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Congressional Daily Record
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Issued
May 12, 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.
U.S. Department of State,
Washington, DC.
CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION TRANSMITTAL LETTER
Please find enclosed the following notification from the
Department of State.
Department Notification Number: RSAT 26-36.
Pursuant to the reporting requirements of Section 36(b)(1)
of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), as amended. we are
forwarding Transmittal No. 26-36 concerning the Army's
proposed Letter(s) of Offer and Acceptance to the Government
of the Philippines for defense articles and services
estimated to cost $150 million. 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. 26-36
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 Philippines.
(ii) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment * $0.
Other $150 million.
Total $150 million.
Funding Source: Foreign Military Financing.
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
Major Defense Equipment (MDE): None.
Non-MDE: The following non-MDE items will be included: Bell
505 Jet Ranger X Helicopters; spare parts including main
rotor blades; tail rotor blades; full length trainer shoes;
training for twenty-two (22) pilots including ground and
flight training, left seat orientation, and Instrument
Meteorological Conditions (IMC) and Helicopter Upset
Recovery; maintenance training for six (6) students including
Bell 505 Maintenance Officer Course; field maintenance,
integrated avionics, component maintenance, and Safran engine
maintenance training for twenty-two (22) students; Bell 505
Veris flight simulators including Integrated Logistics
Support (ILS) package for five (5) years, and operator and
maintenance training for six (6) students; Field Support
Representative and Logistics Support Representative for one
(1) year; ILS, tools, and ground support equipment for two
(2) operating bases supporting twenty-two (22) aircraft
operating two hundred (200) hours per year for a duration of
five (5) years; subscriptions including electronic online;
technical publications for twenty (20) years; Garmin
subscription for five (5) years; Program Management Reviews
for three (3) years hosted once annually; delivery and
reassembly of the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X Helicopters; and
other related elements of logistics and program support.
(iv) Military Department: Army (PI-B-CAE).
(v) Prior Related Cases, if any: None.
(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: None.
(viii) Date Report Delivered to Congress: May 5, 2026.
* As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control
Act.
POLICY JUSTIFICATION
(U) The Philippines—Bell 505 Jet Ranger X Helicopter
(U) The Government of the Philippines has requested to buy
Bell 505 Jet Ranger X Helicopters; spare parts including main
rotor blades; tail rotor blades; full length trainer shoes;
pilot training for twenty-two (22) pilots including ground
and flight training, left seat orientation, and Instrument
Meteorological Conditions and Helicopter Upset Recovery;
maintenance training for six (6) students including Bell 505
Maintenance Officer Course; field maintenance, integrated
avionics, component maintenance, and Safran engine
maintenance training for twenty-two (22) students. This
proposed acquisition also includes Bell 505 Veris flight
simulators; an Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) package for
five (5) years, and operator and maintenance training for six
(6) students; Field Support Representative and Logistics
Support Representative for one (1) year; ILS, tools, and
ground support equipment for two (2) operating bases
supporting twenty-two (22) aircraft operating two hundred
(200) hours per year for a duration of five (5) years;
subscriptions including electronic online; technical
publications for twenty (20) years; Garmin subscription for
five (5) years; Program Management Reviews for three (3)
years hosted once annually; delivery and reassembly of the
Bell 505 Jet Ranger X Helicopters; and other related elements
of logistics and program support. The estimated total cost is
$150 million.
(U) This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and
national security of the United States by helping to improve
the security of a strategic partner that continues to be an
important force for political stability, peace, and economic
progress in the Southeast Asia.
(U) The proposed sale will improve the Philippines'
capability to meet current and future threats by providing
aircraft competency gaps in operating rotary wing aircraft as
part of an upgraded Bell 505 Jet Ranger X Helicopter modern
aircraft equipped with advanced system and thereby enhancing
comprehensive training. This enhanced capability will
facilitate the smooth transition for pilots to more complex
rotary aircraft within the Armed Forces Philippines, and it
is a cost-effective solution for developing rotary wing
pilots.
(U) The proposed sale of this equipment and support will
not alter the basic military balance in the region.
(U) The principal contractor will be Bell Textron Inc.,
located in Fort Worth, TX. 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 an additional three U.S. Government and three
contractor representatives to Philippines for a duration of
three years to support program requirements and technical
oversight.
(U) There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense
readiness as a result of this proposed sale.