Arms Sales Notification, 70163-70165 [2019-27491]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Office of the Secretary

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 245 (Friday, December 20, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70163-70165]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-27491]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Transmittal No. 19-44]


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: 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 19-44 with 
attached Policy Justification and Sensitivity of Technology.

    Dated: December 16, 2019.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
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[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN20DE19.006

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Transmittal No. 19-44
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 Denmark
    (ii) Total Estimated Value:

Major Defense Equipment *...............................    $100 million
Other...................................................    $100 million
                                                         ---------------
  TOTAL.................................................    $200 million
 

    (iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or 
Services under Consideration for Purchase: The Government of Denmark 
has requested to expand operational mission capability of previously 
purchased nine (9) MH-60R Multi-Mission helicopters, by equipping them 
with Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capabilities inherent in MH-60R 
design to include the following items:
    Major Defense Equipment (MDE):

Nine (9) AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low Frequency Sonar (ALFS) Systems

    Non-MDE:
    Also included are six hundred (600) AN/SSQ-36/53/62 Sonobuoys; 
spare

[[Page 70165]]

and repair parts; support and test equipment; communication 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: Navy (DE-P-LBT)
    (v) Prior Related Cases, if any: DE-P-SAE and DE-P-GBP
    (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: August 27, 2019

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

POLICY JUSTIFICATION

Denmark--Airborne Low Frequency Sonar System and Sonobuoys

    The Government of Denmark has requested to buy nine (9) AN/AQS-22 
Airborne Low Frequency Sonar (ALFS) systems; six hundred (600) AN/SSQ-
36/53/62 Sonobuoys; spare and repair parts; support and test equipment; 
communication 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 $200 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 Denmark, a NATO ally that is an important force 
for ensuring political stability and economic progress within Europe.
    The proposed sale will improve Denmark's capability to meet current 
and future threats from enemy weapon systems. The ALFS and Sonobuoys 
will provide the capability to perform anti-submarine warfare missions. 
Denmark will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional 
threats and to strengthen its homeland defense. Denmark 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 Rotary and Mission 
Systems in Oswego, New York. There are no known offset agreements in 
connection with this potential sale.
    Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the 
assignment of additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives 
to Denmark.
    There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a 
result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 19-44
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 AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low Frequency Sonar (ALFS) is the primary 
undersea warfare sensor of the MH-60R multi-mission helicopter. This 
integrated dipping sonar system enables the MH-60R to accomplish the 
assigned Anti-Submarine Warfare missions of submarine detection, 
tracking, localization, and classification. It also performs missions 
relating to acoustic intercept, underwater communications, and 
environmental data acquisition. Acoustics algorithms are used to 
process dipping sonar and sonobuoy data for target tracking and for the 
Acoustics Mission Planner (AMP), which is a tactical aid employed to 
optimize the deployment of the sonobuoy and the dipping sonar. 
Acoustics hardware is Unclassified. The acoustics system is classified 
up to Secret when environmental and threat databases are loaded and/or 
the system is processing acoustic data. ALFS hardware and support 
equipment, test equipment, and maintenance spares are unclassified. 
Technical data and documentation for the ALFS weapon system is 
classified up to Secret.
    2. The AN/SSQ-36 Bathythermograph (BT) sonobuoy is an A-size, 
expendable and non repairable sonobuoy. The BT sonobuoy is an 
expendable thermal gradient measurement sonobuoy that operates over 
Radio Frequency (RF) channels. It consists of a thermistor temperature 
probe that descends through the bottom of the sonobuoy canister, 
producing a continuous reading of temperature versus depth, and 
transmits the readings to an aircraft or nearby vessel. The thermistor 
temperature probe can descend up to 2625 feet.
    3. The AN/SSQ-53 Directional Frequency Analysis and Recording 
(DIFAR) sonobuoy is an A-size, expendable and non-repairable 
directional passive sonobuoy. Basic capabilities include four 
hydrophone depth selections up to 1000 feet with five time duration 
selections up to eight hours.
    4. The AN/SSQ-62 Directional Command Activated Sonobuoy System 
(DICASS) sonobuoy is an A-size, expendable, non-repairable, directional 
active sonobuoy. The DICASS, in conjunction with the monitoring unit's 
signal processing equipment, provides active sonar range, bearing, and 
Doppler information on a submerged contact. The DICASS sonobuoy is 
designed to develop and maintain attack criteria. While often employed 
in multiple sonobuoy patterns; the DICASS sonobuoy is designed to 
permit single buoy attack criteria. The flexibility inherent in the 
monitoring unit's control over the various sonobuoy functions enables 
optimum sonobuoy employment over a wide range of environmental and 
target conditions.
    5. If a technologically advanced adversary were to obtain knowledge 
of the specific hardware and software elements, 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.
    6. A determination has been made that the recipient country 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.
    7. All defense articles and services listed in this transmittal 
have been authorized for release and export to Denmark.

[FR Doc. 2019-27491 Filed 12-19-19; 8:45 am]
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