Notice2025-00142
Arms Sales Notification
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 8, 2025
Issuing agencies
Defense Department
Abstract
The DoD is publishing the unclassified text of an arms sales notification.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 5 (Wednesday, January 8, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 5 (Wednesday, January 8, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1460-1462]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00142]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
[Transmittal No. 24-14]
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: Pamela Young at (703) 953-6092,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#384859555d545916591641574d565f090c165b514e785559515416555154"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2d5d4c4048414c034c03544258434a1c19034e445b6d404c444103404441">[email protected]</span></a>, or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#11756272703f7f72633f636263727c767c653f7d7862653f727f623c7c7369517c70787d3f7c787d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bfdbccdcde91d1dccd91cdcccddcd2d8d2cb91d3d6cccb91dcd1cc92d2ddc7ffd2ded6d391d2d6d3">[email protected]</span></a>.
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 24-
14, Policy Justification, and Sensitivity of Technology.
Dated: January 2, 2025.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
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[[Page 1461]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN08JA25.004
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Transmittal No. 24-14
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 Italy
(ii) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment *............... $ 74 million
Other................................... $ 76 million
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TOTAL................................. $150 million
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or
Services under Consideration for Purchase: Foreign Military Sales (FMS)
case IT-D-AAG was below congressional notification threshold at $22.5
million ($9.7 million in Major Defense Equipment (MDE)) and included
twenty-four (24) Guided Bomb Unit (GBU)-53/B Small Diameter Bombs-
Increment II (SDB-II) All-Up-Rounds (AURs); and four (4) GBU-53/B SDB-
II Captive Carry Reliability Tests (CCRTs). The Government of Italy has
requested the case be amended to include an additional one hundred
twenty-five (125) GBU-53/B SDB-II AURs; and eight (8) GBU-53/B SDB-II
CCRTs. This amendment will cause the case to exceed the MDE and total
case value notification thresholds, and thus notification of the entire
program is required.
The Government of Italy has also requested a new FMS case that
includes an additional twenty-four (24) GBU-53/B SDB-II AURs; and two
(2) GBU-53/B SDB-II CCRTs.
The above notification requirements are combined as follows:
Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
One hundred seventy-three (173) GBU-53/B SDB-II AURs
Fourteen (14) GBU-53/B, SDB-II CCRTs
Non-MDE:
Also included are SDB-II Weapon Load Crew Trainers (WLCT) and
Practical Explosive Ordnance Disposal Trainers (PEST); munitions
support and support
[[Page 1462]]
equipment; unclassified software delivery and support; spare parts,
consumables and accessories, and repair and return support;
modifications and maintenance support; unclassified publications and
technical documentation; studies and surveys; U.S. Government and
contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and
other related elements of logistics and program support.
(iv) Military Department: Air Force (IT-D-AAG, IT-D-AAH)
(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: February 15, 2024
* as defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control Act.
POLICY JUSTIFICATION
Italy--Small Diameter Bomb II
The Government of Italy has requested to buy one hundred twenty-
five (125) Guided Bomb Unit (GBU)-53/B Small Diameter Bombs-Increment
II (SDB-II) All-Up-Rounds (AURs); and eight (8) GBU-53/B SDB-II Captive
Carry Reliability Tests (CCRTs) that will be added to a previously
implemented case whose value was under the congressional notification
threshold. The original FMS case, valued at $22.5 million ($9.7 million
in MDE), included twenty-four (24) GBU-53/B SDB-II AURs; and four (4)
GBU-53/B SDB-II CCRTs. The Government of Italy has also requested a new
FMS case that includes twenty-four (24) GBU-53/B SDB-II AURs; and two
(2) GBU-53/B SDB-II CCRTs. This notification is for a combined total of
one hundred seventy-three (173) GBU-53/B SDB-II AURs; and fourteen (14)
GBU-53/B SDB-II CCRTs. Also included are SDB-II Weapon Load Crew
Trainers (WLCT) and Practical Explosive Ordnance Disposal Trainers
(PEST); munitions support and support equipment; unclassified software
delivery and support; spare parts, consumables and accessories, and
repair and return support; modifications and maintenance support;
unclassified publications and technical documentation; studies and
surveys; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and
logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and
program support. The estimated total cost is $150 million.
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 Italy's capability to meet current
and future threats by improving the Italian Air Force and Navy's F-35
weapons capabilities. It will also advance United States
interoperability with NATO and the Italian Armed Forces. Italy already
has the SDB-II in its inventory and 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 RTX Corporation, Arlington, VA.
There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this
potential sale.
Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the
assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor
representatives to Italy.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a
result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 24-14
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 GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb--Increment II (SDB-II) is a
250-pound class precision-guided, semiautonomous, conventional, air-to-
ground munition used to defeat moving targets from standoff range. The
SDB-II has deployable wings and fins and uses Global Positioning
System/Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS) guidance, network-enabled
datalink (Link-16 and ultra-high frequency (UHF)), and a multi-mode
seeker (millimeter wave radar, imaging infrared, semi-active laser) to
autonomously search, acquire, track, and defeat a variety of moving or
stationary targets, at standoff range or close in, in a variety of
attack modes, in clear or adverse weather. The SDB-II employs a multi-
effects warhead (blast, fragmentation, and shaped-charge) for maximum
lethality against armored and soft targets. The SDB-II weapon system
consists of the tactical All-Up-Round (AUR) weapon, a 4-place common
carriage system, and Mission Planning System Munitions Application
Program (MAP).
a. The SDB-II Captive Carry Reliability Test vehicles are an inert
SDB-II configuration used for any purpose where an inert round without
telemetry or termination capability would be useful, but primarily for
reliability data collection during carriage.
b. The SDB-II Weapon Load Crew Trainer (WLCT) is a mass mockup of
the tactical AUR used for load crew and maintenance training. It does
not contain energetics, a live fuze, any sensitive components, or
hazardous material. It is not flight certified.
c. The SDB-II Practical Explosive Ordnance Disposal Trainer (PEST)
is an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) training unit with sections and
internal subassemblies which are identical to, or correlate to, the
external hardware, sections and internal subassemblies of the tactical
AUR. The PEST does not contain energetics, a live fuze, any sensitive
components, or hazardous material. It is not flight certified.
2. The highest level of classification of defense articles,
components, and services included in this potential sale is SECRET.
3. 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.
4. A determination has been made that Italy 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.
5. All defense articles and services listed in this transmittal
have been authorized for release and export to Italy.
[FR Doc. 2025-00142 Filed 1-7-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6001-FR-P
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