Arms Sales Notification
Floor Speech
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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 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.
Department of State, Washington, DC. CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION TRANSMITTAL LETTER
Please find enclosed the following notification from the Department of State.
Department Notification Number: RSAT 26-45.
Pursuant to the reporting requirements of Section 36(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), as amended, we are forwarding Transmittal No. 26-45 concerning the Department of the Navy's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and Acceptance to the Government of the Republic of Korea for defense articles and services estimated to cost $3 billion. We will issue a news release to notify the public of this proposed sale upon delivery of this letter to your office.
Recipients:
Speaker of the House of Representatives
House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Sincerely, Paul D. Guaglianone, Senior Bureau Official, Bureau of Legislative Affairs. TRANSMITTAL NO. 26-45 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: Republic of Korea.
(ii) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment * $2.3 billion.
Other $0.7 billion.
Total $3.0 billion.
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or Services under Consideration for Purchase:
Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
Twenty-four (24) MH-60R Multi-Mission Helicopters.
Fifty-two (52) Embedded Global Positioning System/Precise Positioning Service/Inertial Navigation Systems with Selective Availability/Anti-Spoofing Module (48 installed, 4 spares).
Twenty-four (24) Airborne Low Frequency Sonars.
Eight (8) M240D 7.62mm machine guns.
Non-MDE: The following non-MDE items will also be included: T700-GE-401D engines; AN/AVS-9 Night Vision Devices (NVDs); M514 impulse cartridge/cartridge actuated devices; MJ20 cartridge actuated thruster/cartridge actuated devices; WB53 fire extinguisher cartridge/cartridge actuated devices; CCU- 136A/A impulse cartridges; AN/AAR-47 missile warning systems; AN/APX-123 Identification Friend or Foe transponders; AN/ALE- 47 dispenser, electronic countermeasures; AN/AAS-44C(V) multi-spectral targeting systems; IFF Mode 4/5 cryptographic applique, KIV-78; Joint Mission Planning Systems; Training Simulators/Operational Machine Interface Assistants; Aviation Maintenance Weapons Loading Trainer; Tactical Operational Flight Trainer; AN/ALQ-210 Electronic Support Measures systems; APS-153(V) multi-mode radars; spare engine containers; spare and repair parts; support and test equipment; communications equipment; ferry support; publications and technical documentation; personnel training and training equipment; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; obsolescence engineering, integration, and test activities required to ensure readiness for the production of the Korean MH-60R Multi-Mission Helicopters; and other related elements of logistics and program support.
(iv) Military Department: Navy (KS-P-SEY).
(v) Prior Related Cases, if any: KS-P-SEL; KS-P-GST.
(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: May 18, 2026.
* As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control Act. POLICY JUSTIFICATION Republic of Korea--MH-60R Multi-Mission Helicopters
Republic of Korea has requested to buy twenty-four (24) MH- 60R Multi-Mission Helicopters; fifty-two (52) Embedded Global Positioning System/Precise Positioning Service/Inertial Navigation Systems with Selective Availability/Anti-Spoofing Module (48 installed, 4 spares); twenty-four (24) Airborne Low Frequency Sonars; and eight (8) M240D 7.62mm machine guns. The following non-major defense equipment items will also be included: T700-GE-401D engines; AN/AVS-9 Night Vision Devices (NVDs); M514 impulse cartridge/cartridge actuated devices; MJ20 cartridge actuated thruster/cartridge actuated devices; WB53 fire extinguisher cartridge/cartridge actuated devices; CCU-136A/A impulse cartridges; AN/AAR-47 missile warning systems; AN/APX-123 Identification Friend or Foe transponders; AN/ALE-47 dispenser, electronic countermeasures; AN/AAS-44C(V) multi-spectral targeting systems; IFF Mode 4/5 cryptographic applique, KIV-78; Joint Mission Planning Systems; Training Simulators/Operational Machine Interface Assistant, Avionics Training System; Training Simulators/Operational Machine Interface Assistants; Aviation Maintenance Weapons Loading Trainer; Tactical Operational Flight Trainer; AN/ALQ-210 Electronic Support Measures systems; APS-153(V) multi-mode radars; spare engine containers; spare and repair parts; support and test equipment; communications equipment; ferry support; publications and technical documentation; personnel training and training equipment; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; obsolescence engineering, integration, and test activities required to ensure readiness for the production of the Korean MH-60R helicopters; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated total cost is $3.0 billion.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major ally that is an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific region.
The proposed sale will improve Republic of Korea's capability to meet current and future threats by strengthening its Navy's multi mission helicopter capability and by providing a credible force that is capable of deterring adversaries. The Republic of Korea 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 Rotary and Mission Systems, located in Owego, NY. At this time, the U.S. Government is not aware of any offset agreement proposed in connection with this potential sale. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor.
Implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of one U.S. Government and two contractor representatives to the Republic of Korea for a duration up to three years to support maintenance and sustain operations.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale. Transmittal No. 26-45 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 MH-60R Multi-Mission Helicopter focuses primarily on anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare missions. The MH-60R also performs search and rescue, surface target engagements, surveillance, communications relay, logistics support, personnel transfer, and vertical replenishment missions. The MH-60R carries several sensors and data links to enhance its ability to work in a network centric battle group and as an extension of its home ship/main operating base.
2. The mission equipment subsystem consists of the following sensors and subsystems: an acoustics system capable of future dipping sonar and sonobuoy operations, Multi-Mode Radar with integral Identification Friend or Foe interrogator, radios with communications security, electronic support measures, integrated self-defense, and multi-spectral targeting system. The aircraft processes sensor data onboard and transmits data via common data link (also referred to as Hawklink). The aircraft is night vision compatible. It can carry AGM-114A/B/K/N/R Hellfire missiles, as well as MK 46/54 torpedoes to engage surface and sub-surface targets.
3. The MH-60R Multi-Mission Helicopter is capable of carrying the Airborne Low Frequency Sonars, GAU-61 digital rocket launchers, Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System, GAU-21 crew served guns, and M240 crew served guns. The MH- 60R weapons system is classified up to SECRET. Unless otherwise noted below, MH-60R hardware and support equipment, test equipment and maintenance spares are UNCLASSIFIED except when electrical power is applied to hardware containing volatile data storage. Technical data and documentation for MH-60R weapons systems (to include sub-systems and weapons listed below) are classified up to SECRET. This would be the second procurement of MH-60R multi-mission helicopters by the Republic of Korea.
4. The highest level of classification of defense articles, components, and services included in this potential sale is SECRET.
5. 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
6. A determination has been made that Republic of Korea 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.
7. All defense articles and services listed in this transmittal have been authorized for release and export to the Government of the Republic of Korea.
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