Arms Sales Notification, 15145-15148 [2020-05398]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Office of the Secretary

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 52 (Tuesday, March 17, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15145-15148]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-05398]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Transmittal No. 19-71]


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 19-71 with 
attached Policy Justification and Sensitivity of Technology.

    Dated: March 10, 2020.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
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[[Page 15146]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN17MR20.003

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Transmittal No. 19-71
Notice of Proposed Issuance of Letter of Offer Pursuant to Section 
36(b)(l) of the Arms Export Control Act, as amended
    (i) Prospective Purchaser: Government of Tunisia
    (ii) Total Estimated Value:

Major Defense Equipment *................  $123.2 million
Other....................................  $202.6 million
                                          ------------------------------
  TOTAL..................................  $325.8 million
 

    (iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or 
Services under Consideration for Purchase:
    Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
    Three hundred twelve (312) MAU-169 Computer Control Groups (CCG)
    Three hundred twelve (312) MXU-1006/B Air Foil Groups (AFG)
    Four hundred sixty-eight (468) MK81 250 LB GP Bombs
    Eighteen (18) BDU-50s (MK-82 Filled Inert)

[[Page 15147]]

    Sixty-six (66) MXU-650 C/B Air Foil Groups (AFG), GBU-12
    Sixty (60) Guidance Section, Guided Bombs, MAU-209, GBU-10,12,16
    Forty-eight (48) MK-82 5001b Bombs
    Five hundred sixteen (516) FMU-152 A/B Fuzes
    Eighteen (18) MAU-169H(D-2)/B Computer Control Groups
    Three thousand two hundred ninety (3290) Advanced Precision Kill 
Weapon Systems (APKWS)
    Non-Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
    Also included are four (4) AT-6C Wolverine Light Attack Aircraft; 
two (2) Pratt & Whitney PT6A-68D 1600 SHP engines (spares); six (6) L-3 
WESCAM MX[dash]15D Multi-Spectral Targeting System; six (6) Machine Gun 
Caliber .50; Cartridge Actuated Device/Propellant Actuated Device (CAD/
PAD); High Explosive Warhead; bomb components, repair and return of 
weapons, weapons training equipment, practice bombs, TTU[dash]595 Test 
Set and spares, fin assemblies, rocket motors, training aids/devices/
spare parts, aircraft spare parts, support equipment, clothing and 
textiles, publications and technical documentation, travel expenses, 
medical services, construction, aircraft ferry support, technical and 
logistical support services, major modifications/class IV support, 
personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and 
contractor program support, and other related elements of logistics and 
program support.
    (iv) Military Department: Air Force (TU[dash]D[dash]SAC)
    (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: February 25, 2020

