[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 123 (Monday, July 25, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3634-S3635]
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,
Washington, DC.
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. 22-01
concerning the Air Force's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and
Acceptance to the Government of Kuwait for defense articles
and services estimated to cost $397 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. 22-01
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 Kuwait.
(ii) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment * $222 million.
Other $175 million.
Total $397 million.
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
Sixty (60) AIM-120 C-7/8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air
Missiles (AMRAAMs).
Two hundred fifty (250) MK-84 General Purpose 2000LB Bombs.
Five hundred one (501) MK-83 General Purpose 1000LB Bombs.
Three hundred fifty (350) KMU-556 Joint Direct Attack
Munition (JDAM) Tail Kits for GBU-31V1 2000LB Bombs.
Seven hundred two (702) MXU-667 Air Foil Groups (AFG) for
GBU-48 Enhanced Paveway II (EPW-II) 1000LB Bombs.
Seven hundred two (702) MAU-210 Enhanced Computer Control
Groups (ECCG) for GBU-48 Enhanced Paveway II (EPW-II) 1000LB
Bombs
Non-MDE: Also included are FMU-139 Joint Programmable Fuze
Systems; AMRAAM containers; weapons support and software;
inert munitions, trainers, and training equipment; bomb
components; spare and repair parts; personnel training and
training equipment; publications and technical documentation;
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 (KU-D-YAE).
(v) Prior Related Cases. if any: KU-D-AAC, KU-D-YAB, KU-D-
YAC, KU-D-YAD.
(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: July 21, 2022.
*As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control
Act.
POLICY JUSTIFICATION
Kuwait--Advanced Weapons in Support of Eurofighter Typhoon Aircraft
Program
The Government of Kuwait has requested to buy sixty (60)
AIM-120 C-7/8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles
(AMRAAMs); two hundred fifty (250) MK-84 General Purpose
2000LB bombs; five hundred one (501) MK-83 General Purpose
1000LB bombs; three hundred fifty (350) KMU-556 Joint Direct
Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kits for GBU-31V1 2000LB bombs;
seven hundred two (702) MXU-667 Air Foil Groups (AFG) for
GBU-48 Enhanced Paveway II (EPW-II) 1000LB bombs; and seven
hundred two (702) MAU-210 Enhanced Computer Control Groups
(ECCG) for GBU-48 Enhanced Paveway II (EPW-11) 1000LB bombs.
Also included are FMU-139 Joint Programmable Fuze Systems;
AMRAAM containers; weapons support and software; inert
munitions, trainers, and training equipment; bomb components;
spare, repair parts; personnel training and training
equipment; publications and technical documentation; U.S.
Government and contractor engineering, technical, and
logistics support services; and other related elements of
logistical and program support. The estimated total cost is
$397 million.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and
national security objectives of
[[Page S3635]]
the United States by helping to improve the infrastructure of
a Major Non-NATO ally that has been an important force for
political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.
The proposed sale will improve Kuwait's ability to meet
current and future regional threats. Kuwait intends to use
these missiles and munitions with the Eurofighter Typhoon
fleet it is acquiring. Kuwait has shown a commitment to
modernizing its military and will have no difficulty
absorbing these weapons into its armed forces.
The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not
alter the basic military balance in the region.
The principal contractors will be Raytheon Missiles and
Defense, Tucson, AZ; and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire
Control, Archbald, PA. Multiple end items will be procured
from U.S. Government stock. There are no known offset
agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.
Any offset agreements will be defined in negotiations between
the purchaser and the contractor(s).
Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the
assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor
representatives to Kuwait.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness
as a result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 22-01
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 AIM-120C-7/8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air
Missile (AMRAAM) is a supersonic, air launched, aerial
intercept, guided missile featuring digital technology and
micro-miniature solid-state electronics. AMRAAM capabilities
include look-down/shootdown, multiple launches against
multiple targets, resistance to electronic countermeasures,
and interception of high and low-flying and maneuvering
targets. The AIM-120C-8 is a form, fit, function refresh of
the AIM-120C-7 and is the next generation to be produced.
2. The Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) is a guidance
kit that converts existing unguided free-fall bombs into an
accurate, adverse weather ``smart'' munition. The Guidance
Set consists of a Tail Kit, which contains the Inertial
Navigation System (INS) and a Global Positioning System
(GPS), a set of Aerosurfaces and an umbilical cover, which
allows the JDAM to improve the accuracy of unguided, General
Purpose (GP) bombs. The Guidance Set, when combined with a
warhead and appropriate fuze, forms a JDAM Guided Bomb Unit
(GBU) and gives the bomb an adverse weather capability. The
JDAM weapon can be delivered from modest standoff ranges at
high or low altitudes against a variety of land and surface
targets during the day or night. The JDAM is capable of
receiving target coordinates via preplanned mission data from
the delivery aircraft, by onboard aircraft sensors (i.e.,
FLIR, Radar, etc.) during captive carry, or from a third-
party source via manual or automated aircrew cockpit entry.
The KMU-556 is the tail kit for a GBU-31 fitted with a
2,000LB (Mk-84 GP) bomb body.
3. GBU-48 Enhanced Paveway II (EP-II) is a maneuverable,
free-fall, laser-guided bombs (LGBs) that guide to reflected
laser energy from the desired target. The ``enhanced''
component adds GPS guidance to the laser seeker. This dual-
mode capability allows the weapon to operate in all weather
conditions. The LGB is delivered the same way as a normal GP
warhead, except the semi-active guidance corrects for
employment errors inherent in any delivery system. Laser
designation for the weapon can be provided by a variety of
laser target markers or designators from the air or ground.
The Enhanced Paveway system consists of a non-warhead-
specific Enhanced Computer Control Group (ECCG), a warhead-
specific Air Foil Group (AFG) that attaches to the nose and
tail of GP bomb, and a fuze. The weapon is primarily used for
precision bombing against non-hardened targets.
The GBU-48 is a 1,000LB (MK-83 GP) bomb body fitted with
the MXU-667 AFG and MAU-210 ECCG to guide to its laser-
designated target.
4. The FMU-139 Joint Programmable Fuze (JPF) is a multi-
delay, multi-arm and proximity sensor compatible with General
Purpose blast, frag, and hardened-target penetrator weapons.
The FMU-139 settings are cockpit selectable in flight when
used with numerous precision-guided weapons. It can interface
with numerous weapons, including GBU-31 and GBU-48.
5. The highest level of classification of defense articles,
components, and services included in this potential sale is
SECRET.
6. 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.
7. A determination has been made that Kuwait 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.
8. All defense articles and services listed in this
transmittal are authorized for release and export to the
Government of Kuwait.
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