[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 110 (Thursday, June 6, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48409-48412]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-12391]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Transmittal No. 22-35]


Arms Sales Notification

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

ACTION: Arms sales notice.

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SUMMARY: The DoD is publishing the unclassified text of an arms sales 
notification.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Neil Hedlund at 
[email protected] or (703) 697-9214.

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 22-35 with 
attached Policy Justification and Sensitivity of Technology.

    Dated: June 2, 2024.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
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[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN06JN24.001

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Transmittal No. 22-35
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 Estonia
    (ii) Total Estimated Value:

 
 
 
Major Defense Equipment *................  $455 million
Other....................................  $ 45 million
                                          ------------------------------
    Total................................  $500 million
 

Funding Source: National Funds

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

Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
    Six (6) M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) 
Launchers
    Thirty-six (36) M30A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) 
Alternative Warhead (AW) Missile Pods with Insensitive Munitions 
Propulsion System (IMPS) and Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave--
Directional Doppler Ranging (FMCW-DDR) Proximity Height-of-Burst (HOB) 
Sensor Capability
    Thirty-six (36) M31A2 GMLRS Unitary High Explosive (HE) Missile 
Pods with IMPS and FMCW-DDR Proximity HOB Sensor Capability
    Thirty-six (36) XM403 Extended Range GMLRS (ER GMLRS) Alternative 
Warhead AW Missile Pods with IMPS and Side Mounted Proximity Sensor 
(SMPS) HOB Capability
    Thirty-six (36) XM404 Extended Range GMLRS ER GMLRS Unitary Pods 
with IMPS and SMPS HOB Capability
    Eighteen (18) M57 Army Tactical

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Missile System (ATACMS) Missile Pods
Non-MDE:
    Also included are M28A2 Low Cost Reduced Range Practice Rocket 
(LCRRPR) pods; ruggedized laptops; training equipment; publications for 
HIMARS and munitions/missiles; and other related elements of program 
and logistic support.

    (iv) Military Department: Army (EN-B-UFG)
    (v) Prior Related Cases, if any: EN-B-PAY
    (vi) Sales Commission, Fee, etc., Paid, Offered, or Agreed to be 
Paid: None known at this time.
    (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: July 15, 2022
    * As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control Act.

POLICY JUSTIFICATION

Estonia--M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)

