[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 5, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3881-S3882]
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,
[[Page S3882]]
we are forwarding herewith Transmittal No. 23-59, concerning
the Army's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and Acceptance to the
Government of Australia for defense articles and services
estimated to cost $975 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. 23-59
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 Australia.
(ii) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment * $902 million.
Other $73 million.
Total $975 million.
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
Up to twenty-two (22) M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket
Systems (HIMARS)
Sixty (60) M30A1 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System
(GMLRS) Alternative Warhead (AW) Pods with Insensitive
Munitions Propulsion System (IMPS)
Forty (40) M31A1 GMLRS Unitary (GMLRS-U) High Explosive
(HE) Pods with IMPS
Sixty-six (66) M30A2 Extended Range (ER)-GMLRS AW Pods
Twenty-four (24) M31A2 ER GMLRS Unitary (HE) Pods
Non-MDE: Also included are Reduced Range Practice Rocket
(RRPR) Pods; intercom systems to support the HIMARS Launcher;
M1084A2 HIMARS Re-Supply Vehicles (RSV); trailers; 9300-
SL60TN Forklift, Side Loader; radio/communication mounts;
machine gun mounts; wheel guards; ruggedized laptops;
training; training equipment; publications for HIMARS and its
munitions and spares; services; other support equipment; and
other related elements of program and logistic support.
(iv) Military Department: Army (AT-B-UNP).
(v) Prior Related Cases, if any: AT-B-UMJ, AT-B-UMK, AT-B-
UKI.
(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: August 18, 2023.
*As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control
Act.
POLICY JUSTIFICATION
Australia--M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS)
The Government of Australia has requested to buy up to
twenty-two (22) M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems
(HIMARS); sixty (60) M30A1 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket
System (GMLRS) Alternative Warhead (AW) Pods with Insensitive
Munitions Propulsion System (IMPS); forty (40) M31A1 GMLRS
Unitary (GMLRS-U) High Explosive (HE) Pods with IMPS; sixty-
six (66) M30A2 Extended Range (ER)-GMLRS AW Pods; and twenty-
four (24) M31A2 ER GMLRS Unitary (HE) Pods. Also included are
Reduced Range Practice Rocket (RRPR) Pods; intercom systems
to support the HIMARS Launcher; M1084A2 HIMARS Re-Supply
Vehicles (RSV); trailers; 9300-SL60TN Forklift, Side Loader;
radio/communication mounts; machine gun mounts; wheel guards;
ruggedized laptops; training; training equipment;
publications for HIMARS and its munitions, and spares;
services; other support equipment; and other related elements
of program and logistic support. The estimated total program
cost is $975 million.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and
national security objectives of the United States. Australia
is one of our most important allies in the Western Pacific.
The strategic location of this political and economic power
contributes significantly to ensuring peace and economic
stability in the region. It is vital to the U.S. national
interest to assist our ally in developing and maintaining a
strong and ready self-defense capability.
The proposed sale will improve Australia's capability to
meet current and future threats, and will enhance
interoperability with U.S. forces and other allied forces.
Australia will use the capability to strengthen its homeland
defense and provide greater security for its critical
infrastructure. Australia 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 contractors will be Lockheed Martin, Grand
Prairie, TX; L3Harris Corporation, Melbourne, FL; Leonardo
DRS, Arlington, VA; and Oshkosh Corporation, Stafford, VA.
There are no known offset agreements in connection with this
potential sale.
Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the
assignment of U.S. Government or contractor representatives
to Australia.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness
as a result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 23-59
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:
1. The Ml42 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)
is a wheeled launcher mounted on a 5-ton Family of Medium
Tactical Vehicles truck chassis and is transportable by C-
130. HIMARS is the modern 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
deliver a single high-explosive blast fragmentation warhead
accurately and quickly 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, fusing mechanism, multi-option
height of burst capability, and effective range of 15-70km.
4. The Extended Range (ER) GMLRS provides a persistent,
responsive, all-weather, rapidly deployed, long-range,
surface-to-surface, area- and point-precision strike
capability. The XM403 Alternative Warhead (AW) 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 variant is
a 200-pound class unitary with a steel blast-fragmentation
case, designed for low collateral damage against point
targets. The ER GMLRS maintains the accuracy and
effectiveness demonstrated by the baseline GMLRS out to a
maximum range of 150 km while also including a new Height of
Burst (HOB) capability.
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 Australia can provide
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
Australia.
____________________