[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 175 (Monday, November 14, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6656-S6657]
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. 22-60,
concerning the Army's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and
Acceptance to the Govermnent of Lithuania for defense
articles and services estimated to cost $495 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. 22-60
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 Lithuania.
(ii) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment * $440 million.
Other $55 million.
Total $495 million.
Funding Source: National Funds and Foreign Military
Financing (FMF) (if approved).
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
Eight (8) 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).
Thirty-six (36) M31A2 GMLRS Unitary High Explosive (HE)
Missile Pods.
Thirty-six (36) XM403 Extended Range GMLRS (ER GMLRS)
Alternative Warhead (AW) Missile Pods with IMPS.
Thirty-six (36) XM404 Extended Range GMLRS (ER GMLRS)
Unitary Pods with IMPS.
Eighteen (18) M57 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS)
Missile Pods.
Non-MDE: Also included are M28A2 Low Cost Reduced Range
Practice Rocket (LCRRPR) pods; International Field Artillery
Tactical Data System (IFATDS); battle management system
Vehicle Integration Kits; ruggedized laptops; training
equipment publications for HIMARS and munitions; and other
related elements of program and logistics support.
(iv) Military Department: Army (LH-B-UEG).
(v) Prior Related Cases, if any: None.
(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: November 9, 2022.
* As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control
Act.
POLICY JUSTIFICATION
Lithuania--M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)
The Government of Lithuania has requested to buy eight (8)
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); thirty-
six (36) M31A2 GMLRS Unitary High Explosive (HE) Missile
Pods; thirty-six (36) XM403 Extended Range GMLRS (ER GMLRS)
Alternative Warhead (AW) Missile Pods with IMPS; thirty-six
(36) XM404 Extended Range GMLRS (ER GMLRS) Unitary Pods with
IMPS; and eighteen (18) M57 Army Tactical Missile System
(ATACMS) Missile Pods. Also included are M28A2 Low Cost
Reduced Range Practice Rocket (LCRRPR) pods; International
Field Artillery Tactical Data System (IFATDS); battle
management system Vehicle Integration Kits; ruggedized
laptops; training equipment publications for HIMARS and
munitions; and other related elements of program and
logistics support. The total estimated cost is $495 million.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and
national security objectives of the United States by helping
to improve the military capability of a NATO Ally that is an
important force for ensuring political stability and economic
progress within Eastern Europe.
The proposed sale will contribute to Lithuania's military
goals of updating its capability while further enhancing
interoperability with the United States and other allies.
Lithuania 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.
Lithuania 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 will require U.S.
Government or contractor representatives to travel to
Lithuania for program management reviews to support the
program. Travel is expected to occur approximately twice per
year as needed to support equipment fielding and training.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness
as a result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 22-60
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 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 multi-
option fuzing height of burst capability, and effective range
of 15-70 km.
[[Page S6657]]
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/Precise Position System (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 Alternative Warhead (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).
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 Lithuania 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 Lithuania.
____________________