[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 176 (Wednesday, October 25, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5177-S5178]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MORNING BUSINESS
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ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION
Mr. CARDIN. 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. Benjamin L. Cardin,
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. 23-70,
concerning the Army's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and
Acceptance to the Government of Latvia for defense articles
and services estimated to cost $220 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. 23-70
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 the Republic of
Latvia.
(ii) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment * $195 million.
Other $25 million.
Total $220 million.
Funding Source: National Funds and Foreign Military
Financing.
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
[[Page S5178]]
Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
Six (6) M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems
(HIMARS)
Twelve (12) M30A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System
(GMLRS) Alternative Warhead (AW) Pods with Insensitive
Munitions Propulsion System (IMPS)
Twelve (12) M31A2 GMLRS Unitary (GMLRS-U) High Explosive
Pods with IMPS
Ten (10) M57 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) Pods
Non-MDE: Also included are Reduced Range Practice Rocket
(RRPR) Pods; intercom systems to support the HIMARS Launcher;
ruggedized laptops; training; training equipment;
publications for HIMARS, munitions, and spares; services;
other support equipment; and other related elements of
program and logistic support.
(iv) Military Department: Army (LG-B-UEL).
(v) Prior Related Cases, if any: LG-B-PCA.
(vi) Sales Commission, Fee, etc., Paid, Offered, or Agreed
to be Paid: None.
(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: October 24, 2023.
* As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control
Act.
policy justification
Latvia-M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems
The Government of the Republic of Latvia has requested to
buy six (6) M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems
(HIMARS); twelve (12) M30A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket
System (GMLRS) Alternative Warhead (AW) Pods with Insensitive
Munitions Propulsion System (IMPS); twelve (12) M31A2 GMLRS
Unitary (GMLRS-U) High Explosive Pods with IMPS; and ten (10)
M57 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) Pods. Also included
are Reduced Range Practice Rocket (RRPR) Pods; intercom
systems to support the HIMARS Launcher; ruggedized laptops;
training; training equipment; publications for HIMARS,
munitions, and spares; services; other support equipment; and
other related elements of program and logistic support. The
estimated total program cost is $220 million.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals
and national security objectives of the United States by
improving the security of a NATO Ally that is an important
force for political stability and economic progress in
Europe.
The proposed sale will improve Latvia's capability to meet
current and future threats, and will enhance its
interoperability with U.S. and other allied forces. Latvia
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 in
connection with this potential sale.
Implementation of this proposed sale will require the
assignment of two (2) U.S. Government and five (5) contractor
representatives to Latvia for a period of one year.
Additional U.S. Government or contractor representative
travel to Latvia will be required for program management
reviews. This travel is expected to occur approximately twice
a year or 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. 23-70
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 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 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 enabled
by SAASM or M-Code 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, OPS/PPS-aided inertial
guidance enabled by SAASM or M-Code, control system, fusing
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.
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 Latvia 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 Latvia.
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