[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 165 (Monday, August 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68411-68413]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19129]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Transmittal No. 23-10]


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 23-
10, Policy Justification, and Sensitivity of Technology.

    Dated: August 16, 2024.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
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[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26AU24.005

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Transmittal No. 23-10
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: Republic of Poland
    (ii) Total Estimated Value:

Major Defense Equipment *...............  $ 8 billion
Other...................................  $ 2 billion
                                         -------------------------------
  TOTAL.................................  $10 billion
 

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

Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
    Eighteen (18) M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) 
Launchers
    Four hundred sixty-eight (468) HIMARS Launcher Loader Module Kits
    Forty-five (45) M57 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS)
    Four hundred sixty-one (461) M30A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket 
System Alternative Warhead (GMLRS-AW) Pods with Insensitive Munitions 
Propulsion System (IMPS)
    Five hundred twenty-one (521) M31A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket 
System Unitary (GMLRS-U) Pods with Insensitive Munitions Propulsion 
System (IMPS)
    Five hundred thirty-two (532) XM403 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket 
System Extended Range Alternative Warhead (GMLRS-ER AW) Pods
Non-MDE:
    Also included are Low Cost Reduced Range Practice Rockets; support 
equipment; communications equipment; spare and repair parts; test sets; 
batteries; laptop computers; publications and technical data; facility 
design; personnel training and equipment; systems integration support; 
Quality Assurance Teams and a Technical Assistance Fielding Team; 
United States Government and contractor engineering and logistics 
personnel services; training; sensors; and other related elements of 
logistics and program support.
    (iv) Military Department: Army (PL-B-UEA, PL-B-UEB, PL-B-UEF, PL-B-
UEG)
    (v) Prior Related Cases, if any: PL-B-UDJ
    (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: February 7, 2023

    * As defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control Act.

POLICY JUSTIFICATION

Poland--High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)

    The Republic of Poland has requested to buy eighteen (18) M142 High 
Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers; four hundred 
sixty-eight (468) HIMARS Launcher Loader Module kits; forty-five (45) 
M57 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS); four hundred sixty-one 
(461) M30A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System Alternative Warhead 
(GMLRS-AW) pods with Insensitive Munitions Propulsion System (IMPS); 
five hundred twenty-one (521) M31A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket 
System Unitary (GMLRS-U) pods with Insensitive Munitions Propulsion 
System (IMPS); and five hundred thirty-two (532) XM403 Guided Multiple 
Launch Rocket System Extended Range Alternative Warhead (GMLRS-ER AW) 
pods. Also included are Low Cost Reduced Range Practice Rockets; 
support equipment; communications equipment; spare and repair parts; 
test sets; batteries; laptop computers; publications and technical 
data; facility design; personnel training and equipment; systems 
integration support; Quality Assurance Teams and a Technical Assistance 
Fielding Team; United States Government and contractor engineering and 
logistics personnel services; training; sensors; and other related 
elements of logistics and program support. The total estimated cost is 
$10 billion.
    This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and 
national security objectives of the United States by improving the 
security of a NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and 
economic progress in Europe.
    The proposed sale will improve Poland's military goals of updating 
capability while further enhancing interoperability with the United 
States and other allies. Poland 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. Poland 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. Any future offset agreement would be defined in 
negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor(s).
    Implementation of this proposed sale will require U.S. Government 
or contractor representatives to travel to Poland 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. 23-10
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 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 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) M270 launcher and 
can fire all of the MLRS Family of Munitions (FOM) including Guided 
Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) variants and the Army Tactical 
Missile System (ATACMS). Utilizing the MLRS FOM, the HIMARS can engage 
targets between 15 and 300 kilometers with GPS-aided precision 
accuracy.
    2. The HIMARS Launcher Loader Module (LM) is mounted to the vehicle 
chassis and provides the necessary structure and mechanisms for the 
loading, launching, and unloading of all the MFOM rocket and missile 
munitions. The LM consists of a platform, a turret, and a base 
assembly. The base assembly interfaces with the carrier vehicle. The 
turret system sits on top of the base and allows for the aiming of the 
LM assembly in azimuth. The platform, on which one rocket pod is 
mounted, allows for the aiming of the LM in elevation.
    3. The M57 Army Tactical Missile System (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.
    4. The M31A2 GMLRS Unitary is the Army's primary munition for units 
fielding the M142 HIMARS and M270Al

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Multiple Launcher Rocket System (MLRS) Launchers. The M31 Unitary is a 
solid propellant artillery rocket that uses Global Positioning System/
Precise Positioning Service (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.
    5. The M30A2 GMLRS Alternative Warhead shares a greater than 90% 
commonality with the M31A1 Unitary. The primary difference between the 
GMLRS-U and GMLRS-AW is the replacement of the Unitary's high explosive 
warhead with a 200-pound fragmentation warhead of pre-formed tungsten 
penetrators which is optimized for effectiveness against large area and 
imprecisely located targets. The munitions otherwise share a common 
motor, GPS/PPS-aided inertial guidance and control system, fuzing 
mechanism, multi-option height of burst capability, and effective range 
of 15-70km.
    6. The Extended Range (ER) GMLRS provides a persistent, responsive, 
all-weather, rapidly deployed, long range, surface-to surface, area- 
and point-precision strike capability. The XM403 Alternative Warhead 
(AW) 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 ER GMLRS maintains the accuracy and 
effectiveness demonstrated by the baseline GMLRS out to an increased 
range of 150 km and includes a modernized Height of Burst (HOB) 
capability.
    7. The highest level of classification of defense articles, 
components, and services included in this potential sale is SECRET.
    8. 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.
    9. A determination has been made that Poland will 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.
    10. All defense articles and services listed in this transmittal 
have been authorized for release and export to the Republic of Poland.

[FR Doc. 2024-19129 Filed 8-23-24; 8:45 am]
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