82 FR 40757 - Arms Sales Notification

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 165 (August 28, 2017)

The Department of Defense is publishing the unclassified text of an arms sales notification.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 165 (Monday, August 28, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40757-40759]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-18201]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Transmittal No. 16-55]


Arms Sales Notification

AGENCY: Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Department of Defense.

ACTION: Arms sales notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Defense is publishing the unclassified text 
of an arms sales notification.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pamela Young, (703) 697-9107 or Kathy 
Valadez, (703) 697-9217; DSCA/DSA-RAN.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 36(b)(1) arms sales notification is 
published to fulfill the requirements of section 155 of Public Law 104-
164 dated July 21, 1996. The following is a copy of a letter to the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Transmittal 16-55 with 
attached Policy Justification and Sensitivity of Technology.

    Dated: August 23, 2017.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P

[[Page 40758]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN28AU17.021

BILLING CODE 5001-06-C
Transmittal No. 16-55
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: The Federal Republic of Nigeria
    (ii) Total Estimated Value:

Major Defense Equipment *...............................    $ 29 million
Other...................................................    $564 million
                                                         ---------------
  TOTAL.................................................    $593 million
 

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

One hundred (100) GBU-12 (500lb) Paveway II (PW-II) Tailkits
One hundred (100) GBU-58 (250lb) PW-II Tailkits
Four hundred (400) Laser Guided Rockets including Advanced Precision 
Kill Weapon System (APKWS)
Two thousand (2,000) MK-81 (250lb) bombs
Five thousand (5,000) 2.75 inch Hydra 70 Unguided Rockets (70mm 
rockets)
One thousand (1,000) 2.75 inch Hydra 70 Unguided Rockets (practice)
Twenty thousand (20,000) Rounds, .50 Caliber Machine Gun Ammo

    Non-Major Defense Equipment (MDE): This request also includes the 
following Non-MDE: Twelve (12) A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, seven (7) 
AN/AAQ-22F Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Sensor and Laser 
Designators, Initial Spares, Readiness Spares Package, Consumables, 
Support Equipment, Technical Data, Repair and Return

[[Page 40759]]

Support, Facilities infrastructure and hangar construction, Night 
Vision Devices (NVDs), Contract Logistics Services (CLS), Contractor 
Provided Familiarization and Training, USG Manpower and Services, Field 
Service Representatives, Training Services (pilot training, USAF 
training, early A-29 training, flight leader upgrade training, travel 
and living allowance, maintenance training, specialized training, 
computer-based training, night vision device training, human rights and 
international humanitarian law, and munitions training), Training 
Simulators, Air Worthiness Support, Forward Operating Base Facilities, 
Forward Operating Location Support, Ferrying, and Non-recurring 
Engineering. Additionally, all aircraft will include weapons software 
to support forward looking infrared sensors (FLIRs), ancillary system.
    (iv) Military Department: Air Force (X8-D-SAB)
    (v) Prior Related Cases, if any: None
    (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 Annex attached.
    (viii) Date Report Delivered to Congress: August 2, 2017
    * As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control Act.

POLICY JUSTIFICATION

Nigeria--A-29 Super Tucano Aircraft, Weapons and Associated Support

    The Government of Nigeria requests twelve (12) A-29 Super Tucano 
aircraft and weapons, including all associated training, spare parts, 
aviation and ground support equipment, and hangar, facilities, and 
infrastructure required to support the program. The estimated total 
case value is $593 million.
    These aircraft will support Nigerian military operations against 
terrorist organization Boko Haram and to counter illicit trafficking in 
Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea. The Super Tucano is a sustainable 
platform for counterterrorism, counter insurgency, border surveillance, 
and illicit trade interdiction operations. The proposed sale will 
support U.S. foreign policy objectives by helping Nigeria to meet 
shared counterterrorism objectives for the region. This proposed sale 
will strengthen the U.S. security relationship with Africa's largest 
democracy. Nigeria will have no difficulty absorbing these aircraft 
into its armed forces.
    The proposed sale of this equipment and support does not alter the 
basic military balance in the region.
    The prime contractor is the Sierra Nevada Corporation, 
headquartered in Centennial, Colorado. There are no known offset 
agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.
    Implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of 
U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Nigeria for mobile 
training teams and contract logistic support.
    There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a 
result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 16-55
Notice of Proposed Issuance of Letter of Offer Pursuant to Section 
36(b)(l) of the Arms Export Control Act
Annex
Item No. vii
    (vii) Sensitivity of Technology:
    1. This sale involves the release of sensitive weapons software 
technology information to Nigeria. Software associated with the 
following weapons will be included in the aircraft operational flight 
program to support a future weapons capability.
    2. Sensitive and/or classified (up to SECRET) elements of the 
proposed A-29 sale to Nigeria includes the hardware and associated 
software with: Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) laser 
guided rockets, Guided Bomb Unit (GBU)-12/58 Paveway II laser guided 
tail kits, and Mark (MK)-81/82 general purpose bombs.
    3. The Hydra 70 Rocket System is a modernized version of the 2.75 
inch (70 mm) unguided rocket body with the MK66 Rocket Motor.
    4. The APKWS is a low cost semi-active laser guidance kit developed 
by BAE Systems which is added to current unguided 70 mm rocket motors 
and warheads similar to and including the Hydra 70 rocket. It is a low 
collateral damage weapon that can effectively strike both soft and 
lightly armored targets. APKWS turns a standard unguided 2.75 inch (70 
mm) rocket into a precision laser-guided rocket, classification up to 
SECRET.
    5. GBU-12/58 Paveway II (PW-II) Tailkits: 500-lb (GBU-12) and 250-
lb (GBU-58) are laser-guided ballistic bombs (LGBs) developed by 
Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. The LGB is a maneuverable, free-fall 
weapon that guides to a spot of laser energy reflected off of the 
target. The LGB is delivered like a normal general purpose (GP) warhead 
and the semi-active guidance corrects for many of the normal errors 
inherent in any delivery system. Laser designation for the weapon can 
be provided by a variety of laser target markers or designators. The 
tailkit consists of a laser guidance kit, a computer control group 
(CCG) and a warhead specific Air Foil Group (AFG), that attach to the 
nose and tail of MK 81 and MK 82 General Purpose (GP) bomb bodies to 
create an LGB. This sale includes the tailkits to transform Nigeria's 
existing 500-lb and 250-lb GP bomb bodies into GBU-12s and GBU-58s 
respectively. Nigeria is also buying additional GBU-58s, 250-lb (MK-81) 
guided bombs. The overall weapon is CONFIDENTIAL.
    6. AN/AAQ-22F Brite Star Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Multi-
Sensor Targeting System developed by FLIR. The system is a five field-
of-view (FOV) large format thermal imager, three FOV color daylight 
camera with laser designator for terminal guidance of LGBs and IR-
guided rockets. The system is classified as UNCLASSIFIED.
    7. This sale is necessary in furtherance of U.S. foreign policy and 
national security objectives outlined in the Policy Justification. 
Moreover, the benefits to be derived from this sale, as outlined in the 
Policy Justification, outweigh the potential damage that could result 
if the sensitive technology were revealed to unauthorized persons.
    8. All defense articles and services listed in this transmittal are 
authorized for release and export to the Government of Nigeria.

[FR Doc. 2017-18201 Filed 8-25-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-C