ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION

On 2026-09-24, Senator James E. Risch (R-ID) delivered a floor speech titled "ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION" in the Senate.

ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 152 (Thursday, September 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 152 (Thursday, September 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S4976-S4977] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION Mr. RISCH. Madam 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. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC. congressional notification transmittal letter Please find enlcosed the following notification from the Department of State. Department Notification Number: RSAT 26-69. Pursuant to the reporting requiremens of Section 36(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), as amended, we are forwarding Transmittal No. 26-69 concerning the Air Force's proposed Letter(s) of Offer and Acceptance to the Government of Saudi Arabia for defense articles and services estimated to cost $24.3 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, Katherine Bowles, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Legislative Affairs. transmittal no. rsat 26-69 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: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. (ii) Total Estimated Value: Major Defense Equipment * $7.3 billion. Other $17.0 billion. Total $24.3 billion. Funding Source: National Funds. (iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or Services under Consideration for Purchase: Major Defense Equipment (MDE): Forty-eight (48) F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft with Conventional Takeoff and Landing. Forty-nine (49) Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 Engines (48 installed, 1 spare). Non-MDE: The following non-MDE items will also be included: AN/PYQ-10 simple key loaders; KIV-78 cryptographic appliques; secure communications, precision navigation, and cryptographic devices; electronic warfare database support; Cartridge Actuated Devices/Propellant Actuated Devices; aircraft and munitions support and support equipment; spare parts, consumables and accessories, and repair and return support; training aids, devices, and spare parts; engine component improvement program; major and minor modifications and maintenance support; classified and unclassified software delivery and support; classified and unclassified publications and technical documentation; transportation, ferry, and refueling support; personnel training and training equipment, including simulators; clothing, textiles, and individual equipment; studies and surveys; site surveys; U.S. Government and engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support. (iv) Military Department: Air Force (SR-D-SAR; SA-D-SAS). (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: See Attached Annex. (viii) Date Report Delivered to Congress: September 17, 2026. * As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control Act. policy justification Kingdom of Saudi Arabia--F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has requested to buy forty- eight (48) F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft with Conventional Takeoff and Landing; and forty-nine (49) Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 Engines (48 installed, 1 spare). The following non-MDE items will also be included: AN/PYQ-10 simple key loaders; KIV-78 cryptographic appliques; secure communications, precision navigation, and cryptographic devices; electronic warfare database support; Cartridge Actuated Devices/Propellant Actuated Devices; aircraft and munitions support and support equipment; spare parts, consumables and accessories, and repair and return support; training aids, devices, and spare parts; engine Component Improvement Program; major and minor modifications and maintenance support; classified and unclassified software delivery and support; classified and unclassified publications and technical documentation; transportation, ferry, and refueling support; personnel training and training equipment, including simulators; clothing, textiles, and individual equipment; studies and surveys; site surveys; U.S. Government and engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated total cost is $24.3 billion. This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a Major non-NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf Region. The proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia's capability to deter current and future threats by strengthening its homeland defense, and improving interoperability with U.S. forces, and other regional and NATO forces. The proposed sale will also augment Saudi Arabia's operational aircraft and enhance its air-to-air, and air-to-ground self-defense capability. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment and services into its armed forces. The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the military balance in the region. The principal contractors will be Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, located in Fort Worth, TX; and Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, located in East Hartford, CT. 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 contractor. Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale. Transmittal No. 26-69 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 F-35 aircraft is a single seat, single engine, all- weather, stealth, fifth-generation, multirole aircraft. It contains sensitive technology including the low observable airframe and outer mold line (OML), the Pratt and Whitney F135 Engine, AN/APG-81 radar, [[Page S4977]] an integrated core processor central computer, a mission system and electronic warfare suite, a multiple sensor suite, technical data, documentation, and associated software. Sensitive elements of the F-35 are also included in operational flight and maintenance trainers. Sensitive and classified elements of the F-35 aircraft include hardware, accessories, components, and associated software for the following major subsystems: a. The Pratt and Whitney F135 Engine is a single 40,000- pound thrust class engine designed for the F-35 and assures highly reliable, affordable performance. The engine is designed to be utilized in all F-35 variants, providing unmatched commonality and supportability throughout the worldwide base of F-35 users. b. The AN/APG-81 Active Electronically Scanned Array is a high processing power/high transmission power electronic array capable of detecting air and ground targets from a greater distance than mechanically scanned array radars. It also contains a synthetic aperture radar, which creates high- resolution ground maps and provides weather data to the pilot, and provides air and ground tracks to the mission system, which uses it as a component to fuse sensor data. c. The Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) provides long-range detection and tracking as well as an infrared search and track and forward-looking infrared capability for precision tracking, weapons delivery and bomb damage assessment. The EOTS replaces multiple separate internal or podded systems typically found on legacy aircraft. d. The Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System (EODAS) provides the pilot with full spherical coverage for air-to- air and air-to-ground threat awareness, day and night vision enhancements, a fire control capability and precision tracking of wingmen and friendly aircraft. The EODAS provides data directly to the pilot's helmet as well as the mission system. e. The F-35 Electronic Warfare (EW) system is a reprogrammable, integrated system that provides radar warning and electronic support measures along with a fully integrated countermeasures system. The EW system is the primary subsystem used to enhance situational awareness, targeting support and self-defense through the search, intercept, location and identification of in-band emitters and to automatically counter infrared and radiofrequency threats. f. The F-35 Communications, Navigation, and Identification (CNI) system provides the pilot with unmatched connectivity to flight members, coalition forces and the battlefield. It is an integrated subsystem de