[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 142 (Monday, August 10, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5376-S5377]
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. 20-38
concerning the Navy's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and
Acceptance to the Republic of the Philippines for defense
articles and services estimated to cost $126 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. 20-38
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 the Philippines
(ii) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment * $2 million.
Other $124 million.
Total $126 million.
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
One hundred fifty-six (156) M240B 7.62x5lmm Machine Guns
Non-MDE: Also included are thirty-six (36) 9M Scout Boats
(SB); thirty-six (36) 1OM Assault Boats (AB); eighteen (18)
16M Light Support Boats (LSB); thirty-six (36) units of
Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) 280HD; twenty-four (24) M2A1
.50 caliber machine guns; thirty-six (36) Ml34D-M, 7.62x51mm,
6-
[[Page S5377]]
barrel rotary Gatling guns; three hundred ninety-nine (399)
NFS-NVG/IR Lasers (AN/PVS-14 and AN/PEQ-15); one hundred two
(102) Thermal Imager Scope (handheld); two hundred ten (210)
Heavy Thermal Weapon Sights (AN/PAS-13); ninety (90) Harris
Falcon III RF-7850M radios; two hundred seventy (270) Harris
Falcon III RF-7850S radios; boat spare parts; spare engines
and engine components; safety and rescue equipment; training;
contractor engineering technical services; engineering
technical assistance; transportation cost services, and other
related elements of logistics and program support.
(iv) Military Department: Navy (PI-P-SCS)
(v) Prior Related Cases, if any: 7L-P-LBJ
(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: July 30, 2020.
*As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control
Act.
POLICY JUSTIFICATION
Philippines--Scout, Assault, and Light Support Boats with Armaments and
Accessories
The Government of the Philippines has requested to buy one
hundred fifty-six (l56) M240B 7.62x51mm machine guns. Also
included are thirty-six (36) 9M Scout Boats (SB); thirty-six
(36) 10M Assault Boats (AB); eighteen (18) 16M Light Support
Boats (LSB); thirty-six (36) units of Forward Looking
Infrared (FLIR) 280HD; twenty-four (24) M2A1 .50 caliber
machine guns; thirty-six (36) M134D-M, 7.62x51mm, 6-barrel
rotary Gatling guns; three hundred ninety-nine (399) NFS-NVG/
IR Lasers (AN/PVS-14 and AN/PEQ-15); one hundred two (102)
Thermal Imager Scope (handheld); two hundred ten (210) Heavy
Thermal Weapon Sights (AN/PAS-13); ninety (90) Harris Falcon
III RF-7850M radios; two hundred seventy (270) Harris Falcon
III RF-7850S radios; boat spare parts; spare engines and
engine components; safety and rescue equipment; training;
contractor engineering technical services; engineering
technical assistance; transportation cost services, and other
related elements of logistics and program support. The
estimated cost is $126 million.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and
national security of the United States by helping to improve
the security of a strategic partner that continues to be an
important force for political stability, peace, and economic
progress in South-East Asia.
The proposed sale will improve the Philippines' capability
to meet current and future threats by force multiplying the
Army's present ability to operate and control both inland and
coastal waterways of southern Philippines. The Philippines
will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment and support
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 for the Scout and Assault Boats
will be Willard Marine Inc., Anaheim, CA. The principal
contractor for the Light Support Boat will be determined
through an open competition contract. There are no known
offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential
sale. Any offset agreement required by Philippines will be
defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the
contractor(s).
Implementation of this proposed sale will require the
assignment of one (1) additional U.S. contractor
representative to the Republic of the Philippines for a
duration of five (5) years to provide maintenance and
logistical support.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness
as a result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 20-38
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. Included are:
a. The M240B 7.62x51mm machine gun is a general purpose,
gas-operated, medium machine gun fired from a mount. The
M240B machine gun provides protection and is used extensively
by infantry, most often in rifle companies, as well as on
ground vehicles, watercraft and aircraft.
b. The 9M Scout Boat is an agile vessel. The 9M Scout Boat
provides reconnaissance capabilities.
c. The 10M Assault Boat is a high speed patrol vessel. The
10M Assault Boat provides search and seizure capabilities.
d. The 16M Light Support Boat is a lightweight unit support
vessel. The 16M Light Support Boat provides extended range
for the mission.
e. The Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) 280HD is an imaging
system. The FLIR 280HD is designed to identify and track
threats in the day and night.
f. The M2A1 .50 caliber machine gun is an automatic, air-
cooled machine gun either mounted or crew transported (over
short distances). The M2A1 .50 caliber machine gun provides
defensive and offensive capabilities and can be used as an
anti-personnel and anti-aircraft weapon.
g. The M134D-M, 7.62x51mm, 6-barrel rotary Gatling gun, is
a machine gun. The M134D-M, 7.62x51mm, 6-barrel rotary
Gatling guns provides defensive and offensive capabilities.
h. The Night Fighting System-Night Vision Goggle (NFS-NVG)/
Infrared Lasers (AN/PVS-14 and AN/PEQ-15). The NFS/NVG (AN/
PVS-14) is a multi-functional night vision monocular. The
NFS/NVG provides night vision capabilities and can be used as
a hand-held pocket scope, helmet-mounted monocular, or a
weapon sight when mounted in tandem with an infrared laser
aimer. The Advanced Target Pointer/Illuminator/Aiming Laser
(AN/PEQ-15) is an infrared laser aimer. The Advanced Target
Pointer/Illuminator/Aiming Laser (AN/PEQ-15) provides direct-
fire aiming and illumination for nighttime use.
i. The Thermal Imager Scope is a device which creates an
image by the target's emitted heat signature and its contrast
to its immediate surroundings. The Thermal Imager Scope
provides a sharper capability for precision targeting in the
absence of illumination.
j. The Heavy Thermal Weapon Sights (AN/PAS-13) is a
portable infrared sensor for use on rifles, surveillance
missions, and shoulder-launched missiles. The Thermal Weapon
Sight provides a capability to acquire targets at long range,
night, during the day in adverse weather conditions and
through smoke and dust.
k. The Harris Falcon III RF-7850M Radio is a multiband
networking vehicular radio. The Harris Falcon III RF-7850M
Radio provides high-speed, long-range tactical communications
and is engineered for space-constrained platforms.
l. The Harris Falcon III RF-7850S Radio is an advanced
wideband, secure personal radio. The Harris Falcon III RF-
7850S Radio provides personal, secure and full communications
capabilities (for both wideband and narrowband operation) and
meets specific needs of soldier-level communications with
multiple talk groups, ad-hoc mesh networking, and multihop
forwarding.
2. The highest level of classification of defense articles,
components, and services included in this potential sale is
UNCLASSIFIED.
3. If a technologically advanced adversary were to obtain
knowledge of the specific hardware and software elements, the
information could be used to develop countermeasures that
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 Republic of the
Philippines can provide substantially the same degree of
protection for the sensitive 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.
5. All defense articles and services listed in this
transmittal have been authorized for release and export to
the Republic of the Philippines.
____________________