[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 154 (Tuesday, September 8, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5437-S5438]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION

  Mr. RISCH. Madam 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)(I) of the Arms Export Control Act, as 
     amended, we are forwarding herewith Transmittal No. 20-56 
     concerning the Air Force's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and 
     Acceptance to the Government of France for defense articles 
     and services estimated to cost $350 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,
                                                   Heidi H. Grant,
                                                         Director.
       Enclosures.


                         TRANSMITTAL NO. 20-56

     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 France.
       (ii) Total Estimated Value:
       Major Defense Equipment * $50 million.
       Other $300 million.
       Total $350 million.
       (iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or 
     Services under Consideration for Purchase: Support for C-130 
     aircraft.
       Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
       Four (4) AE-2100D Turbo Prop Engines.
       Two (2) Multifunctional, Information Distribution System-
     Low Volume Terminal Block Upgrade Two (MIDS-LVT BU2).
       Non-MDE: Also included are AN/ARC-210 radios; AN/ARC-164 
     radios; L-3 CSW Multiband Receiver/Transmitters; AN/ARN-153 
     Navigation Systems; AN/ARN-147 Receivers; AN/APN-241 Radar 
     Receiver Transmitter Processor; ARC-190 High Frequency 
     Receivers; AAR-60 Missile Launch Warning Systems; MTS-A 
     Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) system; AN/APX-119 
     Identification Friend or Foe Systems; Joint Mission Planning 
     System (JMPS); encryption devices; spare and repair parts; 
     software delivery and support; publications and technical 
     documentation; U.S. Government and contractor engineering; 
     technical and logistics support services; and other related 
     elements of logistical and program support.
       (iv) Military Department: Air Force (FR-D-QAM).
       (v) Prior Related Cases, if any: GY-D-SUA and FR-D-SAE.
       (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: September 2, 
     2020.
       * As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control 
     Act.


                          POLICY JUSTIFICATION

                     France--C-130 Aircraft Support

       The Government of France has requested to buy four (4) AE-
     2100D Turbo Prop engines and two (2) Multifunctional, 
     Information Distribution System-Low Volume Terminal Block 
     Upgrade Two (MIDS-LVT BU2). Also included are AN/ARC-210 
     radios; AN/ARC-164 radios; L-3 CSW Multiband Receiver/
     Transmitters; AN/ARN-153 Navigation Systems; AN/ARN-147 
     Receivers; AN/APN-241 Radar Receiver Transmitter Processor; 
     ARC-190 High Frequency Receivers; AAR-60 Missile Launch 
     Warning Systems; MTS-A Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) 
     system; AN/APX-119 Identification Friend or Foe Systems; 
     Joint Mission Planning System (JMPS); encryption devices; 
     spare and repair parts; software delivery and support; 
     publications and technical documentation; U.S. Government and 
     contractor engineering; technical and logistics support 
     services; and other related elements of logistical and 
     program support. The estimated total cost is $350 million.
       This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and 
     national security of the United States by helping to improve 
     security of a NATO ally which is an important force for 
     political stability and economic progress in Europe.

[[Page S5438]]

       The proposed sale will improve France's capability to meet 
     current and future threats by providing the necessary 
     sustainment, services, and spare parts to support the co-
     managed fleet of French and German C-130 aircraft. France 
     will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and/or 
     services 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 Lockheed Martin 
     Corporation, Marietta, GA; Rolls Royce Cooperation, 
     Indianapolis, IN; General Electric Aviation System, LTD/
     Dowty, Sterling, VA; Raytheon, Cedar Rapids, IA; and ViaSat, 
     Carlsbad, CA. There are no known offset agreements proposed 
     in connection with this potential sale.
       Implementation of this proposed sale will require the 
     assignment of (1) U.S. contractor representative to France 
     for a duration of three years to provide technical assistance 
     and support to include field services, engineering tech 
     support and integrated logistics support management.
       There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness 
     as a result of this proposed sale.


                         TRANSMITTAL NO. 20-56

     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 Rolls Royce AE 2100D3 Turboprop Engine is the 
     primary powerplant on the C-130J Hercules military airlift 
     aircraft.
       2. The Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Low 
     Volume Terminal (MIDS-LVT) is an advanced Link-16 command, 
     control, communications, and intelligence (C3I) system 
     incorporating high-capacity, jam-resistant, digital 
     communication links for exchange of near real-time tactical 
     information, including both data and voice, among air, 
     ground, and sea elements. MIDS-LVT is intended to support key 
     theater functions such as surveillance identification, air 
     control, weapons engagement coordination, and direction for 
     all services and allied forces. The system provides jamming-
     resistant, wide-area communications on a Link-16 network 
     among MIDS and Joint Tactical Information Distribution System 
     (JTIDS) equipped platforms.
       3. AN/AAR-60 Missile Launch Detection System (MILDS) is a 
     passive, true imaging sensor device that is optimized to 
     detect the radiation signature of a threat missile's exhaust 
     plume within the Ultra Violet (UV) solar blind spectral band. 
     Functionally, the architecture detects incoming missile 
     threats and indicates their direction of arrival with the 
     `maximum' of warning time. The system is further noted as 
     featuring `inherently' high-spacial resolution, `advanced' 
     temporal processing, a `very high' declaration rate, the 
     `virtual elimination' of false alarm rates, `fast' threat 
     detection and the automatic initiation of appropriate 
     countermeasures. Physically, a typical application comprises 
     four to six self-contained detector units each of which 
     provides `full' signal processing.
       4. The AN/AAS-54 MTS-A Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) 
     System integrates electro-optical, infrared, laser 
     designation, and laser illumination capabilities to provide 
     superior detection, ranging, and tracking. The system 
     provides high rate of stabilization across six axis and 
     flexible operating modes including integrated line-of-sight 
     targeting and target tracking, using centroid, area and 
     feature tracks. The system contains an Inertial Measurement 
     Unit on the gimbal to enable accurate target geolocation. The 
     MTS-A is capable of integration onto fixed-wing, rotary-wing, 
     and unmanned air vehicle platforms.
       5. Joint Mission Planning System (JMPS) is a multi-platform 
     PC based mission planning system.
       6. The highest level of classification of defense articles, 
     components, and services included in this potential sale is 
     SECRET.
       7. 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.
       8. A determination has been made that France 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.
       9. All defense articles and services listed in this 
     transmittal have been authorized for release and export to 
     the France.

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