[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 146 (Monday, September 11, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4349-S4350]
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)(5)(C) of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA),
as amended, we are forwarding Transmittal No. 23-0K. This
notification relates to enhancements or upgrades from the
level of sensitivity of technology or capability described in
the Section 36(b)(1) AECA certification 16-59 dated September
8, 2017.
Sincerely,
James A. Hursch,
Director.
Enclosures.
Transmittal No. 23-0K
Report of Enhancement or Upgrade of Sensitivity of Technology
or Capability (Sec. 36(b)(5)(C). AECA)
(i) Purchaser: Government of Bahrain.
(ii) Sec. 36(b)(1), AECA Transmittal No.: 16-59; Date:
September 8, 2017; Implementing Agency: Air Force.
Funding Source: National Funds.
(iii) Description: On September 8, 2017, Congress was
notified by congressional certification transmittal number
16-59 of the possible sale under Section 36(b)(1) of the Arms
Export Control Act of the possible upgrade of Bahrain's
existing twenty (23) F-16 Block 40 aircraft to the F-16V
configuration. The requested sale was comprised of twenty-
three (23) F110 GE-129 engines (includes 3 spares); twenty-
three (23) APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array Radars
(includes 3 spares); twenty-three (23) Modular Mission
Computers (includes 3 spares); twenty-three (23) Embedded
Global Navigation Systems/LN260 EGI (includes 3 spares);
forty (40) LAU-129 launchers; twenty-three (23) Improved
Programmable Display Generators (iPDGs) (includes 3 spares);
twenty-five (25) AN/AAQ-33 SNIPER Pods; two (2) AIM-9X
Sidewinder Missiles; two (2) AGM-88 High-Speed Anti-Radiation
Missiles (HARM); two (2) WGU-43 Guidance Control Unit (GBU)
Guidance Control Unit (GCU) (for GBU-24 Paveway III); two (2)
BSU-84 Air Foil Group (AFG) (for GBU-24 Paveway III); five
(5) KMU-572 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Tailkits (for
GBU-38 JDAM and GBU-54 Laser JDAM); two (2) GBU-39 Small
Diameter Bombs (SDB) Guided Test Vehicles (GTV); two (2) AGM-
84 Harpoon Missiles; three (3) MAU-210 ECCG (for GBU-50
Enhanced Paveway II); three (3) BLU-109 Inert Bomb Bodies;
four (4) MK-82/BLU-111 Inert Bomb Bodies; and two (2) FMU-152
or FMU-139 Fuzes. Also included were one (1) Joint Mission
Planning System; one (1) F-16V simulator; twenty (20) AN/ALQ-
211 AIDEWS Systems; one (1) avionics level test station; six
(6) DB-110 Advanced Reconnaissance Systems; two (2) LAU-118A
Launchers; forty-five (45) AN/ARC-238 SINCGARS Radio or
equivalent; twenty-three (23) AN/APX126 Advanced
Identification Friend or Foe (AIFF) systems or equivalent;
twenty-three (23) cryptographic appliques; two (2) CATM-9L/M,
two (2) AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile
(AMRAAM) Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM); three (3) MXU-
651 AFG (for GBU-50 Enhanced Paveway II); four (4) DSU-38
Precision Laser Guidance sets (PLGS) (for GBU-54 Laser JDAM);
four (4) AGM-154 Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW) Captive Flight
Vehicles (CFV); three (3) MK-84/BLU-117 Inert Bomb Bodies;
two (2) FMU-152 D-1 Inert Fuzes; three (3) BRU-57 Bomb Racks;
two (2) BRU-61 Bomb Racks for SDB; two (2) ADU-890 SDB
adapter cable for CMBRE; two (2) ADU-891 AMRAAM/AIM-9X
adapter cable for CMBRE; telemetry for all flight test assets
secure communication equipment spares and repair parts;
support equipment; personnel training and training equipment;
publications and technical documentation; U.S. Government and
contractor technical support services; containers; missile
support and test equipment; integration test; site survey;
design; construction studies/analyses/services; associate
operations, maintenance, training; support facilities;
cybersecurity; critical computer resources support; force
protection; and other related elements of logistics and
program support. The estimated total cost was $1.082 billion.
Major Defense Equipment (MDE) constituted $406 million of
this total.
