Notice2026-01721
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 29, 2026
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 91 Issue 19 (Thursday, January 29, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 19 (Thursday, January 29, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3881-3883]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-01721]
[[Page 3881]]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
[Transmittal No. 25-85]
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: Urooj Zahra at (703) 695-6233,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3f4a4d50505511455e574d5e115c56497f525e565311525653"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="76030419191c580c171e041758151f00361b171f1a581b1f1a">[email protected]</span></a>, or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f094839391de9e9382de828382939d979d84de9c998384de939e83dd9d9288b09d91999cde9d999c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="62061101034c0c01104c101110010f050f164c0e0b11164c010c114f0f001a220f030b0e4c0f0b0e">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 36(b) 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 25-
85, Policy Justification, and Sensitivity of Technology.
Dated: January 26, 2026.
Stephanie J. Bost,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
BILLING CODE 6001-FR-P
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN29JA26.007
BILLING CODE 6001-FR-C
Transmittal No. 25-85
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 Japan
(ii) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment *............... $30 million
Other................................... $52 million
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TOTAL................................. $82 million
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or
Services under Consideration for Purchase: Foreign Military Sales (FMS)
case JA-D-AAQ was below congressional notification threshold at $81.04
million ($14.81 million in major defense equipment (MDE)). The
Government of Japan has requested that the case be amended to include
twenty-eight (28) GBU-53 Small Diameter Bombs-Increment II (SDB-II)
all-up-rounds (AURs). This amendment will cause the case to exceed the
notification threshold, and thus notification of the entire program is
required. The above notification requirements are combined as follows:
Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
One-hundred-twenty (120) GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb-Increment I
(SDB-I) all-up-rounds (AURs)
Twenty-eight (28) GBU-53 SDB-IIs (AURs)
Thirty (30) KMU-556 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kits
for GBU-31
Twenty (20) KMU-559 JDAM tail kits
[[Page 3882]]
for GBU-32
Twenty-four (24) KMU-572 JDAM tail kits for GBU-38
Twenty-four (24) MK-82 500 lb general purpose bombs
Thirty (30) MK-84 2,000 lb general purpose bombs
Twenty-one (21) BLU-110 1,000 lb general purpose bombs
Non-Major Defense Equipment:
The following non-MDE will also be included: FMU-139 joint
programmable fuzes; DSU-38 laser sensors; practice bombs and bomb
components; weapons and weapon support equipment; major modifications
and maintenance support; training aids, devices, and spare parts; spare
and repair parts, consumables, accessories, and repair and return
support; classified software delivery and support; classified
publications and technical documentation; transportation support;
studies and surveys; United States (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 (JA-D-AAQ)
(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: November 19, 2025
* as defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control Act.
POLICY JUSTIFICATION
Japan--Munitions
The Government of Japan has requested to buy twenty-eight (28) GBU-
53 Small Diameter Bombs-Increment II (SDB-II) all-up-rounds (AURs) that
will be added to a previously implemented case whose value was under
the congressional notification threshold. The original Foreign Military
Sales case was valued at $81.04 million ($14.81 million in major
defense equipment (MDE)). This notification is for a combined total of
one-hundred-twenty (120) GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs-Increment I (SDB-
I); twenty-eight (28) GBU-53 SDB-IIs (AURs); thirty (30) KMU-556 Joint
Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kits for GBU-31; twenty (20) KMU-559
JDAM tail kits for GBU-32; twenty-four (24) KMU-572 JDAM tail kits for
GBU-38; twenty-four (24) MK-82 500 lb general purpose (GP) bombs;
thirty (30) MK-84 2,000 lb GP bombs; and twenty-one (21) BLU-110 1,000
lb GP bombs. The following non-MDE will also be included: FMU-139 joint
programmable fuzes; DSU-38 laser sensors; practice bombs and bomb
components; weapons and weapon support equipment; major modifications
and maintenance support; training aids, devices, and spare parts; spare
and repair parts, consumables, accessories, and repair and return
support; classified software delivery and support; classified
publications and technical documentation; transportation support;
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 $82
million.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and
national security objectives of the U.S. by improving the security of a
major ally that is a force for political stability and economic
progress in the Indo-Pacific region.
The proposed sale will improve Japan's capability to meet current
and future threats by providing stand-off capability via advanced,
long-range strike systems for employment on Japan Air Self-Defense
Force fighter aircraft. Japan will have no difficulty absorbing these
articles and services into its armed forces.
The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the
basic military balance in the region.
The principal contractors will be The Boeing Company, located in
Arlington, VA; and RTX Corporation, located in Arlington, VA. At this
time, the U.S. Government is not aware of any offset agreement proposed
in connection with this potential sale. Any offset agreement will be
defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor.
Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the
assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor
representatives to Japan.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a
result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 25-85
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-39 Small Diameter Bomb-Increment I (SDB-I) all-up-round
(AUR) is a 250 lb bomb with a GPS-aided inertial navigation system. It
is a small, autonomous, day or night and adverse weather, conventional,
air-to-ground precision glide weapon able to strike fixed and
stationary re-locatable non-hardened targets from standoff ranges. It
is intended to provide aircraft with an ability to carry a high number
of bombs because aircraft are able to carry four SDBs in place of one
2,000-lb bomb.
2. The GBU-53 Small Diameter Bomb-Increment II (SDB-II) AUR is a
250 lb air-to-ground munition with precision-guided and semiautonomous
capabilities used to defeat targets in adverse weather. 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 datalink), and a multi-mode seeker to
autonomously search, acquire, track, and defeat a variety of moving or
stationary targets at standoff range in a variety of attack modes. 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 AUR weapon, a 4-place
common carriage system, and a mission planning system munitions
application program.
3. Joint Direct-Attack Munitions (JDAMs) consist of a bomb body
paired with a warhead-specific tail kit containing a GPS/INS guidance
capability that converts unguided free-fall bombs into accurate,
adverse weather smart munitions. The JDAM weapon can be delivered from
modest standoff ranges at high or low altitudes against a variety of
land and surface targets during the day or night. JDAMs can receive
target coordinates via preplanned mission data from the delivery
aircraft, by onboard aircraft sensors during captive carry, or from a
third-party source via manual or automated aircrew cockpit entry.
a. The GBU-31 is a 2,000 lb JDAM, consisting of a KMU-556 tail kit
and BLU-117 or MK-84 bomb body;
b. The GBU-32 is a 1,000 lb JDAM consisting of a KMU-559 tail kit
and BLU-110 or MK-83 bomb body;
c. The GBU-38 is a 500 lb JDAM, consisting of a KMU-572 tail kit
and BLU-111 or MK-82 bomb body.
4. The MK-82 general purpose (GP) bomb is a 500 lb, free-fall,
unguided, low-drag weapon. 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.
[[Page 3883]]
5. The MK-84 general purpose (GP) bomb is a 2,000 lb, free-fall,
unguided, low-drag weapon. The MK-84 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.
6. The FMU-139 joint programmable fuze (JPF) 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.
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 system
effectiveness or be used in the development of a system with similar or
advanced capabilities.
9. A determination has been made that Japan 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.
10. All defense articles and services listed in this transmittal
have been authorized for release and export to the Government of Japan.
[FR Doc. 2026-01721 Filed 1-28-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6001-FR-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on January 29, 2026.
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