August 10, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 142 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
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ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 142
(Senate - August 10, 2020)
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[Pages S5377-S5378] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION Mr. RISCH. 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, Arlington, VA. Hon. James F. Risch, 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. 20-24 concerning the Army's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and Acceptance to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) for defense articles and services estimated to cost $620 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, Charles W. Hooper, Lieutenant General, USA, Director. Enclosures. Transmittal No. 20-24 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: Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO). [[Page S5378]] (ii) Total Estimated Value: Major Defense Equipment * $0 million. Other $620 million. Total $620 million. (iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or Services under Consideration for Purchase: Major Defense Equipment (MDE): None. Non-MDE: Recertification of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles, including the replacement of expiring limited life components and certification testing in order to support an operational life of thirty years; test and repair of PAC-3 missiles, including stockpile reliability testing and field returns; repair and return of classified and unclassified PAC-3 missile items and ground support equipment (GSE) component level parts; replenishment of classified and unclassified missile spares and GSE spares, as well as a seeker spares pool to improve the turnaround time of the repair and recertification efforts; air transportation services for missile processing; U.S. Government and contractor technical and logistics support; and other related elements of logistics support. (iv) Military Department: Army (TW-B-ZDC). (v) Prior Related Cases, if any: TW-B-YYV. (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 9, 2020. *As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control Act. POLICY JUSTIFICATION Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO)--Repair and Recertification of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missiles TECRO has requested to buy Recertification of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles, including the replacement of expiring Limited Life Components (LLCs) and certification testing in order to support an operational life of thirty years; Test and repair of PAC-3 missiles, including Stockpile Reliability Testing (SRT) and Field Returns; Repair and Return (R&R) of classified and unclassified PAC-3 missile items and Ground Support Equipment (GSE) component level parts; replenishment of classified and unclassified missile spares and GSE spares, as well as a seeker spares pool to improve the turnaround time of the repair and recertification efforts; air transportation services for missile processing; U.S. Government and contractor technical and logistics support; and other related elements of logistics support. The total estimated cost is $620 million. This proposed sale is consistent with U.S. law and policy as expressed in Public Law 96-8. This proposed sale serves U.S. national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient's continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability. The proposed sale will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region. This proposed sale will help sustain the recipient's missile density and ensure readiness for air operations. The recipient will use this capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen homeland defense. The recipient 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 prime contractor will be Lockheed Martin, Camden, AZ. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale. Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to the prospective purchasing country. There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale. Transmittal No. 20-24 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 Patriot Air Defense System contains classified SECRET components and critical/sensitive technology. The Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Four Pack is classified CONFIDENTIAL. With the incorporation of the PAC-3 missile, the Patriot system will continue to hold a significant technological lead over other surface-to-air missile systems in the world. 2. The PAC-3 Missile sensitive/critical technology is in the area of design and production know-how and primarily inherent in the design, development, and/or manufacturing data related to certain components. Information on system performance capabilities and effectiveness, select software documentation, and test data are classified up to SECRET. 3. If a technologically advanced adversary were to obtain knowledge of hardware and software elements, the information could be used to develop countermeasures or equivalent systems, which might reduce system effectiveness or be used in the development of a system with similar or advanced capabilities. 4. A determination has been made that the recipient 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 recipient. ____________________
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