On September 28, 2018, Congress was notified by
Congressional certification transmittal number 18-0C of the
possible sale, under Section 36(b)(5)(C) of the Arms Export
Control Act, of:
1. The inclusion of twenty-three (23) Multifunction
Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System
(MIDS-JTRS) Concurrent Multi-Networking-4 (CMN-4) which are
MDE;
2. The inclusion of an additional nineteen (19) AN/ALQ-211
Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suite
(AIDEWS) Systems (non-MDE), which will increase the number
from twenty (20) to thirty-nine (39). These additional
nineteen (19) were not included in the total value of the
AIDEWS systems previously notified. This change was due to a
change in system requirements and a desire to prioritize
system components with long lead procurement timelines; and
3. The inclusion of additional test weapons quantities and
MDE designations outlined below:
a. BLU-109--Increase from quantity of three (3) to four
(4).
b. Bomb Practice GBU-39 Guided Test Vehicle (GTV)--MDE item
not on original notification.
c. MK-82 Inert Filled Bomb Body--Increase in quantity of
four (4) to six (6)--MDE not on original notification.
d. KMU-572 JDAM Tail Kit--Quantity of five (5) not included
on original Congressional Notification and MDE designation
not on original notification.
e. MXU-650 Air Foil Group--Quantity of two (2) not included
on original Congressional Notification and MDE designation
not on original notification.
f. MXU-651 Air Foil Group--MDE designation not on original
notification.
g. MAU-210 Enhanced Computer Control Group--Increase in
quantity of three (3) to four (4) and MDE designation not on
original notification. Also, correct that this MAU is for the
GBU-49, not the GBU-50 as outlined in the original
notification.
h. FMU-152--Quantity of six (6) not included on original
Congressional Notification and MDE designation not on
original notification.
These changes were due to unit pack minimum required
quantities, items not properly identified as MDE on the
original notification, and errors in requirements
identification by the procuring office.
The inclusion of these MDE items did not increase the value
of MDF beyond what was originally notified. The inclusion of
AIDEWS caused the total case value to rise from $1.082
billion to $1.292 billion.
On October 1, 2019, Congress was notified by Congressional
certification transmittal number 0T-19, under Section
36(b)(5)(A) of the Arms Export Control Act, of the inclusion
of an additional five (5) AN/AAQ-33 SNIPER Pods, which
increased the number from twenty-five (25) to thirty (30),
These additional five (5) were not included in the total
value of the SNIPER Pods previously notified. The addition of
these items resulted in a net increase in cost of MDE of
$11.6 million. The revised MDE total value was $417.6
million. The total case value remained $1.292 billion.
This transmittal notifies the following change in MDE
items: the ``twenty-three (23) Embedded Global Navigation
Systems/LN260 EGI (includes 3 spares)'' previously notified
will be changed to ``twenty-three (23) Embedded Global
Navigation Systems/LN260 EGI (includes 3 spares) and/or EGI
devices with M-code technology.'' The following non-MDE
[[Page S4350]]
items will also be included: MS-110 Reconnaissance Pod
Retrofit Kits; additional spare pans and repair and return
support; and additional integration, training, and
sustainment equipment and support. The estimated total value
of new MDE items is $7 million but will not result in a net
increase in the-total MDE cost. The total MDE value will
remain $417.6 million. The total cost of added non-MDE items
is $139 million. The total estimated case value will increase
by $139 million to $1.431 billion.
(iv) Significance: This notification is being provided as
the included replacement and additional items represent in an
increase in capability over what was originally notified. The
proposed sale increases Bahrain's F-16 fleet's reconnaissance
capability and contributes to greater interoperability with
the United States. Bahrain is upgrading its F-16 program as a
deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland
defense.
(v) Justification: 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 in
developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defense
capability. This proposed sale will enhance U.S. national
security objectives in the region.
(vi) Sensitivity of Technology: The MMcode capable Embedded
Global Positioning System (GPS) Inertial Navigation System
(INS) (EGI), with an embedded OPS Precise Positioning Service
(PPS) Receiver Application Module-Standard Electronic Module
(GRAM-S/M), is a self-contained navigation system that
provides acceleration, velocity, position, attitude, platform
azimuth, magnetic and true heading, altitude, body angular
rates, time tags, and coordinated universal time (UTC)
synchronized time. The embedded GRAM-SIM enables access to
both the encrypted P(Y) and M-Code signals, providing
protection against active spoofing attacks, enhanced military
exclusivity, integrity, and anti-jam.
The MS-110 is a tactical reconnaissance pod with long-
range, day/night, multi-spectral sensor technology. The
multi-spectral sensor lets the end user see color and better
distinguish subtle features than a DB-110 pod's dual band
imagery. The pod can transmit imagery via a datalink: to
ground-stations for near-real time analysis and exploitation.
The MS-110 Retrofit Kit converts a DB-110 pod into an MS-110
pod.
The Sensitivity of Technology Statement contained in the
original notification applies to additional items reported
here.
The highest level of classification of defense articles,
components, and services included in this potential sale is
SECRET.
(vii) Date Report Delivered to Congress: September 6, 2023.
____________________