Arms Sales Notification, 57963-57966 [2017-26454]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Office of the Secretary

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 235 (Friday, December 8, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57963-57966]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26454]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Transmittal No. 17-64]


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: Pamela Young, (703) 697-9107, 
[email protected] or Kathy Valadez, (703) 697-9217, 
[email protected]; DSCA/DSA-RAN.

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 17-64 with 
attached Policy Justification and Sensitivity of Technology.

    Dated: December 4, 2017.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
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Transmittal No. 17-64
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 Poland
    (ii) Total Estimated Value:

Major Defense Equipment *...............................    $215 million
Other...................................................    $ 35 million
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  Total.................................................    $250 million
 

    (iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or 
Services under Consideration for Purchase: High Mobility Artillery 
Rocket System (HIMARS)
    Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
Sixteen (16) Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) M31A1 Unitary
Nine (9) Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) M30A1 Alternative 
Warhead
Sixty-one (61) Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) M57 Unitary
    Non-MDE: Also included are eight (8) Universal Position Navigation 
Units (UPNU), thirty-four (34) Low Cost Reduced Range (LCRR) practice 
rockets, one thousand six hundred forty-two (1,642) Guidance and 
Control Section Assemblies for GMLRS, Missile Common Test Sets and 
Devices, testing Precision, Lightweight GPS Receivers (PLGR), support 
equipment, U.S. Government and contractor services, training, and other 
related elements of logistics and program support.
    (iv) Military Department: Army (PL-B-UDD, PL-B-UDE)
    (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 28, 2017

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

POLICY JUSTIFICATION

Poland--High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)

    The Government of Poland has requested to purchase sixteen (16) 
Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) M31A1 Unitary, nine (9) 
Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) M30A1 alternative 
warheads, sixty-one (61) Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) M57 
Unitary. Also included are eight (8) Universal Position Navigation 
Units (UPNU), thirty-four (34) Low Cost Reduced Range (LCRR) practice 
rockets, one thousand six hundred forty-two (1,642) Guidance and 
Control Section Assemblies for GMLRS, Missile Common Test Sets and 
Devices, testing Precision, Lightweight GPS Receivers (PLGR), support 
equipment, U.S. Government and contractor services, training, and other 
related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated cost 
is $250 million.
    This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national 
security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the 
security of a NATO ally which has been, and 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.
    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. This will contribute to 
Poland's military goals of updating capability while further enhancing 
interoperability with the United States and other allies. 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 in Grand Prairie, 
TX. This FMS case will support the parallel Direct Commercial Sale 
(DCS) between Lockheed Martin and Polska Grupa Zbrojenjowa (PGZ), the 
prime contractor for this effort in Poland. 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 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. 17-64
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 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) is a highly 
mobile, all-weather indirect area fire artillery system. The HIMARS 
mission is to supplement cannon artillery to deliver a large volume of 
firepower within a short time against critical time-sensitive targets. 
At shorter ranges, HIMARS complements tube artillery with heavy 
barrages against assaulting forces as well as in the counter-fire, or 
defense suppression roles. The highest level of classified information 
that could be disclosed by a proposed sale, production, or by testing 
of the end item is SECRET; the highest level that must be disclosed for 
production, maintenance, or training is CONFIDENTIAL. Reverse 
engineering could reveal SECRET information. Launcher platform 
software, weapon operational software, command and control special 
application software, and command and control loadable munitions module 
software are considered UNCLASSIFIED. The system specifications and 
limitations are classified SECRET. Vulnerability data is classified up 
to SECRET. Countermeasures, counter-countermeasures, vulnerability/
susceptibility analyses, and threat definitions are classified SECRET.
    2. Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) Unitary M31A1 uses 
a Unitary High Explosive (HE) 200 pound class warhead along with GPS 
aided IMU based guidance and control for ground-to-ground precision 
point targeting. The GMLRS Unitary uses an Electronic Safe and Arm Fuze 
(ESAF) along with a nose mounted proximity sensor to give enhanced 
effectiveness to the GMLRS Unitary rocket by providing tri-mode warhead 
functionality with point detonate, point detonate with programmable 
delay, or Height of Burst proximity function. GMLRS Unitary M31A1 end-
item is comprised of a Rocket Pod Container (RPC) and six GMLRS Unitary 
Rocket(s). The RPC is capable of holding six (6) GMLRS Unitary Rockets 
and can be loaded in a M270A1 launcher (tracked), HIMARS M142 launcher, 
or European M270 (203 configuration that meets the GMLRS interface 
requirements) launcher from which the GMLRS rocket can be launched. The 
highest classification level for release of the GMLRS Unitary is 
SECRET, based upon the software, sale or testing of the end item. The 
highest level of classification that must be disclosed for production, 
maintenance, or training is CONFIDENTIAL.
    3. Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System Alternative Warhead (GMLRS-
AW) M30A1. The GMLRS-AW, M30A1, is the next design increment of the 
GMLRS rocket. The GMLRS-AW M30A1 hardware is over 90% common with the 
M31A1 GMLRS Unitary

