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March 26, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextMr. 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.
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.
United States Department of State,
Washington, DC.
Congressional Notification Transmittal Letter
Please find enclosed the following notification from the
Department of State.
Department Notification Number: RSAT 26-18
Pursuant to the reporting requirements of Section 36(b)(1)
of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), as amended, we are
forwarding Transmittal No. 26-18 concerning the Navy'
proposed Letter(s) of Offer and Acceptance to the Government
of the United Kingdom for defense articles and services
estimated to cost $1 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. 26-18
Notice of Proposed Issuance of Letter of Offer Pursuant to
Section 36(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act, as
amended
(i) (U) Prospective Purchaser: Government of the United
Kingdom.
(ii) (U) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment * $0.
Other $1 billion.
Total $1 billion.
(iii) (U) Description and Quantity or Quantities of
Articles or Services under Consideration for Purchase:
Foreign Military Sales case UK-P-FDL was below congressional
notification threshold at $50 million ($0 in MDE) and
included non-recurring engineering support; design
integration of U.S. equipment; and submarine combat and
weapons systems support for design and production of next
generation, future class of nuclear-powered attack submarines
developed for the Royal Australian Navy and United Kingdom
Royal Navy, and developed as part of the trilateral security
partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), the
U.S. (AUKUS); delivery of software and technical publications
for combat and weapon systems, and UK liaison office
administrative support to the purchaser's security assistance
foreign representative(s) at Naval Sea Systems Command
Headquarters. The government of the UK has requested that the
case be amended to include additional non-major defense
equipment. This amendment will cause the case to exceed the
notification threshold, and thus notification of the entire
program is required. The above notification requirements are
combined as follows:
Major Defense Equipment (MDE): None.
Non-Major Defense Equipment: The following non-MDE items
will be included: technical assistance to the design and
development of AUKUS-specific vertical deployment tubes;
common weapon launchers; multiple all-up-round canister
support service modules; network input output units; servers
and switches and custom electronics, which are specific
components of the submarine warfare federated tactical
system; simulation equipment; engineering demonstration
models; testing and installation equipment; equipment
components; information technology hardware; publications and
technical documentation; software and source code; U.S.
industry support; facility support; personnel training; and
embedded U.S. and UK personnel located in both UK and U.S.
facilities to support submarine design. Other support
services included are U.S. government and contractor
engineering, technical, and logistics support services; test
and trials support; studies and surveys; other related
elements of engineering services for associated equipment and
program support; and other related elements of logistics and
program support.
(iv) (U) Military Department: Navy (UK-P-FDL).
(v) (U) Prior Related Cases, if any: None.
(vi) (U) Sales Commission, Fee, etc., Paid, Offered, or
Agreed to be Paid: None known at this time.
(vii) (U) Sensitivity of Technology Contained in the
Defense Article or Defense Services Proposed to be Sold: See
Attached Annex.
(viii) (U) Date Report Delivered to Congress: March 20,
*As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export
Control Act.
Transmittal No. 26-18
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:
support, submarine combat and weapons systems hardware,
training and embedded U.S. civilian, military and contractor
personnel located at United Kingdom (UK) facilities to
support nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) Australia, the
UK, and the United States (AUKUS) design, non-recurring
engineering services collectively provisions for the
trilateral AUKUS Pillar I program and the government of the
UK's effort to design and deliver the next generation UK
attack submarine, SSN-AUKUS. This next generation attack
submarine will provide the UK with an effective deterrent
capability to protect maritime interests and infrastructure.
Technical data and documentation for combat and weapons
systems include:
(U) Common Weapons Launcher (CWL) is a system that provides
electrical and logical interfaces to, and controls the launch
of, payloads launched from several classes of submarines
through the ships' torpedo tubes, vertical launch (missile/
payload) tubes, and external countermeasure launch modules.
(U) The Vertical Deployment Tube (VDT) mechanical assembly
is the primary payload tube and ship structure that maintains
watertight integrity and can store a removable payload
module. The components of the VDT mechanical assembly include
the outer hatch system, access doors internal to the ship,
and numerous ship system interfaces to support mission
specific removable Payload Modules. More specifically,
components like the Multiple All-up-round Canister (MAC)
support service module, which is a removable assembly located
within the submarine's payload tube whose function is to
provide ship services to the MAC and ultimately, the Tomahawk
cruise missile.
