80 FR 66521 - 36(b)(1) Arms Sales Notification

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 209 (October 29, 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 209 (Thursday, October 29, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66521-66523]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-27504]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Transmittal No. 15-66]


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: Sarah A. Ragan or Heather N. Harwell, 
DSCA/LMO, (703) 604-1546/(703) 607-5339.
    The following is a copy of a letter to the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives, Transmittal 15-66 with attached Policy Justification.

    Dated: October 23, 2015.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
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[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN29OC15.003

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Transmittal No. 15-66
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: Saudi Arabia
    (ii) Total Estimated Value:

Major Defense Equipment *...............................    $312 million
Other...................................................    $183 million
                                                         ---------------
  TOTAL.................................................    $495 million
 

    (iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or 
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
    Major Defense Equipment (MDE):

Nine (9) UH-60M Black Hawk Utility Helicopters
Twenty-one (21) T700-GE-701D Engines (eighteen (18) installed and three 
(3) spares)
Twenty (20) Embedded Global Positioning Systems with Inertial 
Navigation System (GPS/INS) (eighteen (18) installed and two (2) 
spares)
Twelve (12) AN/AAR-57, Common Missile Warning Systems (CMWS) (nine (9) 
installed and three (3) spares)
Twenty (20) M240H 7.62mm Machine Guns

    Also included are the following non-MDE items and support: Aircraft 
Survivability Equipment; M134 Miniguns; Electro-optical Infrared (EO/
IR) system; Dual Mode (normal light/infrared) Controllable Search 
Lights; Fast Rope Insertion/Extraction System (FRIES); External 
Electric Hoists; Internal Auxiliary Fuel Tank Systems (IAFS); Dual 
Patient Litter System; Ballistic Armor Protection System; aircraft 
warranty; air worthiness support; spare and repair parts; 
communications equipment; personnel training and training equipment; 
site surveys; tool and test equipment; ground support equipment; repair 
and return; publications and technical documentation; Quality Assurance 
Team (QAT); U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical and 
logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and 
program support.
    (iv) Military Department: Army (ZAD)
    (v) Prior Related Case, if any:

SR-B-VTW, $372M, 12 Feb 08
SR-B-VNK, $133M, 17 Dec 90
SR-B-VJB, $152M, 30 May 80

    (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.
    (viii) Date Report Delivered to Congress: 13 Oct 2015

    * as defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control Act.
POLICY JUSTIFICATION
    Kingdom of Saudi Arabia--UH-60M Black Hawk Utility Helicopters
    The Government of Saudi Arabia has requested a possible sale of:
    Major Defense Equipment (MDE):

Nine (9) UH-60M Black Hawk Utility Helicopters
Twenty-one (21) T700-GE-701D Engines (eighteen (18) installed and three 
(3) spares)
Twenty (20) Embedded Global Positioning Systems with Inertial 
Navigation System (GPS/INS) (eighteen (18) installed and two (2) 
spares)
Twelve (12) AN/AAR-57, Common Missile Warning Systems (CMWS) (nine (9) 
installed and three (3) spares)
Twenty (20) M240H 7.62mm Machine Guns

    Also included are the following non-MDE items and support: Aircraft 
Survivability Equipment; M134 Miniguns; Electro-optical Infrared (EO/
IR) system; Dual Mode (normal light/infrared) Controllable Search 
Lights; Fast Rope Insertion/Extraction System (FRIES); External 
Electric Hoists; Internal Auxiliary Fuel Tank Systems (IAFS); Dual 
Patient Litter System; Ballistic Armor Protection System; aircraft 
warranty; air worthiness support; spare and repair parts; 
communications equipment; personnel training and training equipment; 
site surveys; tool and test equipment; ground support equipment; repair 
and return; publications and technical documentation; Quality Assurance 
Team (QAT); U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical and 
logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and 
program support. The estimated cost is $495 million.
    The proposed sale will make a positive contribution to the foreign 
policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping 
to improve the security of an important regional partner that has been, 
and continues to be, a significant U.S. partner for political stability 
and economic progress in the Middle East.
    The Royal Saudi Land Forces Aviation Command (RSLFAC) plans to use 
these helicopters for search and rescue, disaster relief, humanitarian 
support, counterterrorism, and combat operations.
    The proposed sale will not introduce new technology to or alter the 
basic military balance in the region.
    The principal contractors will be Sikorsky Aircraft Company in 
Stratford, Connecticut; and General Electric Aircraft Company (GEAC) in 
Lynn, Massachusetts. There are no known offset agreements in connection 
with this potential sale.
    Implementation of this sale will require an estimated forty (40) to 
sixty (60) U.S. Government and contractor representatives to travel to 
Saudi Arabia for up to sixty (60) months for equipment de-processing, 
fielding, system checkout, training, and technical logistics support.
    There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a 
result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 15-66
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 UH-60M Black Hawk Utility Helicopter is a medium lift 
aircraft which includes two T700-GE-701D Engines and an advanced 
cockpit that features four multi-function displays, four-axis coupled 
flight director, digital map, and Dual Embedded Global Positioning 
System/Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS) (EGI).
    a. Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System 
(GPS/INS) (EGI)--The EGI is a Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing 
Module (SAASM) based navigation platform that combines an inertial 
sensor assembly with a fixed reception pattern antenna GPS receiver. 
The EGI system is the primary source for position information and is 
UNCLASSIFIED. The GPS crypto variables needed for the highest GPS 
accuracy are classified up to SECRET.
    b. AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning System (CMWS)--The CMWS detects 
threat missiles in flight, evaluates potential false alarms, declares 
validity of threat and selects the appropriate Infrared Countermeasure 
(IRCM). Each platform includes: Electro-Optical Missile Sensors, an 
Electronic Control Unit (ECU), Sequencer, and the Improved 
Countermeasures Dispenser (ICMD). The hardware is classified 
CONFIDENTIAL. Releasable technical manuals for operation and 
maintenance are classified SECRET. Reverse engineering is not a major 
concern.
    c. AN/APR-39A Radar Warning System--This radar signal detecting set 
provides warning of a radar directed air defense threat to allow 
appropriate countermeasures. Hardware is classified CONFIDENTIAL when 
programmed

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with U.S. threat data. Releasable technical manuals for operation and 
maintenance are classified CONFIDENTIAL. Releasable technical data 
(technical performance) are classified SECRET. The system can be 
programmed with threat data provided by the purchasing country.
    d. AN/AVR-2B, Laser Warning Set--A passive laser warning system 
that receives, processes, and displays threat information resulting 
from aircraft illumination by lasers, on the multi-functional display. 
The hardware is classified CONFIDENTIAL. Releasable technical manuals 
for operation and maintenance are classified SECRET. Reverse 
engineering is not a major concern.
    2. Software, hardware, and other data/information that is 
classified or sensitive is reviewed prior to release to protect system 
vulnerabilities, design data, and performance parameters. Some end-item 
hardware, software, and other data identified above are classified at 
the CONFIDENTIAL level.
    3. Loss of this hardware, software, documentation and/or data could 
permit development of information which may lead to a significant 
threat to future U.S. military operations. If a technologically 
advanced adversary were to obtain knowledge of the specific hardware 
and software elements, the information could be used to develop 
countermeasures or equivalent systems 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 Saudi Arabia can provide 
substantially the same degree of protection for this technology as the 
U.S. Government. This proposed sale is necessary in furtherance of the 
U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives outlined in the 
Policy Justification.
    5. All of the defense articles and services listed in this 
transmittal have been authorized for release and export to the Kingdom 
of Saudi Arabia.

[FR Doc. 2015-27504 Filed 10-28-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 5001-06-P