80 FR 37241 - 36(b)(1) Arms Sales Notification

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 125 (June 30, 2015)

The Department of Defense is publishing the unclassified text of a section 36(b)(1) arms sales notification. This is published to fulfill the requirements of section 155 of Public Law 104-164 dated July 21, 1996.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 125 (Tuesday, June 30, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37241-37243]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-15923]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Transmittal No. 15-41]


36(b)(1) Arms Sales Notification

AGENCY: Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Department of Defense.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Defense is publishing the unclassified text 
of a section 36(b)(1) arms sales notification. This is published to 
fulfill the requirements of section 155 of Public Law 104-164 dated 
July 21, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. B. English, DSCA/DBO/CFM, (703) 
601-3740.
    The following is a copy of a letter to the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives, Transmittal 15-41 with attached Policy Justification 
and Sensitivity of Technology.

    Dated: June 24, 2015.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.

[[Page 37242]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN30JN15.002

Transmittal No. 15-41
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: Australia
    (ii) Total Estimated Value:

Major Defense Equipment *...............................     $35 million
Sustainment.............................................      34 million
                                                         ---------------
  Total.................................................     $69 million
 

    (iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or 
Services under Consideration for Purchase: up to fourteen (14) AGM-88B 
High Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM) Tactical Missiles, sixteen 
(16) AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles (AARGM) Tactical 
Missiles, four (4) CATM-88B Captive Air Training Missiles, eight (8) 
CATM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles (AARGM) Captive Air 
Training Missiles, six (6) AARGM Guidance Sections, five (5) AARGM 
Control Sections, and two (2) AARGM Tactical Telemetry Missiles (for 
live fire testing), containers, spares and repair parts, support 
equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training 
and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, 
technical, and logistics support services, and other elements of 
logistics and program support.
    (iv) Military Department: Navy (AZN, Amendment #1)
    (v) Prior Related Cases: FMS case AZN-$37M-12June2013
    (vi) Sales Commission, Fee, etc., Paid, Offered, or Agreed to be 
Paid: None
    (vii) Sensitivity of Technology Contained in the Defense Article or 
Defense Services Proposed to be Sold: See Attached Annex

[[Page 37243]]

    (viii) Date Report Delivered to Congress: 19 June 2015
    *As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control Act.

POLICY JUSTIFICATION

Australia--AGM-88B High Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles

    The Government of Australia has requested possible sale of up to 
fourteen (14) AGM-88B High Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM) 
Tactical Missiles, sixteen (16) AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided 
Missiles (AARGM) Tactical Missiles, four (4) CATM-88B Captive Air 
Training Missiles, eight (8) CATM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided 
Missiles (AARGM) Captive Air Training Missiles, six (6) AARGM Guidance 
Sections, five (5) AARGM Control Sections, and two (2) AARGM Tactical 
Telemetry Missiles (for live fire testing), containers, spares and 
repair parts, support equipment, publications and technical 
documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. 
Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support 
services, and other elements of logistics and program support. The 
estimated cost is $69 million.
    This sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national 
security of the United States by helping to improve the security of 
Australia, a major contributor to political stability, security, and 
economic development in Southeast Asia. Australia is an important ally 
and partner that contributes significantly to peacekeeping and 
humanitarian operations around the world. It is vital to the U.S. 
national interest to assist our ally in developing and maintaining a 
strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is 
consistent with those objectives and facilitates burden sharing with a 
key ally.
    The proposed sale will improve Australia's capability in current 
and future coalition efforts. Australia will use this capability as a 
deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defense. 
Australia will have no difficulty absorbing these missiles 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 Orbital ATK Defense Electronics 
Systems in Northridge, California. There are no known offset agreements 
proposed in connection with this potential sale.
    Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the 
assignment of contractor representatives to Australia.
    There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a 
result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 15-41
Notice of Proposed Issuance of Letter of Offer Pursuant to Section 
36(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act, as amended
Annex
Item No. vii
    (vii) Sensitivity of Technology:
    1. The AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) 
weapon system is an air-to-ground missile intended to suppress or 
destroy land or sea-based radar emitters associated with enemy air 
defenses and provides tactical air forces with a lethal countermeasure 
to enemy radar directed, surface-to-air missiles, and air defense 
artillery weapons systems. Destruction or suppression of enemy radars 
denies the enemy the use of air defense systems, thereby improving the 
survivability of our tactical aircraft. It uses a multimode seeker that 
incorporates global positioning system/inertial measurement unit (GPS/
IMU) midcourse guidance, a radio frequency (RF) radiation homing 
receiver, an active millimeter wave seeker, an Integrated Broadcast 
Service Receiver (IBS-R) and a Weapons Impact Assessment (WIA) 
transmitter. The AARGM AGM-88E when assembled is classified Secret. The 
AARGM Guidance Section (seeker hardware) and Control Section with the 
Target Detector is classified Confidential.
    2. The AGM-88 High Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM) weapon 
system is an air-to-ground missile intended to suppress or destroy land 
or sea-based radar emitters associated with enemy air defenses and 
provides tactical air forces with a lethal countermeasure to enemy 
radar directed, surface-to-air missiles, and air defense artillery 
weapons systems. Destruction or suppression of enemy radars denies the 
enemy the use of air defense systems, thereby improving the 
survivability of our tactical aircraft. The AGM-88B HARM when assembled 
is classified Confidential. The HARM Guidance Section (seeker 
hardware), and Control Section with the Target Detector are classified 
Confidential. The HARM Control Section with the Target Detector is 
classified Confidential.
    3. If a technologically advanced adversary were to obtain knowledge 
of the specific hardware and software elements of this possible sale, 
the information could be used to develop countermeasures which might 
reduce weapon system effectiveness or be used in the development of a 
system with similar or advanced capabilities.
    4. A determination has been made that the Government of Australia 
can provide substantially the same degree of protection for the 
technology being released as the US Government. The sale is necessary 
in furtherance of the US foreign policy and national security 
objectives as outlined in the policy justification of the notification.
    5. All defense articles and services listed in this transmittal 
have been authorized for release and export to Australia.

[FR Doc. 2015-15923 Filed 6-29-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 5001-06-P