[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.

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