    The Government of Estonia has requested to purchase six (6) M142 
HIMARS Launchers; thirty-six (36) M30A2 GMLRS Alternative Warhead AW 
Missile Pods with IMPS and Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave--
Directional Doppler Ranging (FMCW-DDR) Proximity Height-of-Burst (HOB) 
Sensor Capability; thirty-six (36) M31A2 GMLRS Unitary High Explosive 
(HE) Missile Pods with IMPS and FMCW-DDR Proximity HOB Sensor 
Capability; thirty-six (36) XM403 ER GMLRS Alternative Warhead AW 
Missile Pods with IMPS and Side Mounted Proximity Sensor (SMPS) HOB 
Capability; thirty-six (36) XM404 ER GMLRS Unitary Pods with IMPS and 
SMPS HOB Capability; and eighteen (18) M57 ATACMS Missile Pods. Also 
included are M28A2 LCRRPR pods; ruggedized laptops; training equipment; 
publications for HIMARS and munitions/missiles; and other related 
elements of program and logistic support. The total estimated cost is 
$500 million.
    This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national 
security of the United States by improving the security of a NATO ally 
that continues to be an important force for political stability and 
economic progress in Europe. This sale is consistent with U.S. 
initiatives to provide key allies in the region with modern systems 
that will enhance interoperability with U.S. forces and increase 
security.
    The proposed sale will contribute to Estonia's military goals of 
updating capability while further enhancing interoperability with the 
United States and other allies. Estonia intends to use these defense 
articles and services to modernize its armed forces and expand its 
capability to strengthen its homeland defense and deter regional 
threats. Estonia will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment 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 Lockheed Martin, Grand Prairie, 
TX. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with 
this potential sale.
    Implementation of this proposed sale may require the assignment of 
approximately fifteen (15) U.S. Government representatives and up to 
fifteen (15) contractor representatives to Estonia at any given time, 
during the delivery, training, integration, and testing of the HIMARS 
capability.
    There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a 
result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 22-35
Notice of Proposed Issuance of Letter of Offer Pursuant to Section 
36(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act, as amended
    (vii) Sensitivity of Technology
    1. The M142 HIMARS is a C-130 transportable wheeled launcher 
mounted on a 5-ton Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles truck chassis. 
HIMARS is the modern Army-fielded version of the M270 Multiple Launch 
Rocket System (MLRS) launcher, and can fire all of the MLRS Family of 
Munitions/Missiles (FOM) that includes GMLRS, ER GMLRS, and the ATACMS. 
Utilizing the FOM, the HIMARS can engage targets between 15 and 300 
kilometers with Global Positioning System/Precise Positioning Service 
(GPS/PPS)-aided precision accuracy.
    2. The GMLRS M31A2 Unitary is the Army's primary munition for units 
fielding the M142 HIMARS and M270Al MLRS Launchers. The M31A2 Unitary 
is a solid propellant artillery rocket that uses GPS/PPS-aided inertial 
guidance to accurately and quickly deliver a single high-explosive 
blast fragmentation warhead to targets at ranges from 15-70 kilometers. 
The rockets are fired from a launch pod container that also serves as 
the storage and transportation container for the rockets. Each rocket 
pod holds six (6) total rockets.
    3. The M30A2 GMLRS Alternative Warhead AW shares a greater than 90% 
commonality with the M31A1/A2 Unitary. The primary difference between 
the GMLRS Unitary and GMLRS AW is the replacement of the Unitary high 
explosive warhead with a 200-pound fragmentation warhead of pre-formed 
tungsten penetrators which is optimized for effectiveness against a 
large area and imprecisely located targets. The munitions otherwise 
share a common motor, GPS/PPS-aided inertial guidance and control 
system, a multi-option fuzing height of burst capability, and effective 
range of 15-70 km.
    4. The M57 ATACMS Unitary is a conventional, semi-ballistic missile 
that utilizes a 500-pound high explosive warhead. It has an effective 
range of between 70 and 300 kilometers, and has increased lethality and 
accuracy over previous versions of the ATACMS due to a GPS/PPS aided 
navigation system.
    5. The ER GMLRS missiles provide a persistent, responsive, all-
weather, rapidly deployed, long range, surface-to-surface, area- and 
point-precision strike capability. The XM403 AW, like GMLRS M30A1/A2, 
carries a 200-pound fragmentation assembly filled with high explosives 
which, upon detonation, accelerates two layers of preformed penetrators 
optimized for effectiveness against large area and imprecisely located 
targets. The XM404 Unitary, like GMLRS M31A1/A2, has a 200-pound class 
unitary with a steel blast-fragmentation case, designed for low 
collateral damage against point targets. Both variants of the ER GMLRS 
missiles maintain the accuracy and effectiveness demonstrated by the 
baseline GMLRS out to a maximum range of 150 km (double that of the 
GMLRS capability) while also including a new HOB capability referred to 
as the Side Mounted Proximity Sensor (SMPS) HOB capability.
    6. The highest level of classification of defense articles, 
components, and services included in this potential sale is SECRET.
    7. If a technologically advanced adversary were to obtain knowledge 
of the specific hardware and software elements, the information could 
be used to develop countermeasures that might reduce weapon system 
effectiveness or be used in the development of a system with similar or 
advanced capabilities.
    8. A determination has been made that Estonia 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.
    9. All defense articles and services listed in this transmittal 
have been

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authorized for release and export to the Government of Estonia.

[FR Doc. 2024-12391 Filed 6-5-24; 8:45 am]
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