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

POLICY JUSTIFICATION

Tunisia--AT-6 Light Attack Aircraft

    The Government of Tunisia has requested to buy four (4) AT-6C 
Wolverine Light Attack Aircraft with supporting equipment, to include: 
three hundred twelve (312) MAU-169 Computer Control Groups (CCG); three 
hundred twelve (312) MXU-1006/B Air Foil Groups (AFG); four hundred 
sixty-eight (468) MK81 250 LB GP bombs; eighteen (18) BDU-50s (MK-82 
Filled Inert); sixty-six (66) MXU-650 C/B Air Foil Groups (AFG), GBU-
12; sixty (60) Guidance Section, guided bombs, MAU-209, GBU-10,12,16; 
forty-eight (48) MK-82 500lb bombs; five hundred sixteen (516) FMU-152 
A/B fuzes; eighteen (18) MAU-169H(D-2)/B Computer Control Groups; and 
three thousand two hundred ninety (3,290) Advanced Precision Kill 
Weapon Systems (APKWS); two (2) Pratt & Whitney PT6A-68D 1600 SHP 
engines (spares); six (6) L-3 WESCAM MX[dash]15D Multi-Spectral 
Targeting System; six (6) Machine Gun Caliber .50; Cartridge Actuated 
Device/Propellant Actuated Device (CAD/PAD); High Explosive Warhead; 
bomb components, repair and return of weapons, weapons training 
equipment, practice bombs, TTU[dash]595 Test Set and spares, fin 
assemblies, rocket motors, training aids/devices/spare parts, aircraft 
spare parts, support equipment, clothing and textiles, publications and 
technical documentation, travel expenses, medical services, 
construction, aircraft ferry support, technical and logistical support 
services, major modifications/class IV support, personnel training and 
training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor program support, and 
other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated 
value is $325.8 million.
    This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national 
security of the United States by helping to improve the defense 
capabilities and capacity of a major non-NATO ally, which is an 
important force for political stability and economic progress in North 
Africa. This potential sale will provide additional opportunities for 
bilateral engagements and further strengthen the bilateral relationship 
between the United States and Tunisia.
    The proposed sale will improve Tunisia's ability to meet current 
and future threats by increasing their capability and capacity to 
counter-terrorism and other violent extremist organization threats. The 
AT-6 platform will bolster their capability to respond to and engage 
threats in multiple areas across the country. Additionally, the 
procurement of the AT-6 aircraft strengthens interoperability between 
Tunisia, regional allies, and the United States. Tunisia will have no 
difficulty absorbing this aircraft into its armed forces.
    The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the 
basic military balance in the region.
    The prime contractor will be Textron Aviation Defense LLC, Wichita, 
Kansas. There are no known offset agreements proposed with this 
potential sale. However, the purchaser typically requests offsets. Any 
offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser 
and the contractor.
    Implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of 
two (2) U.S. contractor logistics representatives to Tunisia.
    There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a 
result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 19[dash]71
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 AT-6 Wolverine is a Beechcraft light attack, armed 
reconnaissance and irregular warfare and counterinsurgency mission 
aircraft. With a single engine PT6A-68D Pratt & Whitney engine and 
Lockheed Martin A-10C mission computer and plug and-play weapons 
management system with Seek Eagle certification, the AT-6 Wolverine can 
fire laser-guided rockets and deliver general purpose and inertially-
aided munitions.
    2. GBU-12 is a 5001b Mk-82 General Purpose (GP) bomb body fitted 
with the MXU[dash]650 AFG, and MAU-209C/B or MAU-168L/B Computer 
Control Group (CCG) to guide to its laser designated target. The GBU-12 
is a maneuverable, free-fall Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) that guides to a 
spot of laser energy reflected off of the target. Laser designation for 
the LGB can be provided by a variety of laser target markers or 
designators.
    3. GBU-58 is a 2501b Mk-81 GP bomb body fitted with the MXU-1006 
AFG, and MAU-209C/B or MAU-168L/B CCG to guide to its laser designated 
target. The GBU-58 is a maneuverable, free-fall LGB that guides to a 
spot of laser energy reflected from the target. Laser designation for 
the LGB can be provided by a variety of laser target markers or 
designators.
    4. Mk-82 General Purpose (GP) bomb is a 500 pound, free-fall, 
unguided, low-drag weapon usually equipped with the mechanical M904 
(nose) and M905 (tail) fuzes or the radar-proximity FMU-113 air-burst 
fuze. The Mk-82 is designed for soft, fragment sensitive targets and is 
not intended for hard targets or penetrations. The explosive filling is 
usually tritonal, though other compositions have sometimes been used.
    5. BDU-50 (Mk-82 Inert) GP bomb is a 500 pound, free-fall, 
unguided, low-drag training weapon. There are no explosive elements 
with this bomb; it does not have a fuze and will not detonate when it 
hits the ground. It is

[[Page 15148]]

used from flight training to give the pilot the insight into aircraft 
handling characteristics with the additional weight on the wing.
    6. The Joint Programmable Fuze (JPF) FMU-152 is a multi-delay, 
multi-arm and proximity sensor compatible with general purpose blast, 
frag and hardened-target penetrator weapons. The JPF settings are 
cockpit selectable in flight when used with JDAM weapons.
    7. Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) II All-Up-Round 
(AUR) is an air-to-ground weapon that consists of an APKWS II Guidance 
Section (GS), legacy 2.75 inch MK66 Mod 4 rocket motor, and legacy 
MK152 and MK435/436 warhead/fuze. APKWS II uses a semi-active laser 
seeker. The GS is installed between the rocket motor and warhead to 
create a guided rocket. The APKWS II may be procured as an independent 
component to be mated to appropriate 2.75-inch warheads/fuzes and 
rocket motors purchased separately, or may be purchased as an AUR.
    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, which 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 the recipient country can 
provide substantially the same degree of protection for the 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 Government of 
Tunisia.

[FR Doc. 2020-05398 Filed 3-16-20; 8:45 am]
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