[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 18, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17157-17160]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08087]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Transmittal No. 17-71]


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: Pamela Young, (703) 697-9107, 
[email protected] or Kathy Valadez, (703) 697-9217, 
[email protected]; 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 17-71 with 
attached Policy Justification.

    Dated: April 12, 2018.
Shelly E. Finke,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.

[[Page 17158]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN18AP18.001

Transmittal No. 17-71
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 Germany
    (ii) Total Estimated Value:

Major Defense Equipment *...............................   $ .95 billion
Other...................................................   $1.55 billion
                                                         ---------------
  TOTAL.................................................   $2.50 billion
 

    (iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or 
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
    Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
Four (4) MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)
One (1) Mission Control Station (MCS) comprised of one (1) Main 
Operating Base (MOB) (MD-3A) and one (1) Forward Operating Base (FOB) 
(MD-3B)
Ten (10) Kearfott Inertial Navigation System/Global Positioning System 
(INS/GPS) units (2 per aircraft plus 2 spares)
Ten (10) LN-251 INS/GPS units (2 per aircraft plus 2 spares)
    Non-MDE: This proposed MQ-4C UAS sale will be a modified version of 
the USN Triton configuration. Also included is one Rolls Royce Engine 
(spare), communication equipment,

[[Page 17159]]

support equipment, mission planning element to include Joint Mission 
Planning System (JMPS) Global Positioning System (GPS) items, 
Communications Security (COMSEC) equipment, mapping, training, support 
equipment, consumables, spare and repair parts, tools and test 
equipment, ground support equipment, flight test support, airworthiness 
support, personnel training and training devices, applicable software, 
hardware, publications and technical data, facilities and maintenance 
support, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and 
logistics supports services, and other elements of unique engineering 
efforts required to support the integration, installation and 
functional platform compatibility testing of Germany's indigenous 
payload and other related elements of logistics and program support, 
and other related elements of logistics and program support.
    (iv) Military Department: Navy (GY-P-SCK)
    (v) Prior Related Cases, if any: GY-P-GPT
    (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: April 4, 2018
    * As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control Act.

POLICY JUSTIFICATION

Germany--MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)

