[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 250 (Tuesday, December 31, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72336-72339]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-28189]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Transmittal No. 20-0A]


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)(5)(C) 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 20-0A with 
attached Policy Justification and Sensitivity of Technology.

    Dated: December 23, 2019.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
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[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN31DE19.002

BILLING CODE 5001-06-C
Transmittal No. 20-0A

REPORT OF ENHANCEMENT OR UPGRADE OF SENSITIVITY OF TECHNOLOGY OR 
CAPABILITY (SEC. 36(B)(5)(C), AECA)

    (i) Purchaser: Government of Italy
    (ii) Sec. 36(b)(1), AECA Transmittal No.: 08-60
    Date: August 1, 2008
    Military Department: Air Force
    (iii) Description: On August 1, 2008, Congress was notified by 
Congressional certification transmittal number 08-60 of the possible 
sale, under Section 36(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act, of 4 MQ-9 
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), 3 Mobile Ground Control Stations, five 
years of maintenance support, engineering support, test equipment, 
ground support, operational flight test support, communications 
equipment, technical assistance, personnel training/equipment, spare 
and repair parts, and other related elements of logistics support. 
These UAVs included AN/DPY-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar/Ground Moving 
Target Indicator (SAR/GMTI) systems with 0.3 to 3 meter resolution. The 
estimated total cost was $330 million. Major Defense Equipment (MDE) 
constituted $50 million of this total.

[[Page 72338]]

