The State Department recently approved over $1.5 billion in three Foreign Military Sales to South Korea, Egypt, and Canada, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said Tuesday.
The largest sale is $950 million in Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) for the RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 30 Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA). This also includes program management; training for pilots maintenance, logistics and communications personnel; depot and organizational level maintenance; spares and repair/return parts; operational flight support; and other related logistics and program support.
The primary contractor for the sale will be Global Hawk builder Northrop Grumman [NOC].
South Korea will use this support to sustain and operate its fleet of RQ-4 Block 40 aircraft “and will significantly advance U.S. interests in standardization with the Republic of Korea’s Armed Forces,” DSCA said.
Implementation of the sale will not require additional U.S. government or contractor representatives to be posted in South Korea.
Separately, Egypt requested a $554 million FMS for Follow on Technical Support (FOTS) that provides material and labor services in support of Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates (FFG-7), Fast Missile Craft, Mine Hunter Coastal ships, Coastal Mine Hunter ships, and 25 and 28-meter Fast Patrol Craft.
The main contractor for engineering services support will be the VSE Corporations while the U.S. government will provide FOTS for Egypt.
Egypt would use the FOTS to increase the Egyptian Navy’s material and operational readiness “to ensure the Egyptian Navy is operationally capable of providing coastal defense and security.”
The agency said this sale is essential to maintaining Egyptian national security and helping maintain the free flow of international commerce through the Suez Canal.
Implementing this FMS will require U.S. government and contractor representatives to take periodic trips to Egypt over five years for technical reviews, support, and oversight.
The Canadian FMS consists of 152 Multifunctional Information Distribution System – Joint Tactical Radio Systems (MIDS-JTRS) with remote power supply for $44 million. It also includes spare cables and MIDS batteries; Link-16 mobile racks; diagnostic support tools; and other related logistics and program support.
The primary vendors for MIDS JTRS are Viasat, Incorporated and Data Link Solutions. DSCA said it expects Canada to negotiate an offset agreement with one of the vendors in keeping with the country’s Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy after signing the Letter of Offer and Acceptance. However, DSCA said details are currently unknown.
Canada will use radio systems to upgrade its inventory of CF-18s, CC-130Js, and the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Ground Stations by buying the 152 MIDS JTRSs and five terminals.
The agency said these upgrades will allow Canada’s system to be fully interoperable with U.S. and allied forces to support and compliment joint operations; have modernized electronic protection and secure, jam-resistant wave forms; and be capable of improved Link 16 message exchange and information fidelity that will support advanced weapon use.
Although this sale will not require more U.S. government or contractor representatives to be posted in Canada, DSCA anticipates “engineering and technical support services provided by the U.S. Government may be required on an interim basis for training and technical assistance.”
DSCA notified Congress of all three sales on July 29.