[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 63 (Monday, April 17, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1129-S1130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam 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. 21-27, 
     concerning the Army's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and 
     Acceptance to the Government of Morocco for defense articles 
     and services estimated to cost $524.2 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. 21-27

     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 Morocco.
       (ii) Total Estimated Value:
       Major Defense Equipment * $445.4 million.
       Other $78.8 million.
       Total $524.2 million.
       Funding Source: National Funds.
       (iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or 
     Services under Consideration for Purchase:
       Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
       Eighteen (18) M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System 
     (HIMARS) Launchers.
       Forty (40) M57 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS).
       Thirty-six (36) M31A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems 
     (GMLRS) Unitary.
       Thirty-six (36) M30A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems 
     (GMLRS) Alternative Warhead.
       Nine (9) M1152A1 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled 
     Vehicles (HMMWV).
       Eighteen (18) International Field Artillery Tactical Data 
     Systems (IFATDS).
       Non-MDE: Also included are forty (40) M28A2 Low Cost 
     Reduced Range Practice Rocket Pods (LCRRPR); radios with 
     similar ``SINCGARS'' capability; thirty-five (35) Vehicular 
     Dual Long-Range Radio Systems w/GPS; twenty-four (24) Single 
     Radio, Long Range Vehicular System w/GPS; eighteen (18) 
     M1084A2 cargo truck, Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles 
     (FMTV) Resupply Vehicles (RSV); three (3) M1089A2 wrecker 
     truck, FMTV, RSV; eighteen (18) M1095 5-ton trailer, FMTV; 
     twenty-three (23) Simple Key Loader (SKL), AN/PYQ-10; fifty 
     (50) Defense Advanced Global Positioning System Receivers 
     (DAGR); camouflage screen and support systems; support 
     equipment; communications equipment; spare and repair parts; 
     test sets; laptop computers; 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 (MO-B-UUA).
       (v) Prior Related Cases, if any: None.
       (vi) Sales Commission, Fee, etc. Paid, Offered, or Agreed 
     to be Paid: None.
       (vii) Sensitivity of Technology Contained in Defense 
     Article or Defense Services Proposed to be Sold: See Attached 
     Annex.
       (viii) Date Report Delivered to Congress: April 11, 2023.
       *As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control 
     Act.


                          POLICY JUSTIFICATION

        Morocco--High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS)

       The Government of Morocco has requested to buy eighteen 
     (18) M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) 
     launchers; forty (40) M57 Army Tactical Missile Systems 
     (ATACMS); thirty-six (36) M31A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket 
     Systems (GMLRS) Unitary; thirty-six (36) M30A2 Guided 
     Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) Alternative Warhead; 
     nine (9) M1152A1 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles 
     (HMMWV); and eighteen (18) International Field Artillery 
     Tactical Data Systems (IFATDS). Also included are forty (40) 
     M28A2 Low Cost Reduced Range Practice Rocket Pods (LCRRPR); 
     radios with similar ``SINCGARS'' capability; thirty-five (35) 
     Vehicular Dual Long-Range Radio Systems w/GPS; twenty-four 
     (24) Single Radio, Long Range Vehicular System w/GPS; 
     eighteen (18) M1084A2 cargo truck, Family of Medium Tactical 
     Vehicles (FMTV) Resupply Vehicles (RSV); three (3) M1089A2 
     wrecker truck, FMTV, RSV; eighteen (18) M1095 5-ton trailer, 
     FMTV; twenty-three (23) Simple Key Loader (SKL), AN/PYQ-10; 
     fifty (50) Defense Advanced Global Positioning System 
     Receivers (DAGR); camouflage screen and support systems; 
     support equipment; communications equipment; spare and repair 
     parts; test sets; laptop computers; 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 
     estimated total cost is $524.2 million.
       This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and 
     national security of the United States by helping to improve 
     the security of a Major Non-NATO Ally that continues to be an 
     important force for political stability and economic progress 
     in North Africa.
       The proposed sale will improve Morocco's capability to meet 
     current and future threats and will contribute to Morocco's 
     ability to detect threats and control its borders, 
     contributing to the maintenance of regional stability and 
     security. It will also enhance the interoperability of the 
     Royal Armed Forces (FAR), which routinely exercises with U.S. 
     forces, focusing on countering terrorism and Violent 
     Extremist Organizations (VEOs) in the Maghreb and Sahel 
     region. Morocco will have no difficulty absorbing these 
     articles into its armed forces.
       The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not 
     alter the military balance in the region.
       The principal contractors will be Lockheed Martin Missiles 
     and Fire Control, Camden, AK; L3 Harris Communications, Inc., 
     Rochester, NY; Raytheon, Waltham, MA; COBHAM Aerospace 
     Connectivity, Buckinghamshire, UK; Oshkosh Defense, LLC, 
     Oshkosh, WI; AAR Corporation AAR Manufacturing, Inc., 
     Cadillac, MI; and AM General LLC, South Bend, IN. There are 
     no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this 
     potential sale.
       Implementation of this proposed sale will require the 
     assignment of U.S. Government and U.S. contractor 
     representatives in Country: one (1) Contractor Field Service 
     Representative (HIMARS) for a period of two years; two (2) 
     U.S. Government personnel;

