[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 101 (Friday, May 26, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24319-24321]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-09641]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Transmittal No. 17-11]


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.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 36(b)(1) arms sales notification is 
published to fulfill the requirements of

[[Page 24320]]

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 17-11 with attached Policy Justification and Sensitivity of 
Technology.

    Dated: May 9, 2017.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26MY17.000


[[Page 24321]]


Transmittal No. 17-11
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 Australia
    (ii) Total Estimated Value:

Major Defense Equipment *............................     $119.5 million
Other................................................     $ 18.1 million
                                                      ------------------
  Total..............................................     $137.6 million
 

    (iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or 
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
    Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
Up to seventy (70) AGM-88B High Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM) 
Tactical Missiles
Up to forty (40) AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles 
(AARGM) Tactical Missiles
Up to sixteen (16) CATM-88B HARM Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM)
Up to sixteen (16) CATM-88E AARGM CATM
Up to twenty-five (25) AGM-88B Control Sections
Up to twenty-five (25) AGM-88B Guidance Sections
Up to twenty (20) AGM-88E Control Sections
Up to twenty (20) AGM-88E Guidance Sections
    Non-MDE includes: Up to forty-eight (48) Telemetry/Flight 
Termination Systems, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, 
technical and logistics support services, and other associated support 
equipment and services.
    (iv) Military Department: Navy
    (v) Prior Related Cases, if any: AT-P-AZN
    (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: April 27, 2017
    * As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control Act.

POLICY JUSTIFICATION

Government of Australia- Anti-Radiation Missiles

    Australia has requested a possible sale of up to seventy (70) AGM-
88B High Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM) Tactical Missiles; up to 
forty (40) AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles (AARGM) 
Tactical Missiles; up to sixteen (16) CATM-88B HARM Captive Air 
Training Missiles (CATM); up to sixteen (16) CATM-88E AARGM CATM; up to 
twenty-five (25) AGM-88B Control Sections; up to twenty-five (25) AGM-
88B Guidance Sections; up to twenty (20) AGM-88E Control Sections; up 
to twenty (20) AGM-88E Guidance Sections; up to forty eight (48) 
Telemetry/Flight Termination Systems; U.S. Government and contractor 
engineering, technical and logistics support services; and other 
associated support equipment and services. The total estimated cost is 
$137.6 million.
    This sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national 
security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a 
major contributor to political stability, security, and economic 
development in the Western Pacific. Australia is an important Major 
non-NATO 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.
    Australia is requesting these missiles for its Electronic Attack 
EA-18G Growler aircraft. 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 difficultly absorbing 
these additional missiles into its armed forces.
    The proposed sale of this equipment and support does not alter the 
basic military balance in the region.
    The prime contractors will be Orbital ATK (OA), Ridgecrest, CA, and 
Raytheon Missile Systems Company, Tucson, AZ. There are no known offset 
agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.
    Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the 
assignment of additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives 
to travel to Australia.
    There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a 
result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 17-11
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 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-88B 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.
    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. 2017-09641 Filed 5-25-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P