(U) The Network Input Output Unit (NIOU) is a part of the
Payload Tube Control System and provides the interface
between the Payload Tube Control Panel (PTCP) and payload
tube system, ship systems (hydraulic system, P/V system,
etc.), and the program manager provided equipment. The NIOU
receives discrete and analog sensor data, converts the sensor
data to digital data, and sends the data to the PTCP
controllers.
(U) Submarine Warfare Federated Tactical System servers
provide powerful specialized computing, storage, and input/
output processing solutions to run multiple combat and
control systems tactical applications and manage data across
multiple submarine sensors, payloads, and communications
subsystems.
(U) This proposed sale will provide the UK with Tomahawk
missile design information required to support the
integration of Tomahawk into a vertical launch configuration
for SSN-AUKUS, which will be accomplished via the SSN-AUKUS
vertical deployment tubes and the U.S. sourced MAC.
articles, components, and services included in this potential
sale is TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE COMPARTMENTED INFORMATION.
obtain knowledge of the specific hardware and software
elements, the information could be used to develop
countermeasures that might reduce system effectiveness or be
used in the development of a system with similar or advanced
capabilities.
provide substantially the same degree of protection for the
sensitive technology being released as the U.S. government.
This proposed sale is necessary in furtherance of the U.S.
foreign policy and national security objectives outlined in
the Policy Justification.
transmittal have been authorized for release and export to
the government of the UK.
POLICY JUSTIFICATION
(U) United Kingdom—Submarine Combat and Weapon Systems, Technical
Support, U.S. and UK Embedded Personnel, and Associated Training
(U) The government of the United Kingdom (UK) has requested
to buy technical assistance to the design and development of
AUKUS-specific vertical deployment tubes; common weapon
launchers; multiple all-up-round canister support service
modules; network input output units; servers and switches and
custom electronics, which are specific components of the
submarine warfare federated tactical system; simulation
equipment; engineering demonstration models; testing and
installation equipment; equipment components; information
technology hardware; publications and technical
documentation; software and source code; U.S. industry
support; facility support; personnel training; and embedded
U.S. and UK personnel located in both UK and U.S. facilities
to support submarine design. Other support services included
are U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical,
and logistics support services; test and trials support;
studies and surveys; other related elements of engineering
services for associated equipment and program support; and
other related elements of logistics and program support that
will all be added to a previously implemented case whose
value was under the congressional notification threshold. The
original Foreign Military Sales case, valued at $50 million,
included the following non-MDE items: non-recurring
engineering support; design integration of U.S. equipment;
submarine combat and weapons systems support for design and
production of next generation, future class of nuclear-
powered attack submarines developed for the Royal Australian
Navy and United Kingdom Royal Navy, and developed as part of
the trilateral security partnership between Australia, UK,
and the U.S. (AUKUS); delivery of software and technical
publications for combat and weapon systems, and UK liaison
office administrative support to the purchaser's security
assistance foreign representative(s) at Naval Sea Systems
Command Headquarters. The revised estimated total cost for
the case is $1 billion.
(U) This proposed sale will support the foreign policy 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.
(U) The proposed sale will improve the UK's capability to
meet current and future threats by providing an effective
combatant deterrent capability to protect maritime interests
and infrastructure. This acquisition will enhance stability
and maritime security in the northwestern region of Europe
and contribute to the security and strategic objectives of
NATO and the United States. The UK will have no difficulty
absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.
(U) The proposed sale of this equipment and support will
not alter the basic military balance in the region.
(U) The principal contractors will be Huntington Ingalls
Industries, located in Newport News, VA; General Dynamics
Electric Boat, located in Groton, CT; General Dynamics
Mission Systems, located in Fairfax, VA; Progeny Systems,
located in Manassas, VA; Lockheed Martin, located in
Bethesda, MD; and Systems Planning and Analysis, located in
Alexandria, VA. 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.
(U) Implementation of this proposed sale will require the
assignment of approximately three hundred (300) additional
U.S. government and contractor representatives to the UK for
a duration of approximately five (5) years to support in-
person training, equipment familiarization, and on-site
engineering and maintenance.
(U) There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense
readiness as a result of this proposed sale.