    The Government of Germany has requested to buy four (4) MQ-4C 
Triton Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), one (1) Mission Control Station 
(MCS) comprised of one (1) Main Operating Base (MOB) (MD-3A) and one 
(1) Forward Operating Base (FOB) (MD-3B), ten (10) Kearfott Inertial 
Navigation System/Global Positioning System (INS/GPS), units (2 per 
aircraft plus 2 spares), and ten (10) LN-251 INS/GPS units (2 per 
aircraft plus 2 spares). This proposed MQ-4C UAS sale will be a 
modified version of the USN Triton configuration. Also included is one 
Rolls Royce Engine (spare), communication equipment, support equipment, 
mission planning element to include Joint Mission Planning System 
(JMPS) Global Positioning System (GPS) items, Communications Security 
(COMSEC) equipment, mapping, training, support equipment, consumables, 
spare and repair parts, tools and test equipment, ground support 
equipment, flight test support, airworthiness support, personnel 
training and training devices, applicable software, hardware, 
publications and technical data, facilities and maintenance support, 
U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics 
supports services, and other elements of unique engineering efforts 
required to support the integration, installation and functional 
platform compatibility testing of Germany's indigenous payload and 
other related elements of logistics and program support, and other 
related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated total 
case value is $2.50 billion.
    This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and 
national security of the United States by helping to improve the 
security of a NATO ally which has been, and continues to be, an 
important force for political and economic stability in Europe.
    Germany is one of the major political and economic powers in Europe 
and NATO and a key partner of the United States in ensuring global 
peace and stability. The proposed sale of the MQ-4C Triton will support 
legitimate national security requirements and significantly enhance 
Germany's intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) 
capabilities and the overall collective security of the European Union 
and NATO.
    The proposed sale of the MQ-4C Triton will close a crucial 
capability gap and will enhance bilateral and NATO interoperability and 
will help ensure that Germany is able to continue to monitor and deter 
regional threats. This proposed MQ-4C UAS sale will be a modified 
version of the United States Navy (USN) Triton configuration. The 
German Armed Forces will have no difficulty absorbing these systems 
into its armed forces.
    The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the 
basic military balance in the region.
    The prime contractor will be Northrop Grumman Corporation Rancho 
Bernardo, CA, responsible for integration, installation and functional 
platform compatibility testing of the payload. Airbus Defence and 
Space, located in Germany, will be the prime contractor to Germany for 
the development and manufacturing, and will be responsible for the 
functional test, end-to-end test and installed performance. There are 
no known offset agreements in connection with this potential sale.
    Implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of 
contractor representatives to Germany to perform contractor logistics 
support and to support establishment of required security 
infrastructure.
    There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a 
result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 17-71
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 MQ-4C Triton hardware and software procured for this 
potential sale are UNCLASSIFIED. The MQ-4C is optimized for long range 
and prolonged flight endurance. The MQ-4C Triton will be a forward 
deployed, land-based, autonomously operated system that provides a 
persistent maritime Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance 
(ISR) capability to include data collection, analysis, and situational 
reporting. Aircraft system, sensor, and navigational status are 
provided continuously to the ground operators through a health and 
status downlink for mission monitoring. Navigation is via inertial 
navigation with integrated global positioning system (GPS) updates. The 
vehicle is capable of operating from a standard paved runway. Real time 
missions are flown under the control of a pilot in a Mission Control 
Station (MCS). It is designed to carry a non-weapons maximum internal 
payload of 3,200 lbs, maximum external payload of 2,400 lbs, consisting 
primarily of sensors and avionics. The MQ-4C will include the Mission 
Control Station (MCS) which consists of the following components:
    a. The Mission Control Station (MCS) is the MQ-4C Triton UAS ground 
control station required to operate the MQ-4C Triton UAS. The MOB MCS 
(MD-3A) provides MQ-4C Triton Aircraft Command & Control (C2). The MOB 
MCS consists of a primary and back-up system, an embedded training 
capability, requisite data links, communication systems, antennas, 
computer work-stations and hardware/software for air vehicle, and 
tactical coordinator. The MOB MCS communications consists of both Line 
of Sight (LOS) and Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) capabilities to control 
the Triton Unmanned Aircraft world-wide. The MOB technical data and 
documentation are UNCLASSIFIED.
    b. The MQ-4C Triton UAS Forward Operating Base (FOB) (MD-3B) is 
used for aircraft launch and recovery and is physically located at the 
same location as the MQ-4C Triton aircraft. The FOB

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MCS is similar to the MOB MCS, but the FOB MCS does not process or 
control any payload information. The FOB MCS is manned by air vehicle 
operators only and used for line of sight Aircraft C2 while beyond line 
of sight control is used as a back-up communication line. The FOB MCS 
consists of requisite data links, communication systems, antennas, 
computer work-stations and hardware/software for air vehicle operator 
control. The FOB technical data and documentation are UNCLASSIFIED.
    c. The MQ-4C employs a quad-redundant Inertial Navigation System/
Global Positioning System (INS/GPS) configuration. The system utilizes 
two different INS/GPS systems for greater redundancy. The system 
consists of two LN-251 units and two Kearfott KN-4074E INS/GPS Units. 
The LN-251 is a fully integrated, non-dithered navigation system with 
an embedded Selective Availability/Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM), P(Y) 
code or Standard Positioning Service (SPS) GPS. It utilizes a Fiber-
Optic Gyro (FOG) and includes three independent navigation solutions: 
blended INS/GPS, INS-only, and GPS-only. The Kearfott KN-4074E features 
a Monolithic Ring Laser Gyro (MRLG) and accelerometer. The inertial 
sensors are tightly coupled with an embedded SAASM P(Y) code GPS. Both 
systems employ crypto graphic technology that can be classified up to 
SECRET.
    2. If a technologically advanced adversary were to obtain knowledge 
of specific hardware, the information could be used to develop 
countermeasures which might reduce weapons system effectiveness or be 
used in the development of a system with similar or advanced 
capabilities.
    3. A determination has been made that Germany can provide 
substantially the same degree of protection for sensitive technology 
being released as the U.S. Government. This proposed sustainment 
program is necessary to the furtherance of the U.S. foreign policy and 
national security objectives outlined in the policy justification.
    4. All defense articles and services listed on this transmittal are 
authorized for release and export to the Government of Germany.

[FR Doc. 2018-08087 Filed 4-17-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 5001-06-P