[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 126 (Thursday, August 1, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5763-S5764]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATIONS
Mr. CARDIN. 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 still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous
consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been
received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such
an 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. 23-79,
concerning the Navy's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and
Acceptance to the Government of Slovakia for defense articles
and services estimated to cost $600 million. We will issue a
news release to notify the public of this proposed sale upon
delivery of this letter to your office.
Sincerely,
Mike Miller,
(for James A. Hursch, Director).
Enclosures.
Transmittal No. 23-79
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 Slovakia.
(ii) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment * $250 million.
Other $350 million.
Total $600 million.
Funding Source: FMF Grant and National Funds.
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
Twelve (12) AH-1Z attack helicopters.
Twenty-six (26) T-700 GE 401C engines (24 installed, 2
spares).
One thousand six hundred eighty (1,680) Advanced Precision
Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS), WGU-59/B.
Fourteen (14) Honeywell embedded global positioning systems
(GPS)/inertial navigation systems (INS) (EGIs) (12 installed,
2 spares).
Non-Major Defense Equipment: The following non-MDE items
will also be included: support and test equipment; aircraft;
weapons and munitions; countermeasures; integration and test
support; spare and repair
[[Page S5764]]
parts; communications equipment; mission planning; software
delivery and support; Helmet Mounted Display System/Optimized
TopOwl, Target Sight Systems and containers, technical
refresh mission computers; ANVIS-9 night vision cueing
displays; AN/ARC-210 Generation 6 receiver-transmitter 2036
radio equipment; AN/APX-123A identification friend or foe
(IFF) Mode 5 mounting trays and batteries; cartridge actuated
devices/propellant actuated devices (CAD/PADs); facilities
and construction support; transportation; publications and
technical documentation; personnel training and training
equipment; countermeasures, including M299 launchers, LAU-
61C/A and LAU-68F/A rocket launchers, M151 high explosive
warheads for airborne 2.75 inch rockets; MK66 MOD 4, 2.75-
inch rocket motors; WTU-1B warheads; M197 20 mm armament pod
gun assemblies; 20 mm PGU-27A/B target practice rounds; 20 mm
PGU-28A/B semi armor piercing high explosive incendiary
rounds; AN/ALE-47 chaff and flare countermeasures system;
MJU-32A/B and MJU-49B decoy flares; SMB875B/ALE flare
simulators; RR-129A/AL chaff cartridges; RR-144A/AL training
chaff cartridges; CCU-136A/A impulse cartridges; AN/AAR-47
missile warning system; AN/APR-39C radar warning receiver and
conversion kits; KIV-78A cryptographic appliques; AN/PYQ-10C
Simple Key Loader with KOV-21 cryptographic card; U.S.
Government and contractor engineering; field service
representative services; technical and logistical support
services; studies and surveys; and other related elements of
logistics and program support.
(iv) Military Department: Navy (LO-P-SAB).
(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 the Defense
Article or Defense Services Proposed to be Sold: See Attached
Annex.
(viii) Date Report Delivered to Congress: July 31, 2024.
*As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control
Act.
POLICY JUSTIFICATION
Slovakia--AH-1Z Attack Helicopters
The Government of Slovakia has requested to buy twelve (12)
AH-1Z attack helicopters; twenty-six (26) T-700 GE 401C
engines (24 installed, 2 spares); one thousand six hundred
eighty (1,680) Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems
(APKWS), WGU-59/B; and fourteen (14) Honeywell embedded
global positioning systems (GPS)/inertial navigation systems
(INS) (EGIs) (12 installed, 2 spares). The following non-MDE
items will also be included: support and test equipment;
aircraft; weapons and munitions; countermeasures; integration
and test support; spare and repair parts; communications
equipment; mission planning; software delivery and support;
Helmet Mounted Display System/Optimized TopOwl, Target Sight
Systems and containers; technical refresh mission computers;
ANVIS-9 night vision cueing displays; AN/ARC-210 Generation 6
receiver-transmitter 2036 radio equipment; AN/APX-123A
identification friend or foe (IFF) Mode 5 mounting trays and
batteries; cartridge actuated devices/propellant actuated
devices (CAD/PADs); facilities and construction support;
transportation; publications and technical documentation;
personnel training and training equipment; countermeasures,
including M299 launchers, LAU-61C/A and LAU-68F/A rocket
launchers, M151 high explosive warheads for airborne 2.75-
inch rockets; MK66 MOD 4, 2.75-inch rocket motors; WTU-1B
warheads; M197 20 mm armament pod gun assemblies; 20 mm PGU-
27A/B target practice rounds; 20 mm PGU-28A/B semi armor
piercing high explosive incendiary rounds; AN/ALE-47 chaff
and flare countermeasures system; MJU-32A/B and MJU-49B decoy
flares; SMB875B/ALE flare simulators; RR-129A/AL chaff
cartridges; RR-144A/AL training chaff cartridges; CCU-136A/A
impulse cartridges; AN/AAR-47 missile warning system; AN/APR-
39C radar warning receiver and conversion kits; KIV-78A
cryptographic appliques; AN/PYQ-10C Simple Key Loader with
KOV-21 cryptographic card; U.S. Government and contractor
engineering; field service representative services; technical
and logistical support services; studies and surveys; and
other related elements of logistics and program support. The
estimated total cost is $600 million.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and
national security objectives of the United States by helping
to improve the security of a NATO Ally that is a force for
political stability and economic progress in Europe.
The proposed sale will improve Slovakia's capability to
meet current and future threats by providing the Slovak Air
Force with aircraft to meet its national defense needs.
Slovakia 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 Bell Textron, located in
Fort Worth, TX; and the General Electric Company, located in
Lynn, MA. There are no known offset agreements in connection
with this potential sale.
Implementation of this proposed sale will require multiple
trips by U.S. Government and contractor representatives to
Slovakia to participate in program and technical reviews, as
well as training and maintenance support in-country, on a
temporary basis, for a period of twenty-four (24) months. It
will also require approximately two (2) contractor support
representatives to reside in-country for a period of two (2)
years to support this program.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness
as a result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 23-79
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 AH-1Z has an integrated avionics system which
includes two mission computers and an automatic flight
control system. Each crew station has two 8x6-inch
multifunction liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and one 4.2x4.2-
inch dual function LCD. The communications suite will have
COMSEC ARC 210 ultra high frequency/very high frequency (UHF/
VHF) radios with associated communications equipment. The
navigation suite includes a Precise Positioning System (PPS),
Honeywell embedded global positioning systems (GPS)/inertial
navigation systems (INS) (EGIs) provided by Selective
Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) or M-Code, a
digital map system, and a low-airspeed air data subsystem.
The crew is equipped with the Optimized TopOwl (OTO)
helmet-mounted sight and display system. The OTO has a Day
Display Module (DDM) and a Night Display Module (NDM). The H-
1 has survivability equipment including the AN/AAR-47 missile
warning and laser detection system, AN/ALE-47 countermeasure
dispensing system, and the AN/APR-39 radar warning receiver
to provide radar and laser warning, and dispense
countermeasures.
2. The highest level of classification of defense articles,
components, and services included in this potential sale is
SECRET.
3. 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.
4. A determination has been made that the Government of
Slovakia 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.
5. All defense articles and services listed in this
transmittal have been authorized for release and export to
the Government of Slovakia.
____________________