| QUOTE |
| Washington May Sell Minesweepers to Taiwan (Source: Taiwan Government news; issued Aug. 7, 2006) At the request of the Pentagon, the U.S. Senate has taken up a bill to allow the Bush administration to sell Taiwan two ships to augment its aging minesweeping fleet. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday approved and sent on to the full Senate a bill to authorize the sale of two Osprey-class minesweepers, the Oriole and the Falcon. While the cost of the ships to be offered to Taiwan was not enumerated, the U.S. Navy estimated that the bill, which would also include the sale of one minesweeper to Turkey and two amphibious dock ships to Mexico, would net US$84.5 million. In letters to House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Vice President Dick Cheney in May requesting that the sales be included in legislation, the Pentagon said the sales "would improve the United States' political and military relationships with close allies. They would support strategic engagement goals and regional security cooperation objectives." The two vessels are among 12 Osprey-class minesweepers built between 1993 and 1999, and which are now being phased out by the U.S. Navy. They are the world's largest glass-reinforced, plastic-hulled ships and the first U.S. ships designed solely for minehunting. They are being replaced by multi-task vessels. Most U.S. military analysts, including those in the Pentagon, expect that any Chinese military actions against Taiwan would involve mining the Taiwan Strait. In an attack or invasion attempt, mines would help keep U.S. forces at bay, preventing them from effectively coming to Taiwan's aid. In a blockade, they would be used to prevent shipping from supplying Taiwan with goods. China's arsenal includes more than 10,000 mines, according to defense expert Richard Fisher, a vice president of the International Assessment and Strategy Center. As a result, Fisher wonders how effective the two new vessels would be in the event of a full-fledged Chinese mining operation. Nevertheless, Fisher applauded the move to sell the ships to Taiwan in view of the potential Chinese military threat and the poor state of Taiwan's existing anti-mine capabilities. Under the Senate bill, Taiwan would have two years after the bill were enacted into law to purchase the vessels, at which time the authorization would expire. Taiwan would have to pay all of the costs involved in refitting the ships and bringing them to combat-readiness. All such work would have to be done in U.S. shipyards. The sale requires specific legislative action, the Pentagon said, because the vessels are less than 20 years old. |
| QUOTE |
| Calendar No. 564 109th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3722 To authorize the transfer of naval vessels to certain foreign recipients. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 25, 2006 Mr. LUGAR (for himself, Mr. BIDEN, and Mr. LOTT) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations August 1, 2006 Reported by Mr. LUGAR, without amendment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A BILL To authorize the transfer of naval vessels to certain foreign recipients. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the `Naval Vessels Transfer Act of 2006'. SEC. 2. TRANSFERS BY GRANT. The President is authorized to transfer vessels to foreign recipients on a grant basis under section 516 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321j), as follows: (1) LITHUANIA- To the Government of Lithuania, the OSPREY class minehunter coastal ships KINGFISHER (MHC-56) and CORMORANT (MHC-57). (2) PORTUGAL- To the Government of Portugal, the OLIVER HAZARD PERRY class guided missile frigates GEORGE PHILIP (FFG-12) and SIDES (FFG-14). (3) TURKEY- To the Government of Turkey, the OSPREY class minehunter coastal ship BLACK HAWK (MHC-58). SEC. 3. TRANSFERS BY SALE. The President is authorized to transfer vessels to foreign recipients on a sale basis under section 21 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2761), as follows: (1) TAIWAN- To the authorities in Taiwan, the OSPREY class minehunter coastal ships ORIOLE (MHC-55) and FALCON (MHC-59). (2) TURKEY- To the Government of Turkey, the OSPREY class minehunter coastal ship SHRIKE (MHC-62). (3) MEXICO- To the Government of Mexico, the AUSTIN class amphibious transport dock ships OGDEN (LPD-5) and CLEVELAND (LPD-7). SEC. 4. GRANTS NOT COUNTED IN ANNUAL TOTAL OF TRANSFERRED EXCESS DEFENSE ARTICLES. The value of a vessel transferred to another country on a grant basis pursuant to authority provided by section 2 shall not be counted against the aggregate value of excess defense articles transferred to countries in any fiscal year under section 516 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. SEC. 5. COSTS OF CERTAIN TRANSFERS. Notwithstanding section 516(e)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321j(e)(1)), any expense incurred by the United States in connection with a transfer authorized under section 2 shall be charged to the recipient. SEC. 6. REPAIR AND REFURBISHMENT IN UNITED STATES SHIPYARDS. To the maximum extent practicable, the President shall require, as a condition of the transfer of a vessel under this section, that the country to which the vessel is transferred have such repair or refurbishment of the vessel as is needed before the vessel joins the naval forces of that country performed at a shipyard located in the United States, including a United States Navy shipyard. SEC. 7. APPROVAL OF TRANSFER OF NAVAL VESSELS TO FOREIGN NATIONS BY VESSEL CLASS. Section 7307(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting `or vessels of that class' after `that vessel'. SEC. 8. EXPIRATION OF AUTHORITY. The authority to transfer a vessel under this Act shall expire at the end of the 2-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act. Calendar No. 564 109th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3722 A BILL To authorize the transfer of naval vessels to certain foreign recipients. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- August 1, 2006 Reported without amendment |
| QUOTE |
| This Act may be cited as the `Naval Vessels Transfer Act of 2006'. |
| QUOTE |
| This is the 2006 vessel transfer list. The two Osprey offer to Greece (plus the two Spruance offer to Turkey) were in the 2005 list. Also these offers are valid for 2 years... thus I believe the Osprey/Spruance offer to Greece and Turkey will expire in 2007. |