[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 192 (Tuesday, November 10, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6643-S6644]
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,
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. 20-74
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 $600 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. 20-74
Notice of Proposed Issuance of Letter of Offer Pursuant to
Section 36(b)(I) 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 * $153 million.
Other $447 million.
Total $600 million.
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
Major Defense Equipment (MOE):
Four (4) Weapons-Ready MQ-98 Remotely Piloted Aircraft Two
(2) Fixed Ground Control Stations.
Two (2) Mobile Ground Control Stations.
Fourteen (14) Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial
Navigations Systems
(EGI) with Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) (12
installed, 2 spares).
Non-MOE: Also included are MX-20 Multi-Spectral Targeting
Systems and spares; Sea Vue Maritime Multi-Role Patrol
Radars; SAGE 75(ESM) Systems; C-Band Line-of-Sight (LOS)
Ground Data Terminals; Ku-Band SA TCOM GA-ASI Transportable
Earth Stations (GATES); AN/DPX-7 IFF Transponders; Honeywell
TPE-331-1 OGD Turboprop Engines; M6000 UHF/VHF Radios; KIV-77
Mode 5 IFF cryptographic appliques; AN/PYQ-1 OC Simple Key
Loaders; secure communications, cryptographic and
Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) equipment; initial spare
and repair parts; hard points, power, and data connections
for weapons integration; support and test equipment;
publications and technical documentation; personnel training
and training equipment; 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 (TW-D-SAQ).
(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: November 3, 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)--MQ-98 Remotely Piloted Aircraft
TECRO has requested to buy four (4) Weapons-Ready MQ-9B
Remotely Piloted Aircraft; two (2) Fixed Ground Control
Stations; two (2) Mobile Ground Control Stations; and
fourteen (14) Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial
Navigations Systems (EGI) with Selective Availability Anti-
Spoofing Module (SAASM) (12 installed, 2 spares). Also
included are MX-20 Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems and
spares; SeaVue Maritime Multi-Role Patrol Radars; SAGE 750
Electronic Surveillance Measures (ESM) Systems; C-Band Line-
of-Sight (LOS) Ground Data Terminals; Ku-Band SA TCOM GA-AS!
Transportable Earth Stations (GA TES); AN/DPX-7 IFF
Transponders; Honeywell TPE-331-1 OGD Turboprop Engines;
M6000 UHF/VHF Radios; KIV-77 Mode 5 IFF cryptographic
appliques; AN/PYQ-1 OC Simple Key Loaders; secure
communications, cryptographic and Identification Friend or
Foe (IFF) equipment; initial spare and repair parts; hard
points, power, and data connections for weapons integration;
support and test equipment; publications and technical
documentation; personnel training and training equipment;
U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and
logistics support services; and other related elements of
logistical and program support. The total estimated program
cost is $600 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 (JSR), target
acquisition, and counter-land, counter-sea, and anti-
submarine strike capabilities for its security and defense.
The 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 General Atomics
Aeronautical Systems, Inc., San Diego, CA. The purchaser
typically requests offsets. Any offset agreement will be
defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the
contractor.
[[Page S6644]]
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. 20-74
Notice of Proposed Issuance of Letter of Offer Pursuant to
Section 36(b)(I) of the Arms Export Control Act
Annex Item No. vii
(vii) Sensitivity of Technology:
1. The MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) is a weapons-
ready aircraft designed for Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance
(MALE) Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR),
Target Acquisition, and Strike Missions. The MQ-9B RPA is not
a USAF program of record but has close ties to, and builds
upon, the proven success of the MQ-9A Reaper. The MQ-9B is a
highly modular, easily configurable aircraft that contains
the necessary hard points, power, and data connections to
accommodate a variety of payloads and munitions to meet
multiple missions--including counter-land, counter-sea, and
anti-submarine strike operations. The system is designed to
be controlled by two operators within a Certifiable Ground
Control Station (CGCS). The CGCS is designed to emulate a
reconnaissance aircraft cockpit, giving users extensive means
to operate both the aircraft and sensors. The MQ-9B is able
to operate using a direct Line-of-Sight (LOS) datalink or
Beyond Line-of-Sight (BLOS) through satellite communications
(SA TCOM). The MQ-9B system can be deployed from a single
site that supports launch/recovery, mission control, and
maintenance. The system also supports remote-split operations
where launch/recovery and maintenance occur at a Forward
Operating Base and mission control is conducted from another
location or Main Operating Base (MOB).
2. The Ground Control Station (GCS) can be either fixed or
mobile. The fixed GCS is enclosed in a customer-specified
shelter. It incorporates workstations that allow operators to
control and monitor the aircraft, as well as record and
exploit downlinked payload data. The mobile GCS allows
operators to perform the same functions and is contained on a
mobile trailer. Workstations in either GCS can be tailored to
meet customer requirements.
3. The Embedded GPS-INS (EGI) with Selective Availability
Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) is a self-contained navigation
system that provides the following: acceleration, velocity,
position, attitude, platform azimuth, magnetic and true
heading, altitude, body angular rates, time tags and
coordinated universal time (UTC) synchronized time. SAASM
enables the GPS receiver access to the encrypted P(Y) signal
providing protection against active spoofing attacks.
4. The AN/DPX-7 is an Identification Friend or Foe (IFF)
Transponder used to identify and track aircraft, ships, and
some ground forces to reduce friendly fire incidents.
5. The MX-20 Multi-Spectral Targeting System is a multi-use
highly advanced EO/IR sensor that provides long-range
surveillance, high altitude, target acquisition, tracking,
range finding, and laser designation for all NATO and tri-
service laser guided munitions, enabling precision-strike
against a variety of land and maritime targets.
6. Sea Vue Maritime Multi-Role Patrol Radar is a synthetic
aperture X-band radar that provides small-target maritime
detection in high seas, maritime search (including submarine
periscopes and semi-submersibles), radar imaging of ocean
targets, and weather detection and avoidance.
7. The SAGE 750 Electronic Surveillance Measures (ESM)
System is a UK-produced digital electronic intelligence
(ELINT) sensor which analyzes the electromagnetic spectrum to
map the source of active emissions. Using highly accurate
Direction Finding (DF) antennas, SAGE builds target locations
and provides situational awareness, advance warning of
threats and the ability to cue other sensors.
8. The C-Band Line-of-Sight (LOS) Ground Data Terminals and
Ku-Band SA TCOM GA-ASI Transportable Earth Stations (GA TES)
provide command, control, and data acquisition for the MQ-98.
9. The Honeywell TPE-331-10-GD Turboprop Engine is used in
a variety of airborne platforms including the MQ-98.
10. The M6000 UHF/VHF Radio is a multi-band, portable, two-
way communication radio.
11. The KIV-77 Mode 5 crypto applique computer for IFF is
Type I certified by the National Security Agency and provides
information assurance for Mode 5 IFF equipment. The KIV- 77
is used to store the classified keys.
12. The AN/APQ-IOC Simple Key Loader is a handheld fill
device for securely receiving, storing, and transferring data
between cryptographic and communications equipment.
13. The highest level of classification of information
included in this potential sale is SECRET.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. All defense articles and services listed in this
transmittal have been authorized for release and export to
the recipient
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