[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 227 (Wednesday, November 25, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73744-73747]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30025]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Transmittal No. 15-59]


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 15-59 with attached Policy Justification.

    Dated: November 20, 2015.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.

[[Page 73745]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN25NO15.000

Transmittal No. 15-59
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: Government of Italy
    (ii) Total Estimated Value:

Major Defense Equipment *...............................  $ 18.3 million
Other...................................................         $ 111.3
                                                                 million
                                                         ---------------
  TOTAL.................................................         $ 129.6
                                                                 million
 

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

One hundred and fifty-six (156) AGM-114R2 HELLFIRE II Missiles
Eight (8) HELLFIRE II, M36-E8 Captive Air Training Missiles (CATMs)
Thirty (30) GBU-12 Laser Guided Bombs
One hundred and twenty (120) FMU-152A/B Joint Programmable Fuzes

    Also included with this request are the following non-MDE items: 
thirty (30) GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs); five (5) 
Hellfire M34 Dummy Missiles; thirty (30) GBU-49 Enhanced Laser Guided 
Bombs; thirty (30) GBU-54 Laser JDAMS; twenty-six (26) BRU-71A Bomb 
Racks; thirteen (13) M-299 launchers; six (6) MQ-9 weaponization kits 
and installation; and two (2) AN/AWM-103 test suites. Additionally, 
this transmittal includes personnel weapons training/equipment; spare 
parts; support equipment; publications and technical data; U.S. 
Government and contractor technical assistance; and other related

[[Page 73746]]

elements of program and logistics support.
    (iv) Military Department: Air Force (QAV)
    (v) Prior Related Cases, if any: FMS Case IT-D-SAG-$182M-02 Dec 08
    (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: 03 NOV 2015
    * As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control Act.