[[Page S1130]]

     and seven (7) U.S. contractor representatives (13M HIMARS 
     Crewmember Training) for a period of five (5) months; one (1) 
     Contractor Field Service Representative (IFATDS) for a period 
     of one year; one (1) Contractor Field Service Representative 
     (FMTV) for a period of one year; and one (1) Contractor Field 
     Service Representative (HMMWV) for a period of one year.
       There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness 
     as a result of this proposed sale.


                         Transmittal No. 21-27

     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:
       The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) 
     launcher is a C-130 transportable wheeled version of the M270 
     Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) launcher. It integrates 
     the launch system on a five-ton Family of Medium Tactical 
     Vehicles (FMTV) chassis. The system is capable of firing all 
     of the MLRS Family of Munitions. The Universal Fire Control 
     System (UFCS) provides the command and control interface, 
     man-machine interface, weapon interface, launcher interface 
     and embedded training, the UFCS enables the launcher to 
     inter-operate with compatible national fire direction systems 
     to navigate to specific fire and reload points, compute the 
     technical firing solution, and orient the Launcher Module on 
     the target to deliver the weapon accurately and effectively. 
     The UFCS also provides position navigation and processing 
     necessary to direct and maintain control of the launcher 
     system to allow for accurate firing and loading of weapons.
       2. The Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System--Unitary 
     (GMLRS-U) is a solid propellant artillery rocket fires from 
     the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). GMLRS 
     uses GPS-aided inertial guidance to accurately and quickly 
     deliver a single high-explosive blast fragmentation warhead 
     to targets. The GMLRS-U has an operational range of 15-70km.
       3. The Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System--Alternative 
     Warhead (GMLRS-AW) is a Department of Defense alternative 
     munition for a ``cluster-type'' effect of the GMLRS munition, 
     which is in compliance with cluster munitions statute and 
     policy. The AW carries a 200-pound fragmentation assembly 
     filled with high explosives which, upon detonation, 
     accelerates two layers of preformed tungsten penetrators 
     toward a target location. This provides an effective 
     capability against imprecisely located targets over a wide 
     area without the risk of leaving behind the unexploded 
     ordinance associated with legacy cluster munitions. The 
     GMLRS-AW is a material change to the GMLRS-U, but the two 
     systems share a greater than 90% commonality.
       4. The M57 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS)--Unitary 
     is a conventional, semi-ballistic missile which utilizes a 
     500-pound high explosive warhead which can be fired from the 
     HIMARS. ATACMS is a guided by GPS-aided inertial navigation 
     systems to provide precise targeting over ranges of up to 
     270km.
       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 Morocco 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 Morocco.

                          ____________________