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Congressional Daily Record
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May 20, 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 26-45.
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:
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.
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.
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.
components, and services included in this potential sale is
SECRET.
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
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.
transmittal have been authorized for release and export to
the Government of the Republic of Korea.