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hardware. Operational range is between 15-70 kilometers. Accuracy of 
less than 15 meters Circular Error Probability at all ranges, when 
using inertial guidance with Global Positioning System (GPS) 
augmentation. Uses a proximity sensor fuze mode with a 10 meter height 
of burst. The Alternative Warhead carries a 200 pound fragmentation 
assembly filled with high explosives which, upon detonation, 
accelerates two layers of pre-formed tungsten fragments optimized for 
effectiveness against large area and imprecisely located targets. The 
GMLRS-AW provides an area target attack capability that is treaty 
compliant (no un-exploded ordnance). It provides a 24 hour, all 
weather, long range attack capability against personnel, soft and 
lightly armored targets, and air defense targets. The GMLRS-AW uses the 
same motor, guidance and control systems fuze mechanisms, and proximity 
sensors as the M31A1 GMLRS Unitary. The highest classification level 
for release of the GMLRS-AW is SECRET, based upon the software, sale or 
testing of the end item. The highest level of classification that must 
be disclosed for production, maintenance, or training is CONFIDENTIAL.
    4. The highest classification level for release of the ATACMS 
Unitary M57 FMS Variant is SECRET, based upon the software. The highest 
level of classified information that could be disclosed by a sale or by 
testing of the end item is SECRET; the highest level that must be 
disclosed for production, maintenance, or training is CONFIDENTIAL. 
Reverse engineering could reveal CONFIDENTIAL information. Fire 
Direction System, Data Processing Unit, and special Application 
software is classified SECRET. Communications Distribution Unit 
software is classified CONFIDENTIAL. The system specifications and 
limitations are classified CONFIDENTIAL. Vulnerability Data, 
countermeasures, vulnerability/susceptibility analyses, and threat 
definitions are classified SECRET or CONFIDENTIAL.
    5. The GPS Precise Positioning Service (PPS) component of the 
HIMARS munitions (GMLRS Unitary, Alternative Warhead, and ATACMS 
Unitary) is also contained in the launcher Fire Direction System, is 
classified SECRET, and is considered SENSITIVE. The GMLRS M30A1, M31A1, 
ATACMS M57 and HIMARS M142 launchers employ an inertial navigational 
system that is aided by a Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module 
(SAASM) equipped GPS receiver.
    6. If a technologically advanced adversary were to obtain knowledge 
of the specific hardware and software, the information could be used to 
develop countermeasures, which might reduce weapon system effectiveness 
or be used in the development of a system with similar or advanced 
capabilities.
    7. This sale is necessary in furtherance of the U.S. foreign policy 
and national security objectives outlined in the enclosed Military 
Policy Justification. A determination has been made that Poland can 
provide the same degree of protection for the sensitive technology 
being released as the U.S. Government.
    8. All defense articles and services listed in this transmittal 
have been authorized for release and export to Poland.

[FR Doc. 2017-26454 Filed 12-7-17; 8:45 am]
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