[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.

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