[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 126 (Monday, July 3, 2017)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 30805-30807]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-13990]



[[Page 30805]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 73

[Docket No. FAA-2017-0144; Airspace Docket No. 17-ASW-2]


Proposed Establishment of Restricted Areas R-5602A and R-5602B; 
Fort Sill, OK

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: This action proposes to establish two restricted areas, R-
5602A and R-5602B, over a portion of the Fort Sill, OK, R-5601 
restricted area complex in support of an emerging kinetic and directed 
energy weapons training requirement for the United States (U.S.) Army 
Fires Center of Excellence at Fort Sill. This additional airspace would 
allow for the segregation of hazardous activities from non-
participating traffic.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 17, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Send comments on this proposal to the U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 
West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001; 
telephone: (202) 366-9826. You must identify FAA Docket No. FAA-2017-
0144 and Airspace Docket No. 17-ASW-2, at the beginning of your 
comments. You may also submit comments through the Internet at 
www.regulations.gov. You may review the public docket containing the 
proposal, any comments received, and any final disposition in person in 
the Dockets Office between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays. The Docket Office (telephone 1-800-
647-5527), is on the ground floor of the building at the above address.
    Comments on environmental and land use aspects should be directed 
to: U.S. Army Garrison, Directorate of Public Works, Attn: IMSI-PWE 
(Sarah Sminkey), Environmental Quality Division, Fort Sill, OK 73503-
5100; email: [email protected]; phone: (580) 442-2849.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colby Abbott, Airspace Policy Group, 
Office of Airspace Services, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267-
8783.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Authority for This Rulemaking

    The FAA's authority to issue rules regarding aviation safety is 
found in Title 49 of the United States Code. Subtitle I, Section 106 
describes the authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII, 
Aviation Programs, describes in more detail the scope of the agency's 
authority. This rulemaking is promulgated under the authority described 
in Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart I, Section 40103. Under that section, 
the FAA is charged with prescribing regulations to assign the use of 
the airspace necessary to ensure the safety of aircraft and the 
efficient use of airspace. This regulation is within the scope of that 
authority as it would establish the restricted area airspace at Fort 
Sill, OK, to enhance aviation safety and accommodate essential U.S. 
Army hazardous above-the-horizon laser operations conducting counter 
unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) activities.

Comments Invited

    Interested parties are invited to participate in this proposed 
rulemaking by submitting such written data, views, or arguments as they 
may desire. Comments that provide the factual basis supporting the 
views and suggestions presented are particularly helpful in developing 
reasoned regulatory decisions on the proposal. Comments are 
specifically invited on the overall regulatory, aeronautical, economic, 
environmental, and energy-related aspects of the proposal.
    Communications should identify both docket numbers (FAA Docket No. 
FAA-2017-0144 and Airspace Docket No. 17-ASW-2) and be submitted in 
triplicate to the Docket Management System (see ADDRESSES section for 
address and phone number). You may also submit comments through the 
Internet at www.regulations.gov.
    Commenters wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their comments 
on this action must submit with those comments a self-addressed, 
stamped postcard on which the following statement is made: ``Comments 
to FAA Docket No. FAA-2017-0144 and Airspace Docket No. 17-ASW-2.'' The 
postcard will be date/time stamped and returned to the commenter.
    All communications received on or before the specified closing date 
for comments will be considered before taking action on the proposed 
rule. The proposal contained in this action may be changed in light of 
comments received. All comments submitted will be available for 
examination in the public docket both before and after the closing date 
for comments. A report summarizing each substantive public contact with 
FAA personnel concerned with this rulemaking will be filed in the 
docket.

Availability of NPRMs

    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded through the 
Internet at www.regulations.gov. Recently published rulemaking 
documents can also be accessed through the FAA's Web page at http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/airspace_amendments/.
    You may review the public docket containing the proposal, any 
comments received and any final disposition in person at the Dockets 
Office (see ADDRESSES section for address and phone number) between 
9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. An informal docket may also be examined during normal 
business hours at the office of the Operations Support Group, Central 
Service Center, Federal Aviation Administration, 10101 Hillwood Blvd., 
Fort Worth, TX 76177.

