[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.

                          ____________________