    On November 18, 2009, Congress was notified by Congressional 
certification transmittal number 09-60 of the possible sale, under 
Section 36(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act, of two unarmed MQ-9 
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), one (1) Mobile Ground Control Station, 
maintenance support, engineering support, test equipment, ground 
support, operational flight test support, communications equipment, 
technical assistance, personnel training/equipment, spare and repair 
parts, and other related elements of logistics support. These UAVs 
included AN/DPY-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar/Ground Moving Target 
Indicator (SAR/GMTI) systems with 0.1 to 3 meter resolution. The 
estimated total cost was $63 million. MDE constituted $36 million of 
this total.
    On December 17, 2009, Congress was notified by Congressional 
certification transmittal number 0C-09 of the possible sale, under 
Section 36(b)(5)(a) of the Arms Export Control Act, of a performance 
upgrade of the AN/DPY-1 SAR/GMTI systems aboard the four MQ-9s UAVs 
previously notified on transmittal 08-60 from 0.3 to 3 meter resolution 
to the same 0.1 to 3 meter resolution of the two MQ-9s notified on 
transmittal 09-60. There was no increase in cost of MDE for this 
upgrade.
    This transmittal reports the addition of Major Defense Equipment 
items beyond what was originally notified to include:
    1. Retrofit of five (5) existing MQ-9A Block 1 Unmanned Aerial 
Vehicles (UAV) to Block 5;
    2. Retrofit of two (2) existing MGCS Block 30;
    3. Addition of three (3) MQ-9A Block 5;
    4. Addition of eight (8) Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems (MTS-B) 
AN/DAS-1A;
    5. Addition of eight (8) General Atomics AN/APY-8 Lynx (exportable) 
Synthetic Aperture Radar/Ground Moving Target Indicator (SAR/GMTI) 
Systems, with Maritime Wide Area Search (MWAS) capability;
    6. Addition of two (2) Mobile Ground Control Station (MGCS) Block 
30, and;
    7. Addition of twenty-seven (27) Honeywell H-764 Adaptive 
Configurable Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Guidance Units 
(EGI) with Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) (24 
installed, 3 spares).
    The retrofit, addition of aircraft, and inclusion of the above 
listed MDE not enumerated in the previous notifications will result in 
a net increase in MDE costs of $180 million and non-MDE cost of $138 
million. These notifications represent the entirety of Italy's MQ-9 
program, which will now increase in value from $393 million to $711 
million.
    (iv) Significance: As Italy continues with its plans to develop a 
robust MQ-9A fleet, it has requested additional aircraft. Enhancement 
of Italy's MQ-9A aircraft will provide strike capability to augment 
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability. The 
proposed sale increases Italy's capability to participate in Europe and 
NATO security operations and supports the foreign and national security 
policies of the US by enhancing the ISR and strike capability of a 
major ally.
    (v) Justification: 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 these capabilities 
to provide for the defense of deployed troops, regional security, and 
interoperability with the United States.
    (vi) Sensitivity of Technology:
    1. The MQ-9A Block 5 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) is UNCLASSIFIED. 
The highest level of classified information required for training, 
operation, and maintenance is SECRET. The MQ-9A Block 5 is a Medium 
Altitude, long-endurance (MALE) remotely piloted aircraft that can be 
used for surveillance, military reconnaissance, and targeting missions. 
Real-time missions are flown under the control of a pilot in a Ground 
Control Station (GCS). A datalink is maintained that uplinks control 
commands and downlinks video with telemetry data. Line-of-Sight (LOS) 
communications is enabled through C-Band datalink and Beyond-Line-of-
Sight (BLOS) communications is enabled through Ku-Band Satellite 
Communication (SATCOM). Control of the aircraft and payload are done 
through direct manual inputs by the crew or through preprogrammed 
mission. Preprogrammed missions are planned and uploaded by the pilots 
via the GCS and are executed through the control of an onboard suite of 
redundant computers and sensors. Payload imagery and data are 
downlinked to the GCS. The pilot may initiate pre-programmed missions 
once the aircraft is airborne and lands the aircraft when the mission 
is completed. Pilots can change preprogrammed mission parameters as 
often as required. When operated BLOS, aircraft control is given to 
other strategically placed Ground Control Stations--permitting remote 
split operations (RSO). The MQ-9A Block 5 is designed to carry 850 
pounds of internal payload with maximum fuel and can carry multiple 
mission payloads aloft. The MQ-9A Block 5 will be configured for the 
following payloads: Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR), Synthetic 
Aperture Radar (SAR), Electronic Support Measures (ESM), Signals 
Intelligence (SIGINT), laser designators, and various weapons packages. 
The MQ-9A Block 5 systems will include the following components:
    a. The Ground Control Station (GCS) can be either fixed or mobile. 
The fixed GCS is enclosed in a customer-specified shelter. It 
incorporates workstations that allow operators to control and monitor 
the aircraft, as well as record and exploit downlinked payload data. 
The mobile GCS allows operators to perform the same functions and is 
contained on a mobile trailer. Workstations in either GCS can be 
tailored to meet customer requirements. The GCS, technical data, and 
documents are UNCLASSIFIED.
    b. The Raytheon Multi-Spectral Targeting System-B (MTS-B) 
integrates electro-optical (EO), infrared (IR), laser designation and 
laser illumination capabilities to provide detection, ranging, and 
tracking capabilities specifically for high-altitude applications. This 
advanced EO and IR system provides long-range surveillance, high 
altitude target acquisition, tracking, range finding, and laser 
designation for the Hellfire missile and for all tri-service and NATO 
laser-guided munitions.
    c. The AN/APY-8 Lynx Block 20 Synthetic Aperture Radar and Ground 
Moving Target Radar system provides all-weather surveillance, tracking 
and targeting for military and commercial customers from manned and 
unmanned vehicles. The AN/PY-8 Lynx Block 20SAR/GMTI radar system and 
technical data/documents are UNCLASSIFIED.
    d. The Honeywell H-764 Adaptive Configurable Embedded Global 
Positioning System/Inertial Guidance Unit (EGI) contains the Force 524D 
GPS Receiver card with Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module 
(SAASM). The Force 524D is a 24-channel SAASM based GPS receiver with 
precise positioning service capability built upon Trimble's next 
generation GPS technology. The Force 524D retains backward 
compatibility with the proven Force 5GS while adding new functionality 
to interface with the digital antenna electronics to significantly 
improve anti-jam performance. The host platform can select the radio 
frequency of digital antenna electronics interface. In the digital 
mode, the Force 524D is capable of controlling up to 16 independent 
beams.

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    (vii) Date Report Delivered to Congress: December 4, 2019

[FR Doc. 2019-28189 Filed 12-30-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 5001-06-P