[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.
____________________