[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 192 (Tuesday, November 10, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6648-S6649]
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)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act, as 
     amended, we are forwarding herewith Transmittal No. 21-01 
     concerning the Air Force's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and 
     Acceptance to the Government of the United Arab Emirates for 
     defense articles and services estimated to cost $10.4 
     billion. 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. 21-01

     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 (UAE).
       (ii) Total Estimated Value:
       Major Defense Equipment* $5.8 billion.
       Other $4.6 billion.
       Total $10.4 billion.
       (iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or 
     Services under Consideration for Purchase:
       Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
       Fifty (50) F-35A Joint Strike Fighter Conventional Take-Off 
     and Landing (CTOL) Aircraft.
       Fifty-four (54) Pratt & Whitney F-135 Engines (up to 50 
     installed and 4 spares).
       Non-MDE: Also included are Electronic Warfare Systems; 
     Command, Control, Communications, Computer and Intelligence/
     Communications, Navigational, and Identification (C4I/CNI); 
     Autonomic Logistics Global Support System (ALGS); Operational 
     Data Integrated Network (ODIN); Air System Training Devices; 
     Weapons Employment Capability and other Subsystems, Features, 
     and Capabilities; F-35 unique chaff and infrared flares; 
     reprogramming center access; F-35 Performance Based 
     Logistics; software development/integration; aircraft ferry 
     and tanker support; aircraft and munitions support and test 
     equipment; communications equipment; provisioning, spares and 
     repair parts; weapons repair and return support; personnel 
     training and training equipment; weapon systems software, 
     publications and technical documents; 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 (AE-D-SAC).
       (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 9, 2020.
       *As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control 
     Act.


                          POLICY JUSTIFICATION

            United Arab Emirates--F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

       The Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has 
     requested to buy up to fifty (50) F-35A Joint Strike Fighter 
     Conventional Take-Off and Landing (CTOL) aircraft and fifty-
     four (54) Pratt & Whitney F-135 Engines (up to 50 installed 
     and 4 spares). Also included are Electronic Warfare Systems; 
     Command, Control, Communications, Computer and Intelligence/
     Communications, Navigational, and Identification (C4I/CNI); 
     Autonomic Logistics Global Support System (ALGS); Operational 
     Data Integrated Network (ODIN); Air System Training Devices; 
     Weapons Employment Capability and other Subsystems, Features, 
     and Capabilities; F-35 unique chaff and infrared flares; 
     reprogramming center access; F-35 Performance Based 
     Logistics; software development/integration; aircraft ferry 
     and tanker support; aircraft and munitions support and test 
     equipment; communications equipment; provisioning, spares and 
     repair parts; weapons repair and return support; personnel 
     training and training equipment; weapon systems software, 
     publications and technical documents; U.S. Government and 
     contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support 
     services; and other related elements of logistical and 
     program support. The total estimated cost is $10.4 billion.
       This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and 
     national security 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.
       The proposed sale of F-35s will provide the Government of 
     the UAE with a credible defense capability to deter 
     aggression in the region and ensure interoperability with 
     U.S. forces. The UAE has demonstrated a commitment to 
     modernizing its military and

[[Page S6649]]

     will have no difficulty absorbing these aircraft into their 
     armed forces.
       The proposed sale of this equipment and support represents 
     a significant increase in capability and will alter the 
     regional military balance.
       The prime contractors will be Lockheed Martin Aeronautics 
     Company, Fort Worth, TX; and Pratt & Whitney Military 
     Engines, East Hartford, CT. There are no known offset 
     agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale. 
     However, the purchaser typically requests offsets. Any offset 
     agreements will be defined in negotiations between the 
     purchaser and the contractor(s).
       Implementation of this proposed sale may require the 
     assignment of U.S. Government or contractor representatives 
     to the UAE. Implementation of this proposed sale will require 
     multiple trips to the UAE involving U.S. Government and 
     contractor representatives for technical reviews/support, 
     program management, and training over the life of the 
     program. U.S. contractor representatives will be required in 
     the UAE to conduct Contractor Engineering Technical Services 
     (CETS) and Autonomic Logistics and Global Support (ALGS) for 
     after-aircraft delivery.
       There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness 
     as a result of this proposed sale.


