[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 243 (Thursday, December 17, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81911-81914]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-27709]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Transmittal No. 20-74]


Arms Sales Notification

AGENCY: Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Department of Defense 
(DoD).

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 20-74 with 
attached Policy Justification and Sensitivity of Technology.

    Dated: December 11, 2020.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
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[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN17DE20.065

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Transmittal No. 20-74
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: Taipei Economic and Cultural 
Representative Office in the United States (TECRO)
    (ii) Total Estimated Value:

Major Defense Equipment *................  $153 million
Other....................................  $447 million
                                          ------------------------------
  TOTAL..................................  $600 million
 

    (iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or 
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
    Major Defense Equipment (MDE):

Four (4) Weapons-Ready MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft
Two (2) Fixed Ground Control Stations
Two (2) Mobile Ground Control Stations
Fourteen (14) Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigations 
Systems (EGI) with Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) 
(12 installed, 2 spares)

    Non-MDE:
    Also included are MX-20 Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems and 
spares; SeaVue Maritime Multi-Role Patrol Radars; SAGE 750 Electronic 
Surveillance Measures (ESM) Systems; C-Band Line-of-Sight (LOS) Ground 
Data Terminals; Ku-Band SATCOM GA-ASI Transportable Earth Stations 
(GATES); AN/DPX-7 IFF Transponders; Honeywell TPE-331-10GD Turboprop 
Engines; M6000 UHF/VHF Radios; KIV-77 Mode 5 IFF cryptographic 
appliques; AN/PYQ-10C Simple Key Loaders; secure communications, 
cryptographic and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF)

[[Page 81913]]

equipment; initial spare and repair parts; hard points, power, and data 
connections for weapons integration; support and test equipment; 
publications and technical documentation; personnel training and 
training equipment; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, 
technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements 
of logistical and program support.
    (iv) Military Department: Air Force (TW-D-SAQ)
    (v) Prior Related Cases, if any: None
    (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: November 3, 2020
    * As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control Act.

POLICY JUSTIFICATION

Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States 
(TECRO)--MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft

