83 FR 39728 - Arms Sales Notification

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 155 (August 10, 2018)

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

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 155 (Friday, August 10, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39728-39730]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-17154]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Transmittal No. 18-0B]


Arms Sales Notification

AGENCY: Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Department of Defense.

ACTION: Arms sales notice.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: DSCA at dsca.ncr.lmo.mbx.info@mail.mil">dsca.ncr.lmo.mbx.info@mail.mil 
or (703) 697-9709.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 36(b)(5)(C) 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 18-0B.

    Dated: August 7, 2018.
Shelly E. Finke,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
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[[Page 39729]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN10AU18.000

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Transmittal No. 18-0B

REPORT OF ENHANCEMENT OR UPGRADE OF SENSITIVITY OF TECHNOLOGY OR 
CAPABILITY (SEC. 36(B)(5)(C)), (AECA)

    (i) Purchaser: Government of France
    (ii) Sec. 36(b)(1), AECA Transmittal No.: 13-40

Date: 27 June 2013
Military Department: U.S. Air Force

    (iii) Description: On 27 June 2013, Congress was notified by 
Congressional certification transmittal number 13-40 of the possible 
sale under Section 36(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act of 16 MQ-9 
Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft, 8 Mobile Ground Control Stations 
(GCS), 48 Honeywell TPE331-10T Turboprop Engines (16 installed and 32 
Spares), 24 Satellite Earth Terminal Substations, 40 Ku Band Link-
Airborne Communication Systems, 40 General Atomics Lynx (exportable) 
Synthetic Aperture Radar/Ground Moving Target Indicator (SAR/GMTI) 
Systems, 40 AN/DAS-1 Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS)-B, 40 Ground 
Data Terminals, 40 ARC-210 Radio Systems, 40 Embedded Global 
Positioning System/Inertial Navigation Systems, and 48 AN/APX-119 and 
KIV-

[[Page 39730]]

119 Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) Systems. Also provided are spare and 
repair parts, communication, test, and support equipment, publications 
and technical documentation, airworthiness and maintenance support, 
site surveys and bed down planning, personnel training and training 
equipment, operational flight test, U.S. Government and contractor 
technical and logistics personnel services, and other related elements 
of logistics support. The estimated cost was $1.5 billion. Major 
Defense Equipment (MDE) constituted $765 million of this total.
    This transmittal reports the retrofit of MQ-9s to become weapons 
capable, and the inclusion of 100 GBU-49 Enhanced Paveway dual mode GPS 
and laser guided bomb kits comprised of MXU-650 Air Foil Group (AFG) 
and MAU-210 Enhanced Computer Control Group (ECCG); 200 FMU-152 fuzes; 
650 AGM-114R Hellfire missiles, with active warheads; 45 AGM-114R 
Hellfire training missiles, without active warheads; and 6 Hellfire 
Captive Air Training Missiles.
    The retrofit and inclusion of MDE not enumerated in the original 
notification will result in an increase in the cost of MDE by $210 
million. The total case value will increase to $1.71 billion.
    (iv) Significance: This notification is being provided as the 
retrofit of the MQ-9 systems to become weapons capable, and the 
inclusion of MDE items not originally notified represents an increase 
in capability. Enhancement of France's MQ-9 will provide strike 
capability to augment the current intelligence, surveillance, and 
reconnaissance (ISR) capability.
    (v) Justification: Enhancement of France's MQ-9 to provide strike 
capability will contribute to the foreign and national security 
policies of the United States by enhancing the ISR and strike 
capability of a NATO ally. This creates a multi-role capability to 
provide rapid response to neutralize threats without having to employ 
secondary aircraft from French, U.S., or coalition partners, in support 
of national, NATO, and UN-mandated operations. This further contributes 
to commonality between ISR, weapons, and munitions capabilities which 
will greatly increase the interoperability between the U.S., French 
militaries and other peacekeeping forces.
    (vi) Sensitivity of Technology: France currently owns and operates 
an unarmed version of the MQ-9 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system. No 
new Critical Program Information or Technology is involved in the 
weaponization process. In addition to weaponization kits and pylons, 
software and hardware upgrades, survey and test, and training and 
training equipment, sensitive or classified elements of the upgrade 
will include:
    a. The AGM-114R Hellfire is a rail-launched guided missile. The 
guidance system employs a Semi-Active Laser (SAL) seeker and an 
analogue autopilot. The SAL missiles home on the laser energy reflected 
off a target that has been illuminated by a laser designator. The laser 
designator can be on either the launch platform or another platform. 
The Hellfire uses a pulse-coded laser illumination so that the missile 
will only lock on to its chosen target, and has a multi-purpose 
selectable warhead. The weapon system hardware, as an ``all Up Round'' 
is UNCLASSIFIED. The highest level of classified information to be 
disclosed regarding the AGM-114R Hellfire missile is SECRET, based upon 
the software.
    b. The Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM) consists of a 
functional guidance section coupled to an inert missile bus and is used 
for flight training but cannot be launched. The missile has an 
operational SAL seeker that can search for and lock-on to laser-
designated targets. It functions like a tactical missile (without 
launch capability) during captive carry on the aircraft, making it 
suitable for training aircrew in simulated Hellfire missile target 
acquisition and lock.
    c. GBU-49 Enhanced Paveway II (EP II) is a maneuverable, free-fall 
Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) that guides to the target using a GPS-aided INS 
and dual mode laser seeker. The GBU-49 consists of an Electronic 
Computer Control Group (ECCG) with laser detector sensor and a warhead 
specific Air Foil Group (AFG) that attaches to the nose and tail of a 
GP bomb body respectively. The GBU-49 uses a 5001b (Mk-82 or BLU-111) 
GP bomb body fitted with the MXU-650 AFG and MAU-210 ECCG to guide to 
its laser designated target. The hardware is UNCLASSIFIED; technical 
data and documents are classified up to SECRET.
    d. FMU-152 is the Joint Programmable Bomb Fuze; a multi-function 
hard/soft target fuze that is used on for multiple different Mk-series 
bombs. The fuze can be programmed on the wing or in flight and is used 
with the JDAM, Paveway, and Enhanced Paveway bombs. The hardware is 
UNCLASSIFIED; technical data and documents are UNCLASSIFED.
    (vii) Date Report Delivered to Congress: July 26, 2018

[FR Doc. 2018-17154 Filed 8-9-18; 8:45 am]
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