[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 32 (Thursday, February 16, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S454-S455]
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.
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. 23-08,
concerning the Army's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and
Acceptance to the Government of the Netherlands for defense
articles and services estimated to cost $670 million. We will
issue a news release to notify the public of this proposed
sale upon delivery of this letter to your office.
Sincerely,
James A. Hursch,
Director.
Enclosures.
Transmittal No. 23-08
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: The Government of the
Netherlands.
(ii) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment * $520 million.
Other $150 million.
Total $670 million.
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
Major Defense Equipment (MOE):
Twenty (20) M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System
(HIMARS) Launchers.
Thirty-nine (39) M30A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System
(GMLRS) Alternative Warhead (AW) Missile Pods with
Insensitive Munitions Propulsion System (IMPS).
Thirty-eight (38) M31A2 GMLRS Unitary (GMLRS-U) High
Explosive (HE) Missile Pods with IMPS.
Eighty (80) M57 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS)
Missile Pods Seventeen (17) M1152A1 High Mobility
Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs).
Non-MDE: Also included are M28A2 Reduced Range Practice
Rocket (RRPR) pods; radios with similar ``SINCGARS''
capability, including vehicular dual long-range radio systems
w/GPS; single radio, long range vehicular system w/GPS; High
Frequency/VHF radios; M1084A2 cargo trucks, Family of Medium
Tactical Vehicles (FMTVs) Resupply Vehicles (RSVs); M1089A2
wrecker truck, FMTVs; M1095 5-ton trailer FMTVs; Simple Key
Loaders (SKLs), AN/PYQ-10; Defense Advanced Global
Positioning System Receivers (DAGRs); machine gun mounts;
battle management systems, Vehicle Integration Kits,
ruggedized laptops, and training equipment publications for
HIMARS and munitions; camouflage screen and support systems;
support equipment; communications equipment; spare and repair
parts; test sets; training and training equipment;
publications; systems integration support; technical data;
Stockpile Reliability, Quality Assurance and Technical
Assistance teams; U.S. Government and contractor technical,
engineering, and logistics support services; and other
related elements of logistical and program support.
(iv) Military Department: Army (NE-B-Y AX).
(v) Prior Related Cases, if any: NE-B-PBM.
(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: February 16,
2023.
*As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control
Act.
Policy Justification
The Netherlands--Ml42 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)
The Government of the Netherlands has requested to buy
twenty (20) M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System
(HIMARS) launchers; thirty-nine (39) M30A2 Guided Multiple
Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) Alternative Warhead (AW) Missile
Pods with Insensitive Munitions Propulsion System (IMPS);
thirty-eight (38) M31A2 GMLRS Unitary (GMLRS-U) High
Explosive (HE) Missile Pods with IMPS; eighty (80) M57 Army
Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) Missile Pods; and seventeen
(17) M1152A1 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles
(HMMWVs). Also included are M28A2 Reduced Range Practice
Rocket (RRPR) pods; radios with similar ``SINCGARS''
capability, including vehicular dual long-range radio systems
w/GPS; single radio, long range vehicular system w/GPS; High
Frequency/VHF radios; M1084A2 cargo trucks, Family of Medium
Tactical Vehicles (FMTVs) Resupply Vehicles (RSVs); M1089A2
wrecker truck, FMTVs; M1095 5-ton trailer FMTVs; Simple Key
Loaders (SKLs), AN/PYQ-1O; Defense Advanced Global
Positioning System Receivers (DAGRs); machine gun mounts;
battle management systems, Vehicle Integration Kits,
ruggedized laptops, and training equipment publications for
HIMARS and munitions; camouflage screen and support systems;
support equipment; communications equipment; spare and repair
parts; test sets; training and training equipment;
publications; systems integration support; technical data;
Stockpile Reliability, Quality Assurance and Technical
Assistance teams; U.S. Government and contractor technical,
engineering, and logistics support services; and other
related elements of logistical and program support. The total
estimated cost is $670 million.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and
national security objectives of the United States by helping
to improve the security of a NATO ally that is an important
force for political stability and economic progress in
Europe.
The proposed sale will improve the Netherlands' military
goals of updating capability while further enhancing
interoperability with the United States and other allies. The
Netherlands 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. The Netherlands 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 the
Netherlands 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. 23-08
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 modem Army-fielded version of the Multiple Launch Rocket
System (MLRS) M270 launcher and can fire all of the MLRS
Family of Munitions (FOM) including Guided Multiple Launch
Rocket System (GMLRS) variants and the Army Tactical Missile
System (ATACMS). Utilizing the MLRS FOM, the HIMARS can
engage targets between 15 and 300 kilometers with GPS-aided
precision accuracy.
2. The Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) M31A2
Unitary is the Army's primary munition for units fielding the
M142 HIMARS and M270A1 Multiple Launcher Rocket System (MLRS)
Launchers. The M31 Unitary is a solid propellant artillery
rocket that uses Global Positioning System/Precise
Positioning Service (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 shares a greater
than 90% commonality with the M31A1 Unitary. The primary
difference between the GMLRS-U and GMLRS-AW is the
replacement of the Unitary's high explosive warhead with a
200-pound fragmentation warhead of pre-formed tungsten
penetrators which is optimized for effectiveness against
large area and imprecisely located targets. The munitions
otherwise share a common motor, GPS/PPS-aided inertial
guidance and control system, fuzing mechanism, multi-option
height of burst capability, and effective range of 15-70km.
4. The M57 Army Tactical Missile System (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 highest level of classification of defense articles,
components, and services included in this potential sale is
SECRET.
[[Page S455]]
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 the Netherlands 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 have been authorized for release and export to
the Government of the Netherlands.
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