Background

    As the U.S. Army's Center of Excellence for Fires, Fort Sill has 
submitted a proposal to the FAA to establish two restricted areas 
overlying a portion of the Fort Sill R-5601 restricted area complex, 
and extending slightly eastward, to support an emerging kinetic and 
directed energy weapons training mission. The designated altitudes of 
the proposed restricted areas would extend upward from 40,000 feet mean 
sea level (MSL) to 60,000 feet MSL.
    Fort Sill has long been the U.S. Army's schoolhouse for traditional 
field artillery training and it has now been tasked to field advanced 
technology weapons, and train soldiers in their use for both field 
artillery and air defense artillery missions. Railguns, hypervelocity 
projectiles, and lasers being introduced at Fort Sill represent a 
technological leap in capability, and require additional high altitude 
segregated airspace to contain the hazardous activities and protect 
non-participating air traffic from those hazardous activities.
    The primary activities associated with the proposed R-5602A would 
include high trajectory surface-to-surface kinetic weapons employment 
using existing firing points and impact areas, with occasional laser 
fires passing through R-5601 complex restricted area airspace and the 
proposed R-5602A before entering the proposed R-5602B restricted area. 
The proposed R-5602B

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would be established solely to contain directed energy laser fires 
intended to destroy adversary UAS. Target UAS would only operate in the 
lower R-5601 restricted areas since the proposed R-5602A and R-5602B 
restricted areas would not be approved for aviation activity. For 
directed energy laser fires that extend beyond the ceiling of the 
proposed R-5602B restricted area, Fort Sill would follow existing 
interagency procedures to ensure protection of both manned aircraft and 
space assets operating above 60,000 feet MSL.
    To leverage advanced technology weapons capabilities for training 
soldiers in emerging field artillery and air defense artillery 
missions, Fort Sill requires additional restricted area airspace. 
Through extensive safety analysis, the U.S. Army has determined that 
the volume of restricted area airspace proposed in R-5602A and R-5602B 
is the minimum amount required to contain the planned hazardous 
activities and protect non-participant air traffic in the area.
    Minimal aeronautical impact is anticipated since the proposed 
restricted areas would be located above a portion of the existing R-
5601 complex, which extends from the surface to 40,000 feet MSL, and 
the designated altitudes of the proposed restricted areas would extend 
upward from 40,000 feet MSL to 60,000 feet MSL.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to 14 CFR part 73 to establish 
two new restricted areas, R-5602A and R-5602B, overlying a portion of 
the R-5601 complex located at Fort Sill, OK. The new restricted areas 
would support the U.S. Army fielding advanced technology weapons and 
training for emerging field artillery and air defense artillery 
missions. To effectively segregate non-participant air traffic from the 
hazardous activities associated with the use of the advanced technology 
weapons at Fort Sill, the proposed R-5602A and R-5602B restricted areas 
would extend upward from 40,000 feet MSL to 60,000 feet MSL and be 
activated by a Notice to Airman (NOTAM).
    The proposed lateral boundaries for R-5602A would overlie and 
extend upward over the ceilings of the R-5601A, R-5601B, and a portion 
of R-5601F restricted areas. The proposed lateral boundaries for R-
5602B would extend a shelf of restricted area airspace approximately 8 
nautical miles (NM) east beyond the R-5601A and R-5601F eastern 
boundaries. Collectively, the proposed R-5602A and R-5602B restricted 
areas and the existing R-5601 complex would fully contain planned 
hazardous activities within restricted area airspace from the surface 
to 60,000 feet MSL. Existing interagency procedures would be followed 
to further segregate hazardous activities from manned aircraft and 
space assets operating above 60,000 feet MSL.
    The proposed designated altitudes for the proposed R-5602A and R-
5602B restricted areas would extend upward from 40,000 feet MSL to 
60,000 feet MSL. The altitudes are defined relative to MSL to highlight 
that the proposed area would be used for other than aircraft 
operations. From an air traffic perspective, establishing the proposed 
restricted areas for other than aircraft operations reduces the radar 
separation requirements for circumnavigating the proposed restricted 
areas and contributes to minimizing impacts to aviation.
    The proposed time of designation for the proposed R-5602A and R-
5602B restricted areas would be, ``By NOTAM 0830-1630, Monday-Friday; 
other times by NOTAM.'' The expected usage for the proposed R-5602A 
would be approximately 8 hours per day on most weekdays, consistent 
with in-garrison syllabus training. However, the expected usage for the 
proposed R-5602B would be much lower to approximately 25 days per year. 
Due to the heavy dependence on favorable weather and unpredictability 
of seasonal weather patterns, NOTAM activation is considered an 
operational necessity for both proposed restricted areas.