    TECRO has requested to buy four (4) Weapons-Ready MQ-9B Remotely 
Piloted Aircraft; two (2) Fixed Ground Control Stations; two (2) Mobile 
Ground Control Stations; and fourteen (14) Embedded Global Positioning 
System/Inertial Navigations Systems (EGI) with Selective Availability 
Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) (12 installed, 2 spares). Also included 
are MX-20 Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems and spares; SeaVue Maritime 
Multi-Role Patrol Radars; SAGE 750 Electronic Surveillance Measures 
(ESM) Systems; C-Band Line-of-Sight (LOS) Ground Data Terminals; Ku-
Band SATCOM GA-ASI Transportable Earth Stations (GATES); AN/DPX-7 IFF 
Transponders; Honeywell TPE-331-10GD Turboprop Engines; M6000 UHF/VHF 
Radios; KIV-77 Mode 5 IFF cryptographic appliques; AN/PYQ-10C Simple 
Key Loaders; secure communications, cryptographic and Identification 
Friend or Foe (IFF) equipment; initial spare and repair parts; hard 
points, power, and data connections for weapons integration; support 
and test equipment; publications and technical documentation; personnel 
training and training equipment; 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 $600 million.
    This proposed sale is consistent with U.S. law and policy as 
expressed in Public Law 96-8.
    This proposed sale serves U.S. national, economic, and security 
interests by supporting the recipient's continuing efforts to modernize 
its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability. The 
proposed sale will help improve the security of the recipient and 
assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, economic 
and progress in the region.
    This proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet 
current and future threats by providing timely Intelligence, 
Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), target acquisition, and 
counter-land, counter-sea, and anti-submarine strike capabilities for 
its security and defense. The capability is a deterrent to regional 
threats and will strengthen the recipient's self-defense. The recipient 
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 principal contractor will be General Atomics Aeronautical 
Systems, Inc., San Diego, CA. The purchaser typically requests offsets. 
Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the 
purchaser and the contractor.
    Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the 
assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor 
representatives to the recipient.
    There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a 
result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 20-74
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-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) is a weapons-ready 
aircraft designed for Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) 
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), Target 
Acquisition, and Strike Missions. The MQ-9B RPA is not a USAF program 
of record but has close ties to, and builds upon, the proven success of 
the MQ-9A Reaper. The MQ-9B is a highly modular, easily configurable 
aircraft that contains the necessary hard points, power, and data 
connections to accommodate a variety of payloads and munitions to meet 
multiple missions--including counter-land, counter-sea, and anti-
submarine strike operations. The system is designed to be controlled by 
two operators within a Certifiable Ground Control Station (CGCS). The 
CGCS is designed to emulate a reconnaissance aircraft cockpit, giving 
users extensive means to operate both the aircraft and sensors. The MQ-
9B is able to operate using a direct Line-of-Sight (LOS) datalink or 
Beyond Line-of-Sight (BLOS) through satellite communications (SATCOM). 
The MQ-9B system can be deployed from a single site that supports 
launch/recovery, mission control, and maintenance. The system also 
supports remote-split operations where launch/recovery and maintenance 
occur at a Forward Operating Base and mission control is conducted from 
another location or Main Operating Base (MOB).
    2. 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.
    3. The Embedded GPS-INS (EGI) with Selective Availability Anti-
Spoofing Module (SAASM) is a self-contained navigation system that 
provides the following: acceleration, velocity, position, attitude, 
platform azimuth, magnetic and true heading, altitude, body angular 
rates, time tags and coordinated universal time (UTC) synchronized 
time. SAASM enables the GPS receiver access to the encrypted P(Y) 
signal providing protection against active spoofing attacks.
    4. The AN/DPX-7 is an Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) 
Transponder used to identify and track aircraft, ships, and some ground 
forces to reduce friendly fire incidents.
    5. The MX-20 Multi-Spectral Targeting System is a multi-use highly 
advanced EO/IR sensor that provides long-range surveillance, high 
altitude, target acquisition, tracking, range finding, and laser 
designation for all NATO and tri-service laser guided munitions, 
enabling precision-strike against a variety of land and maritime 
targets.
    6. SeaVue Maritime Multi-Role Patrol Radar is a synthetic aperture 
X-band radar that provides small-target maritime detection in high 
seas, maritime search (including submarine periscopes and semi-
submersibles), radar imaging of ocean targets, and weather detection 
and avoidance.
    7. The SAGE 750 Electronic Surveillance Measures (ESM) System is a 
UK-produced digital electronic

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intelligence (ELINT) sensor which analyzes the electromagnetic spectrum 
to map the source of active emissions. Using highly accurate Direction 
Finding (DF) antennas, SAGE builds target locations and provides 
situational awareness, advance warning of threats and the ability to 
cue other sensors.
    8. The C-Band Line-of-Sight (LOS) Ground Data Terminals and Ku-Band 
SATCOM GA-ASI Transportable Earth Stations (GATES) provide command, 
control, and data acquisition for the MQ-9B.
    9. The Honeywell TPE-331-10-GD Turboprop Engine is used in a 
variety of airborne platforms including the MQ-9B.
    10. The M6000 UHF/VHF Radio is a multi-band, portable, two-way 
communication radio.
    11. The KIV-77 Mode 5 crypto applique computer for IFF is Type 1 
certified by the National Security Agency and provides information 
assurance for Mode 5 IFF equipment. The KIV-77 is used to store the 
classified keys.
    12. The AN/APQ-10C Simple Key Loader is a handheld fill device for 
securely receiving, storing, and transferring data between 
cryptographic and communications equipment.
    13. The highest level of classification of information included in 
this potential sale is SECRET.
    14. If a technologically advanced adversary were to obtain 
knowledge of the hardware and software elements, the information could 
be used to develop countermeasures or equivalent systems, which might 
reduce system effectiveness or be used in the development of a system 
with similar or advanced capabilities.
    15. A determination has been made that the recipient can provide 
substantially the same degree of protection for the sensitive 
technology being released as the U.S. Government. This sale is 
necessary in furtherance of the U.S. foreign policy and national 
security objectives outlined in the Policy Justification.
    16. All defense articles and services listed in this transmittal 
have been authorized for release and export to the recipient.

[FR Doc. 2020-27709 Filed 12-16-20; 8:45 am]
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