[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 180 (Wednesday, October 21, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6371-S6372]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MORNING BUSINESS
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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 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
[[Page S6372]]
the Arms Export Control Act, as amended, we are forwarding
herewith Transmittal No. 20-75 concerning the Air Force's
proposed Letter(s) of Offer and Acceptance to the Taipei
Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United
States (TECRO) for defense articles and services estimated to
cost $367.2 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. 20-75
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: Taipei Economic and Cultural
Representative Office in the United States (TECRO)
(ii) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment * $0 million.
Other $367.2 million.
Total $367.2 million.
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
None.
Non-MDE: Six (6) MS-110 Recce Pods, three (3) Transportable
Ground Stations; one (1) Fixed Ground station; spare and
repair parts; repair and return; site surveys; integration
and test equipment; system support and equipment; personnel
training and training equipment; publications and technical
documentation; U.S. Government and contractor engineering,
technical, and logistical support services; and other related
elements of logistical and program support.
(iv) Military Department: Air Force (TW-D-QAS).
(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: October 21, 2020.
* As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control
Act.
Policy Justification
Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States
(TECRO)--MS-110 Recce Pod System
TECRO has requested to buy six (6) MS-110 Recce Pods; three
(3) Transportable Ground Stations; one (1) Fixed Ground
station; spare and repair parts; repair and return; site
surveys; integration and test equipment; system support and
equipment; personnel training and training equipment;
publications and technical documentation; U.S. Government and
contractor engineering, technical, and logistical support
services; and other related elements of logistical and
program support. The total estimated program cost is $367.2
million.
This proposed sale is consistent with U.S. law and policy
as expressed in Public Law 96-8.
This proposed sale serves U.S. national, economic, and
security interests by supporting the recipient's continuing
efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a
credible defensive capability. The proposed sale will help
improve the security of the recipient and assist in
maintaining political stability, military balance, economic
and progress in the region.
This proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability
to meet current and future threats by providing timely
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR),
capabilities for its security and defense. The enhanced
capability is a deterrent to regional threats and will
strengthen the recipient's self-defense. The recipient 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 Collins Aerospace,
Westford, MA. 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 not require the
assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor
representatives to the recipient.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness
as a result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 20-75
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 MS-110 is a Non-Program of Record electro-optic and
infrared airborne reconnaissance system with long range, day/
night, multi-spectral sensor technology. The multi-spectral
sensor lets the end user see color and better distinguish
subtle features that traditional gray-scale imagery cannot.
The pod can transmit imagery via a datalink to ground-
stations for near-real time analysis and exploitation.
2. The highest level of classification of information
included in this potential sale is UNCLASSIFIED.
3. 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.
4. A determination has been made that the recipient 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 recipient.
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