Regulatory Notices and Analyses

    The FAA has determined that this proposed regulation only involves 
an established body of technical regulations for which frequent and 
routine amendments are necessary to keep them operationally current. 
It, therefore: (1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under 
Executive Order 12866; (2) is not a ``significant rule'' under 
Department of Transportation (DOT) Regulatory Policies and Procedures 
(44 FR 11034; February 26, 1979); and (3) does not warrant preparation 
of a regulatory evaluation as the anticipated impact is so minimal. 
Since this is a routine matter that will only affect air traffic 
procedures and air navigation, it is certified that this proposed rule, 
when promulgated, will not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act.

Environmental Review

    This proposal will be subjected to an environmental analysis in 
accordance with FAA Order 1050.1F, ``Environmental Impacts: Policies 
and Procedures,'' prior to any FAA final regulatory action.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 73

    Airspace, Prohibited areas, Restricted areas.

The Proposed Amendment

    In consideration of the foregoing, the Federal Aviation 
Administration proposes to amend 14 CFR part 73 as follows:

PART 73--SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE

0
1. The authority citation for part 73 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  49 U.S.C. 106(f), 106(g); 40103, 40113, 40120; E.O. 
10854, 24 FR 9565, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 389.


Sec.  73.56   Oklahoma (Amended)

0
2. Sec.  73.56 is amended as follows:
* * * * *

R-5602A Fort Sill, OK [New]

    Boundaries. Beginning at lat. 34[deg]46'45'' N., long. 
98[deg]17'01'' W.; to lat. 34[deg]38'15'' N., long. 98[deg]17'01'' 
W.; to lat. 34[deg]38'15'' N., long. 98[deg]37'57'' W.; to lat. 
34[deg]40'54'' N., long. 98[deg]37'56'' W.; to lat. 34[deg]42'07'' 
N., long. 98[deg]37'20'' W.; to lat. 34[deg]43'21'' N., long. 
98[deg]36'02'' W.; to lat. 34[deg]43'30'' N., long. 98[deg]35'40'' 
W.; to lat. 34[deg]45'03'' N., long. 98[deg]29'46'' W.; to lat. 
34[deg]46'15'' N., long. 98[deg]25'01'' W.; to lat. 34[deg]47'00'' 
N., long. 98[deg]17'46'' W.; to the point of beginning.
    Designated altitudes. 40,000 feet MSL to 60,000 feet MSL.
    Time of designation. By NOTAM 0830-1630, Monday-Friday; other 
times by NOTAM.
    Controlling agency. FAA, Fort Worth ARTCC.
    Using agency. U.S. Army, Commanding General, U.S. Army Fires 
Center of Excellence (USAFCOE) and Fort Sill, Fort Sill, OK.

R-5602B Fort Sill, OK [New]

    Boundaries. Beginning at lat. 34[deg]49'30'' N., long. 
98[deg]08'43'' W.; to lat. 34[deg]36'36'' N., long. 98[deg]08'43'' 
W.; to lat. 34[deg]38'15'' N., long. 98[deg]17'01'' W.; to lat. 
34[deg]46'06'' N., long. 98[deg]17'01'' W.; to the point of 
beginning.
    Designated altitudes. 40,000 feet MSL to 60,000 feet MSL.
    Time of designation. By NOTAM 0830-1630, Monday-Friday; other 
times by NOTAM.
    Controlling agency. FAA, Fort Worth ARTCC.
    Using agency. U.S. Army, Commanding General, U.S. Army Fires 
Center of Excellence (USAFCOE) and Fort Sill, Fort Sill, OK.


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    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 26, 2017.
Rodger A. Dean Jr.,
Manager, Airspace Policy Group.
[FR Doc. 2017-13990 Filed 6-30-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P