                         Transmittal No. 21-01

     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 F-35A Conventional Take Off and Landing {CTOL) 
     aircraft is a single-seat, single engine, all-weather, 
     stealth, fifth-generation, multirole aircraft. The F-35A 
     contain sensitive technology, including the low observable 
     airframe/outer mold line, the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, 
     AN/APG-81 radar, an integrated core processor central 
     computer, a mission systems/electronic warfare suite, a 
     multiple sensor suite, technical data/documentation, and 
     associated software. Sensitive elements of the F35A are also 
     included in operational flight and maintenance trainers. 
     Sensitive elements of the F-35A CTOL aircraft include 
     hardware, accessories, components, and associated software 
     for the following major subsystems:
       a. The Pratt and Whitney F 135 engine is a single 40,000-
     pound thrust class engine designed for the F-35 and assures 
     highly reliable, affordable performance. The engine is 
     designed to be utilized in all F-35 variants, providing 
     unmatched commonality and supportability throughout the 
     worldwide base of F-35 users.
       b. The AN/APG-81 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) 
     is a high processing power/high transmission power electronic 
     array capable of detecting air and ground targets from a 
     greater distance than mechanically scanned array radars. It 
     also contains a synthetic aperture radar (SAR), which creates 
     high-resolution ground maps and provides weather data to the 
     pilot, and provides air and ground tracks to the mission 
     system, which uses it as a component to fuse sensor data.
       c. The Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) provides 
     long-range detection and tracking, as well as an infrared 
     search and track (IRST) and forward-looking infrared (FLIR) 
     capability for precision tracking, weapons delivery, and bomb 
     damage assessment (BOA). The EOTS replaces multiple separate 
     internal or podded systems typically found on legacy 
     aircraft.
       d. The Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System (EODAS) 
     provides the pilot with full spherical coverage for air-to-
     air and air-to-ground threat awareness, day/night vision 
     enhancements, a fire control capability, and precision 
     tracking of wingmen/friendly aircraft. The EODAS provides 
     data directly to the pilot's helmet as well as the mission 
     system.
       e. The Electronic Warfare (EW) system is a reprogrammable, 
     integrated system that provides radar warning and electronic 
     support measures (ESM), along with a fully integrated 
     countermeasures (CM) system. The EW system is the primary 
     subsystem used to enhance situational awareness, targeting 
     support and self-defense through the search, intercept, 
     location and identification of in-band emitters and to 
     automatically counter infrared (IR) and radio frequency (RF) 
     threats.
       f. The Command, Control, Communications, Computers and 
     Intelligence/Communications, Navigation, and Identification 
     (C4I/CNI) system provides the pilot with unmatched 
     connectivity to flight members, coalition forces, and the 
     battlefield. It is an integrated subsystem designed to 
     provide a broad spectrum of secure, anti-jam voice and data 
     communications, precision radio navigation and landing 
     capability, self-identification, beyond visual range target 
     identification, and connectivity to off-board sources of 
     information. It also includes an inertial navigation and 
     global positioning system (GPS) for precise location 
     information. The functionality is tightly integrated within 
     the mission system to enhance efficiency.
       g. The aircraft C4I/CNI system includes two data links, the 
     Multi-Function Advanced Data Link (MADL) and Link 16. The 
     MADL is designed specifically for the F-35 and allows for 
     stealthy communications between F-35s. Link 16 data link 
     equipment allows the F-35 to communicate with legacy aircraft 
     using widely-distributed J-series message protocols.
       h. The F-35 Autonomic Logistics Global Sustainment (ALGS) 
     provides a fully integrated logistics management solution. 
     ALGS integrates a number of functional areas, including 
     supply chain management, repair, support equipment, engine 
     support, and training. The ALGS infrastructure employs a 
     state-of-the-art information system that provides real-time, 
     decision-worthy information for sustainment decisions by 
     flight line personnel. Prognostic health monitoring 
     technology is integrated with the air system and is crucial 
     to predictive maintenance of vital components.
       i. The F-35 Operational Data Integrated Network (ODIN) 
     provides an intelligent information infrastructure that binds 
     all the key concepts of ALGS into an effective support 
     system. ODIN establishes the appropriate interfaces among the 
     F-35 Air Vehicle, the warfighter, the training system, 
     government information technology (IT) systems, and 
     supporting commercial enterprise systems. Additionally, ODIN 
     provides a comprehensive tool for data collection and 
     analysis, decision support and action tracking.
       j. The F-35 Training System includes several training 
     devices to provide integrated training for pilots and 
     maintainers. The pilot training devices include a Full 
     Mission Simulator (FMS) and Mission Rehearsal Trainer (MRT). 
     The maintainer training devices include an Aircraft Systems 
     Maintenance Trainer (ASMT), Ejection System Maintenance 
     Trainer (ESMT), Outer Mold Line (OML) Lab, Flexible Linear 
     Shaped Charge (FLSC) Trainer, F135 Engine Module Trainer, 
     Weapons Loading Trainer (WLT), and other training devices. 
     The F-35 Training System can be integrated, where both pilots 
     and maintainers learn in the same Integrated Training Center 
     (ITC).
       k. Other subsystems, features, and capabilities include the 
     F-35's low observable air frame, Integrated Core Processor 
     (ICP) Central Computer, Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS), 
     Pilot Life Support System (PLSS), Mission Planning System 
     Environment (MPSE), and publications/maintenance manuals. The 
     HMDS provides a fully sunlight readable, bi-ocular display 
     presentation of aircraft information projected onto the 
     pilot's helmet visor. The use of a night vision camera 
     integrated into the helmet eliminates the need for separate 
     Night Vision Goggles. The PLSS provides a measure of Pilot 
     Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Protection through use 
     of an On-Board Oxygen Generating System (OBOGS) and an escape 
     system that provides additional protection to the pilot. 
     OBOGS takes the Power and Thermal Management System (PTMS) 
     air and enriches it by removing gases (mainly nitrogen) by 
     adsorption, thereby increasing the concentration of oxygen in 
     the product gas and supplying breathable air to the pilot. 
     The MPSE provides a mission planning, mission briefing, and a 
     maintenance/intelligence/tactical debriefing platform for the 
     F-35.
       2. The Reprogramming Center is located in the United States 
     and provides F-35 customers a means to update F-35 electronic 
     warfare databases.
       3. The highest level of classification of defense articles, 
     components, and services included in this potential sale is 
     SECRET.
       4. 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.
       5. A determination has been made that the United Arab 
     Emirates 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.
       6. All defense articles and services listed in this 
     transmittal are authorized for release and export to the 
     Government of the United Arab Emirates.

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