MATV),
logistics support services, and other related elements of
logistical and program support.
(iv) Military Department: Army.
(v) Prior Related Cases. if any: AE-B-IBA and AE-B-ZVA.
(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: May 7, 2020.
* As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control
Act.
POLICY JUSTIFICATION
United Arab Emirates (UAE)--Mine Resistant Ambush Protected
(MRAP) Vehicles
The Government of the United Arab Emirates has requested
the sale of Excess Defense Articles (EDA) of up to four
thousand five hundred sixty-nine (4,569) MRAP vehicles
consisting of a mix of MaxxPro Long Wheel Base (L WB),
MaxxPro Recovery Vehicle (MRV), MaxxPro L WB chassis, MaxxPro
Dash, MaxxPro Bases Capsule, MaxxPro MEAP Capsules, MaxxPro
Plus, Caiman Multi-Terrain Vehicles without armor, Caiman
Base, Caiman Plus, Caiman Capsule, and MRAP All-Terrain
Vehicles (MATV), logistics support services, and other
related elements of logistical and program support. The
estimated total program cost is $556 million.
The proposed sale will support the foreign policy and
national security objectives of the United States by helping
to improve the security of an important regional partner. The
UAE has been, and continues to be, a vital U.S. partner for
political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.
This sale is consistent with U.S. initiatives to provide key
allies in the region with modern systems that will enhance
interoperability with U.S. forces and increase security.
The UAE intends to utilize the MRAP vehicles to increase
force protection, to conduct humanitarian assistance
operations, and to protect critical infrastructure.
Additionally, these MRAPs will enhance the UAE's burden
sharing capacity and defensive capabilities. The UAE will
have no difficulty absorbing this equipment and support into
its armed forces.
The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not
affect the basic military balance in the region.
These vehicles will be coming from U.S. Army stocks as EDA;
the required EDA Congressional Notifications were made August
6, 2014. There are no known offset agreements proposed in
conjunction with this proposed sale.
Implementation of this sale will not require the assignment
of U.S. Government or contractor representatives to the UAE.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness
as a result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 19-68
Notice of Proposed Issuance of Letter of Offer Pursuant to
Section 36(b)(l) of the Arms Export Control Act
Annex Item No. vii
(vii) Sensitivity of Technology:
1. The Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle is an
armored, multipurpose combat vehicle intended to support
mounted urban operations to include convoy security support
and dismounted patrols. It is designed to increase crew
survivability. The vehicle has a blast-resistant underbody
designed to protect the crew from mine blasts, fragmentation,
and direct fire weapons.
2. All MRAP vehicle information needed to operate, train,
and maintain the vehicles are UNCLASSIFIED. Some design and
test data, design performance parameters, armoring
methodology, vulnerabilities, armor types, and configuration
can be classified up to SECRET.
3. Loss of this hardware, software, documentation, and/or
data could permit development of information which may lead
to a significant threat to future U.S. military operations.
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.
4. A determination has been made that the UAE can provide
substantially the same degree of protection for this
technology as the U.S. Government. This proposed sale is
necessary in furtherance of the U.S. foreign policy and
national security objectives outlined in the Policy
Justification.
5. All of the defense articles and services listed in this
transmittal have been authorized for release and export to
the UAE.
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