POLICY JUSTIFICATION

Italy--Weaponization of MQ-9s

    The Government of Italy requested a possible sale of Major Defense 
Equipment (MDE) items including one hundred and fifty-six (156) AGM-
114R2 HELLFIRE II Missiles; eight (8) HELLFIRE II, M36-E8 Captive Air 
Training Missiles (CATMs); and thirty (30) GBU-12 Laser Guided Bombs. 
Non-MDE items requested include thirty (30) GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack 
Munitions (JDAMs); five (5) HELLFIRE M34 Dummy Missiles; thirty (30) 
GBU-49 Enhanced Laser Guided Bombs; thirty (30) GBU-54 Laser JDAMs; 
twenty-six (26) Bomb Racks; six (6) MQ-9 weaponization kits and 
installation; thirteen (13) M-299 launchers; two (2) AN/AWM-103 test 
suites; personnel weapons training/equipment; spare parts; support 
equipment; publications and technical data; U.S. Government and 
contractor technical assistance; and other related elements of program 
and logistics support. The estimated MDE value is $18 million. The 
estimated total value is $129.6 million.
    This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and 
national security of the United States by improving the capability of a 
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally that has been an 
integral member of every recent NATO and U.S.-led operation. It is in 
the U.S. strategic interest to support Italy's security contributions 
as a capable and interoperable ally. Italy is a major political and 
economic power in NATO and a key democratic partner of the United 
States in ensuring peace and stability around the world.
    Italy requests to arm its MQ-9 Reapers for three primary reasons: 
1) to support and enhance burden sharing in NATO and coalition 
operations; 2) to increase operational flexibility; and 3) to increase 
the survivability of Italian deployed forces. Italy currently operates 
the MQ-9 system and will have no difficulty incorporating this added 
capability into its Air Force.
    The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the 
basic military balance in the region.
    The prime contractor will be the General Atomics-Aeronautical 
Systems, Inc. of San Diego, 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 any additional U.S. Government or contractor 
representatives to Italy.
    There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a 
result of this proposed sale. All defense articles/services have been 
approved for release by our foreign disclosure office.
Transmittal No. 15-59
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. Armed MQ-9 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System Upgrade: Italy 
currently owns and operates an unarmed version of the MQ-9 system and 
has formally requested an armed capability.
    No new Critical Program Information or Technology is involved in 
the weaponization process. The equipment proposed in this weaponization 
process for the Italian MQ-9 includes:
     BRU-7A Bomb Racks, M-299 launchers, MQ-9 weaponization 
kits to include pylons, AN/AWM-103 test suites, and associated 
operational flight programming (OFP).
    2. AGM-114R2 HELLFIRE II Semi-Active Laser Missile: The AGM-114R2 
HELLFIRE II is a rail-launched guided missile. The guidance system 
employs a Semi-Active Laser (SAL) seeker and an analogue autopilot. SAL 
missiles home on the laser energy reflected off a target that has been 
illuminated by a laser designator. The laser can be on either the 
launch platform or another platform that can be separated by several 
kilometers. The AGM-114R2 has a multi-purpose selectable warhead and 
inertial measurement unit (IMU)-Aided Trajectories. The highest level 
of classified information to be disclosed regarding the AGM-114R2 
HELLFIRE II missile is SECRET, based upon the software. The highest 
level of classified information that could be disclosed by a proposed 
sale or by testing of the end item is SECRET; the highest level that 
must be disclosed for production, maintenance, or training is 
CONFIDENTIAL. Vulnerability data, countermeasures, vulnerability/
susceptibility analyses, and threat definitions are classified up to 
SECRET.
    3. The HELLFIRE II Captive Air Training Missile (CATM) consists of 
a functional guidance section coupled to an inert missile bus. The CATM 
is used for flight training and cannot be launched. The missile has an 
operational semi-active laser seeker that can search for and lock-on to 
laser-designated targets. The CATM functions like a tactical missile 
(without launch capability) during captive carry on the aircraft, 
making it suitable for training the aircrew in simulated HELLFIRE 
missile target acquisition and lock.
    4. GBU-12 (500 lb): The GBU-12 is a general purpose bomb fitted 
with the MXU-650 airfoil and the MAU-169 L/B Computer Control Group 
(CCG) to convert them to Laser Guided Bombs (LGBs). 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. The hardware is 
Unclassified.
    Information revealing the probability of destroying common/
unspecified targets, the number of simultaneous lasers the laser seeker 
head can discriminate, and data on the radar/infra-red frequency is 
classified CONFIDENTIAL.
    5. GBU-38 (500 lb) JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition): The GBU-38 
is a general purpose bomb with an FMU-152A/B fuse and a KMU-572 B/B 
guidance tail kit that converts unguided free-fall bombs into accurate, 
all weather, GPS guided ``smart'' munitions.
    Information revealing target designation tactics and associated 
aircraft maneuvers, the probability of destroying specific/peculiar 
targets, vulnerabilities regarding countermeasures and the 
electromagnetic environment is classified SECRET.
    Information revealing the probability of destroying common/
unspecified targets is classified CONFIDENTIAL.
    6. GBU-49 (500 lb): The GBU-49 is a 500 lb (MK-82 or BLU-111) 
Enhanced Paveway II, dual mode GPS/laser guided bomb with an airfoil 
group and the MAU-169L/B CCG. The laser sensor enhances standard GPS 
guidance by allowing rapid prosecution of moving targets or fixed 
targets with large initial target location errors (TLE).
    Information revealing target designation tactics and associated 
aircraft maneuvers, the probability of destroying specific/peculiar 
targets, vulnerabilities regarding countermeasures and the

[[Page 73747]]

electromagnetic environment is classified SECRET.
    Information revealing the probability of destroying common/
unspecified targets, the number of simultaneous lasers the laser seeker 
head can discriminate, and data on the radar/infra-red frequency is 
classified CONFIDENTIAL.
    7. GBU-54 (500 lb): This is the dual-mode laser JDAM variant of the 
GBU-38 JDAM. The nose fuze is replaced with the DSU-38, which gives the 
weapon both GPS and laser guidance capability. The laser sensor 
enhances standard JDAM's reactive target capability by allowing rapid 
prosecution of fixed targets with large initial target location errors 
(TLE). The addition of the laser sensor combined with additional 
cabling and mounting hardware turns a standard JDAM into a Laser JDAM.
    Information revealing target designation tactics and associated 
aircraft maneuvers, the probability of destroying specific/peculiar 
targets, vulnerabilities regarding countermeasures and the 
electromagnetic environment is classified SECRET.
    Information revealing the probability of destroying common/
unspecified targets, the number of simultaneous lasers the laser seeker 
head can discriminate, and data on the radar/infra-red frequency is 
classified CONFIDENTIAL.
    8. If a technologically advanced adversary were to obtain knowledge 
of the specific hardware and software elements, 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.
    9. A determination has been made that the recipient country can 
provide substantially the same degree of protection for the sensitive 
technology being released as the U.S. Government. This sale is 
necessary in furtherance of the U.S. foreign policy and national 
security objectives outlined in the Policy Justification.
    10. Release of this technology has been approved via appropriate 
technology transfer and foreign disclosure processes.

[FR Doc. 2015-30025 Filed 11-24-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P