[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 34 (Tuesday, February 23, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S813]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION

  Mr. MENENDEZ. 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. Robert Menendez,
     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. 21-16 
     concerning the Army's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and 
     Acceptance to the Government of Finland for defense articles 
     and services estimated to cost $91.2 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. 21-16

     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 Finland.
       (ii) Total Estimated Value:
       Major Defense Equipment * $81.0 million.
       Other $10.2 million.
       Total $91.2 million.
       (iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or 
     Services under Consideration for Purchase:
       Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
       Twenty-Five (25) M30A2 Extended Range Guided Multiple 
     Launch Rocket Systems--Alternative Warhead (ER GMLRS-AW) 
     Pods.
       Ten (10) M31A2 Extended Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket 
     Systems--Unitary (ER GMLRS-U) Pods.
       Non-MDE: Also included is an ER GMLRS Materiel Release 
     Package; Stockpile Reliability Program (SRP) support; Quality 
     Assurance Testing (QAT) services; technical publications; 
     U.S. Government and contractor technical and logistics 
     support services; and other related elements of program and 
     logistics support.
       (iv) Military Department: Army (FI-B-VBB).
       (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: February 17, 
     2021.
       * As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control 
     Act.


                          POLICY JUSTIFICATION

      Finland--Extended Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System

       The Government of Finland has requested to buy twenty-five 
     (25) M30A2 Extended Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket 
     Systems--Alternative Warhead (ER GMLRS-AW) Pods; and ten (10) 
     M31A2 Extended Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems--
     Unitary (ER GMLRS-U) Pods. Also included is an ER GMLRS 
     Materiel Release Package; Stockpile Reliability Program (SRP) 
     support; Quality Assurance Testing (QAT) services; technical 
     publications; U.S. Government and contractor technical and 
     logistics support services; and other related element of 
     program and logistics support. The total estimated cost is 
     $91.2 million.
       This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and 
     national security of the United States by improving the 
     security of a trusted partner which is an important force for 
     political stability and economic progress in Europe. It is 
     vital to the U.S. national interest to assist Finland in 
     developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defense 
     capability.
       Finland intends to use these defense articles and services 
     to modernize its armed forces. Finland intends to expand its 
     existing army architecture to counter potential threats. This 
     will contribute to the Finland military's goal to upgrade its 
     capability while enhancing interoperability between Finland, 
     the United States, and other allies. Finland will have no 
     difficulty absorbing these missiles 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, Missile and Fire Control, Grand Prairie, TX. 
     There are no known offsets associated with this potential 
     sale.
       Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the 
     assignment of U.S. Government or contractor representatives 
     to Finland.
       There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness 
     as a result of this proposed sale.


                         Transmittal No. 21-16

     Notice of Proposed Issuance of Letter of Offer Pursuant to 
         Section 36(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act, as 
         amended
       (vii) Sensitivity of Technology:
       1. The ER GMLRS provides a persistent, responsive, all-
     weather, rapidly deployed, long range, surface-to-surface, 
     area- and point-precision strike capability. The AW variant 
     (XM403, also referred to as M30A2) carries a 200-pound 
     fragmentation assembly filled with high explosives which, 
     upon detonation, accelerates two layers of preformed 
     penetrators optimized for effectiveness against large area 
     and imprecisely located targets. The Unitary variant (XM404, 
     also referred to as M31A2) is a 200-pound class unitary with 
     a steel blast-fragmentation case, designed for low collateral 
     damage against point targets. The ER GMLRS maintains the 
     accuracy and effectiveness demonstrated by the baseline GMLRS 
     out to a maximum range of 150 km (double of GMLRS capability) 
     while also including a new Height Of Burst (HOB) capability.
       2. The highest level of classified information associated 
     with the sale of this equipment is SECRET.
       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 or 
     equivalent systems 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 Finland 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 Government of Finland.

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