[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 233 (Wednesday, December 4, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66388-66390]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26165]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Transmittal No. 19-52]


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: Karma Job at [email protected] 
or (703) 697-8976.

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 19-52 with 
attached Policy Justification and Sensitivity of Technology.

    Dated: November 27, 2019.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
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[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN04DE19.005

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Transmittal No. 19-52
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 Kuwait
    (ii) Total Estimated Value:

Major Defense Equipment *................  $103 million
Other....................................  178 million
                                          ------------------------------
  Total..................................  281 million
 

    (iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or 
Services under Consideration for Purchase: Purchase of new M88A2s and 
refurbishment/overhaul of Kuwait's existing inventory of fourteen (14) 
M88A2 and eight (8) M88A1 Recovery Vehicles.
    Major Defense Equipment (MDE):

Nineteen (19) M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lifting 
Extraction System (HERCULES) Recovery Vehicles
Nineteen (19) .50 Caliber Machine Guns

    Non-MDE:
    Refurbishment/overhaul of existing fleet of M88Al/A2 recovery 
vehicles; M239 Smoke Grenade Launchers; AN/PVS-7D Night Vision Goggles; 
Driver Vision Enhancer DVE-CV (platform-

[[Page 66390]]

mounted Night Vision Device) for vehicles; Vehicle Intercom Set (VIC-
3); Commander's Cupola gun shield assembly for vehicle crew chief; 
Remote Thermal Sights/kits (vehicle-mounted sights); SINCGARS AN-VRC92E 
Export Radio System and support; logistics support fielding packages; 
special tools and test equipment; spare and maintenance support parts 
for vehicles and machine guns; transportation services; Repair and 
Return services for vehicle components; de-processing team; contractor 
System Technical Support (STS) and Field Service Representatives 
(FSRs); training; and U.S. Government and contractor engineering, 
technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of 
logistical and program support.
    (iv) Military Department: U.S Army (KU-B-UXC and KU-B-UXD).
    (v) Prior Related Cases, if any: KU-B-UXA; KU-B-JAT; KU-B-ULX; KU-
B-UKN; KU-B-UMK; KU-B-UKO; KU-B-UAI.
    (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: October 10, 2019.
    * As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control Act.

POLICY JUSTIFICATION

Kuwait--M88A2 Recovery Vehicles and Related Equipment and Support

    The Government of Kuwait has requested a possible sale of nineteen 
(19) M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lifting Extraction 
System (HERCULES) recovery vehicles and nineteen (19) .50 caliber 
machine guns. Also included is the refurbishment/overhaul of existing 
fleet of M88Al/A2 recovery vehicles; M239 Smoke Grenade Launchers; AN/
PVS-7D Night Vision Goggles; Driver Vision Enhancer DVE-CV (platform-
mounted Night Vision Device) for vehicles; Vehicle Intercom Set (VIC-
3); Commander's Cupola gun shield assembly for vehicle crew chief; 
Remote Thermal Sights/kits (vehicle-mounted sights); SINCGARS AN-VRC92E 
Export Radio System and support; logistics support fielding packages; 
special tools and test equipment; spare and maintenance support parts 
for vehicles and machine guns; transportation services; Repair and 
Return services for vehicle components; de-processing team; contractor 
System Technical Support (STS) and Field Service Representatives 
(FSRs); training; and U.S. Government and contractor engineering, 
technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of 
logistical and program support. The total estimated program cost is 
$281 million.
    The proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national 
security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a 
Major Non-NATO Ally that is an important force for political stability 
and economic progress in the Middle East.
    The M88A2 HERCULES is a full tracked armored vehicle used to 
perform battlefield rescue and recovery missions. The M88A2 is 
essential to the long-term sustainability of Kuwait's new M1A2 tank 
fleet for national defense. Kuwait will have no difficulty absorbing 
this additional equipment and services.
    The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the 
basic military balance in the region.
    The principal contractors involved in this program are the BAE 
Systems--York, PA; US Ordnance--McCarran, NV; DRS Technologies--
Arlington, VA; Harris Corp.--Tysons Corner, VA; Northrup Grumman--West 
Falls Church, VA; and Raytheon--McKinney, TX. There are no known offset 
agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.
    Implementation of this proposed sale will require five to seven 
U.S. Government or contractor representatives to travel to Kuwait for a 
period of 12 months for vehicle de-processing and training. If 
refurbishment/overhaul takes place in Kuwait, the estimated number of 
U.S. Government or contractors required is eight over an estimated 18-
month period.
    There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a 
result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 19-52
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 M88Al/A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift 
Evacuation System (HERCULES) Armored Recovery Vehicle (ARV) is a full-
tracked armored vehicle used to perform battlefield recovery missions 
including towing, hoisting, and winching. It is fully capable of 
recovery support for Abrams series tanks and future heavy combat 
vehicles. The highest level of classified material required to be 
released for training, operation and maintenance is UNCLASSIFIED. 
Components considered to contain sensitive technology in the proposed 
case are as follows:
    a. Driver's Vision Enhancer (DVE-CV-M88) platform-mounted night 
vision device (NVD) for vehicles--The DVE-CV-M88 is an un-cooled 
thermal imaging system developed for use while driving Combat Vehicles 
and Tactical Wheeled Vehicles. It allows for tactical vehicle movement 
in all environmental conditions and provides enhanced driving 
capability during limited visibility conditions. The highest level of 
classification is UNCLASSIFIED for hardware and software.
    b. Remote Thermal Sight (vehicle-mounted)--The Remote Thermal Sight 
is a platform mounted and is not a standalone device. The highest level 
of classification associated with this system is UNCLASSIFIED.
    c. AN/PVS-7D Night Vision Goggles (NVG)--AN/PVS-7D NVG will be 
included for vehicle crews. The highest level of classification 
associated with the NVG is UNCLASSIFIED.
    d. AN/VRC-92E Export Version Single Channel Ground and Airborne 
radio System (SINCGARS) with GPS--SINCGARS provides both voice and data 
handling capability in support of command and control operations. It 
facilitates transmission of voice and/or data information, which allows 
for conducting missions across the operational continuum. The SINCGARS 
radio system to be provided for the M88A2 recovery vehicles is the 
export variant. The highest level of classification associated with the 
SINCGARS radio system is UNCLASSIFIED.
    2. A determination has been made that Kuwait can provide 
substantially the same degree of protection of this technology as the 
U.S. Government. This proposed sale is necessary in furtherance of U.S. 
foreign policy and national security objectives outlined in the Policy 
Justification.
    3. All defense articles and services listed in this transmittal are 
authorized for release and export to the Government of Kuwait.

[FR Doc. 2019-26165 Filed 12-3-19; 8:45 am]
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