[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 158 (Thursday, August 15, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66362-66364]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-18288]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
[Transmittal No. 22-60]
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 with attached Transmittal 22-
60, Policy Justification, and Sensitivity of Technology.
Dated: August 12, 2024.
Patricia L. Toppings,
OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
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[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN15AU24.016
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Transmittal No. 22-60
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 Lithuania
(ii) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment *................ $440 million
Other.................................... $ 55 million
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TOTAL.................................. $495 million
Funding Source: National Funds and Foreign Military Financing (FMF)
(if approved)
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
Eight (8) 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)
Thirty-six (36) M31A2 GMLRS Unitary High Explosive (HE) Missile
Pods
Thirty-six (36) XM403 Extended Range GMLRS (ER GMLRS) Alternative
Warhead (AW) Missile Pods with IMPS
Thirty-six (36) XM404 Extended Range GMLRS (ER GMLRS) Unitary Pods
with IMPS
Eighteen (18) M57 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) Missile
Pods
Non-MDE:
Also included are M28A2 Low Cost Reduced Range Practice Rocket
(LCRRPR) pods; International Field Artillery Tactical Data System
(IFATDS); battle management system Vehicle Integration Kits; ruggedized
laptops; training
[[Page 66364]]
equipment publications for HIMARS and munitions; and other related
elements of program and logistics support.
(iv) Military Department: Army (LH-B-UEG)
(v) Prior Related Cases, if any: None
(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: November 9, 2022
* As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control Act.
POLICY JUSTIFICATION
Lithuania--M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)
The Government of Lithuania has requested to buy eight (8) 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); thirty-six (36) M31A2 GMLRS Unitary High Explosive (HE) Missile
Pods; thirty-six (36) XM403 Extended Range GMLRS (ER GMLRS) Alternative
Warhead (AW) Missile Pods with IMPS; thirty-six (36) XM404 Extended
Range GMLRS (ER GMLRS) Unitary Pods with IMPS; and eighteen (18) M57
Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) Missile Pods. Also included are
M28A2 Low Cost Reduced Range Practice Rocket (LCRRPR) pods;
International Field Artillery Tactical Data System (IFATDS); battle
management system Vehicle Integration Kits; ruggedized laptops;
training equipment publications for HIMARS and munitions; and other
related elements of program and logistics support. The total estimated
cost is $495 million.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national
security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the
military capability of a NATO Ally that is an important force for
ensuring political stability and economic progress within Eastern
Europe.
The proposed sale will contribute to Lithuania's military goals of
updating its capability while further enhancing interoperability with
the United States and other allies. Lithuania 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. Lithuania 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 will require U.S. Government
or contractor representatives to travel to Lithuania for program
management reviews to support the program. Travel is expected to occur
approximately twice per year as needed to support equipment fielding
and training.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a
result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 22-60
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 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (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 the MLRS Family of Munitions/Missiles (FOM) that includes
Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS), Extended Range GMLRS, and
the Army Tactical Missile System (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 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/Precise
Position System (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 Alternative Warhead (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).
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 Lithuania 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 authorized for release and export to the Government of
Lithuania.
[FR Doc. 2024-18288 Filed 8-14-24; 8:45 am]
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