[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 118 (Monday, July 18, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3330-S3331]
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, July 15, 2022.
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. 22-35,
concerning the Army's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and
Acceptance to the Government of Estonia for defense articles
and services estimated to cost $500 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,
James A. Hursch,
Director.
Enclosures.
Transmittal No. 22-35
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 Estonia.
(ii) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment * $455 million.
Other $ 45 million.
Total $500 million.
Funding Source: National Funds
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
Six (6) M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)
Launchers.
Thirty-six (36) M30A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System
(GMLRS) Alternative Warhead (AW) Missile Pods with
Insensitive Munitions Propulsion System (IMPS) and Frequency
Modulated Continuous Wave--Directional Doppler Ranging (FMCW-
DDR) Proximity Height-of-Burst (HOB) Sensor Capability.
Thirty-six (36) M31A2 GMLRS Unitary High Explosive (HE)
Missile Pods with IMPS and FMCW-DDR Proximity HOB Sensor
Capability.
Thirty-six (36) XM403 Extended Range GMLRS (ER GMLRS)
Alternative Warhead (AW) Missile Pods with IMPS and Side
Mounted Proximity Sensor (SMPS) HOB Capability.
Thirty-six (36) XM404 Extended Range GMLRS (ER GMLRS)
Unitary Pods with IMPS and SMPS HOB Capability.
Eighteen (18) M57 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS)
Missile Pods.
Non-MDE: Also included are M28A2 Low Cost Reduced Range
Practice Rocket (LCRRPR) pods; ruggedized laptops; training
equipment; publications for HIMARS and munitions/missiles;
and other related elements of program and logistic support.
(iv) Military Department: Army (EN-B-UFG).
(v) Prior Related Cases, if any: EN-B-PAY.
(vi) Sales Commission, Fee, etc., Paid, Offered, or Agreed
to be Paid: None known at this time.
(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: July 15, 2022.
* As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control
Act.
POLICY JUSTIFICATION
Estonia-M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)
The Government of Estonia has requested to purchase six (6)
M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)
Launchers; thirty-six (36) M30A2 Guided Multiple Launch
Rocket System (GMLRS) Alternative Warhead (AW) Missile Pods
with Insensitive Munitions Propulsion System (IMPS) and
Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave--Directional Doppler
Ranging (FMCW-DDR) Proximity Height-of-Burst (HOB) Sensor
Capability; thirty-six (36) M31A2 GMLRS Unitary High
Explosive (HE) Missile Pods with IMPS and FMCW-DDR Proximity
HOB Sensor Capability; thirty-six (36) XM403 Extended Range
GMLRS (ER GMLRS) Alternative Warhead (AW) Missile Pods with
IMPS and Side Mounted Proximity Sensor (SMPS) HOB Capability;
thirty-six (36) XM404 Extended Range GMLRS (ER GMLRS) Unitary
Pods with IMPS and SMPS HOB Capability; and eighteen (18) M57
Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) Missile Pods. Also
included are M28A2 Low Cost Reduced Range Practice Rocket
(LCRRPR) pods; ruggedized laptops; training equipment;
publications for HIMARS and munitions/missiles; and other
related elements of program and logistic support. The total
estimated cost is $500 million.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and
national security of the United States by improving the
security of a NATO ally that continues to be an important
force for political stability and economic progress in
Europe. This sale is consistent with U.S. initiatives to
provide key allies in the region with modern systems that
will enhance interoperability with U.S. forces and increase
security.
The proposed sale will contribute to Estonia's military
goals of updating capability while further enhancing
interoperability with the United States and other allies.
Estonia intends to use these defense articles and services to
modernize its armed forces and expand its capability to
strengthen its homeland defense and deter regional threats.
Estonia will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment 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, Grand
Prairie, TX. There are no known offset agreements proposed in
connection with this potential sale.
Implementation of this proposed sale may require the
assignment of approximately fifteen (15) U.S. Government
representatives and up to fifteen (15) contractor
representatives to Estonia at any given time, during the
delivery, training, integration, and testing of the HIMARS
capability.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness
as a result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 22-35
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 M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)
is a C-130 transportable wheeled launcher mounted on a 5-ton
Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles truck chassis. HIMARS is
the modern Army-fielded version of the M270 Multiple Launch
Rocket System (MLRS) launcher, and can fire all of the MLRS
Family of Munitions/Missiles (FOM) that includes Guided
Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS), Extended Range GMLRS,
and the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS). Utilizing the
FOM, the HIMARS can engage targets between 15 and 300
kilometers with Global Positioning System/Precise Positioning
Service (GPS/PPS)-aided precision accuracy.
2. The GMLRS M31A2 Unitary is the Army's primary munition
for units fielding the M142 HIMARS and M270Al MLRS Launchers.
The M31A2 Unitary is a solid propellant artillery rocket that
uses GPS/PPS-aided inertial guidance to accurately and
quickly deliver a single high-explosive blast fragmentation
warhead to targets at ranges from 15-70 kilometers. The
rockets are fired from a launch pod container that also
serves as the storage and transportation container for the
rockets. Each rocket pod holds six (6) total rockets.
3. The M30A2 GMLRS Alternative Warhead (AW) shares a
greater than 90% commonality with the M31A1/A2 Unitary. The
primary difference between the GMLRS Unitary and GMLRS AW is
the replacement of the Unitary high explosive warhead with a
200-pound fragmentation warhead of pre-formed tungsten
penetrators which is optimized for effectiveness against a
large area and imprecisely located targets. The munitions
otherwise share a common motor, GPS/PPS-aided inertial
guidance and control system, a
[[Page S3331]]
multi-option fuzing height of burst capability, and effective
range of 15-70 km.
4. The M57 ATACMS Unitary is a conventional, semi-ballistic
missile that utilizes a 500-pound high explosive warhead. It
has an effective range of between 70 and 300 kilometers, and
has increased lethality and accuracy over previous versions
of the ATACMS due to a GPS/ PPS aided navigation system.
5. The ER GMLRS missiles provide a persistent, responsive,
all-weather, rapidly deployed, long range, surface-to-
surface, area- and point-precision strike capability. The
XM403 AW, like GMLRS M30A1/A2, 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 XM404 Unitary, like
GMLRS M31A1/A2, has a 200-pound class unitary with a steel
blast-fragmentation case, designed for low collateral damage
against point targets. Both variants of the ER GMLRS missiles
maintain the accuracy and effectiveness demonstrated by the
baseline GMLRS out to a maximum range of 150 km (double that
of the GMLRS capability) while also including a new HOB
capability referred to as the Side Mounted Proximity Sensor
(SMPS) HOB capability.
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 Estonia 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 Government of Estonia.
____________________