[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 126 (Monday, July 3, 2017)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 30805-30807]
[FR Doc No: 2017-13990]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 73

[Docket No. FAA-2017-0144; Airspace Docket No. 17-ASW-2]

Proposed Establishment of Restricted Areas R-5602A and R-5602B;
Fort Sill, OK

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: This action proposes to establish two restricted areas, R-
5602A and R-5602B, over a portion of the Fort Sill, OK, R-5601
restricted area complex in support of an emerging kinetic and directed
energy weapons training requirement for the United States (U.S.) Army
Fires Center of Excellence at Fort Sill. This additional airspace would
allow for the segregation of hazardous activities from non-
participating traffic.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 17, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Send comments on this proposal to the U.S. Department of
Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE.,
West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001;
telephone:<PHONE_NUMBER>. You must identify FAA Docket No. FAA-2017-
0144 and Airspace Docket No. 17-ASW-2, at the beginning of your
comments. You may also submit comments through the Internet at
www.regulations.gov. You may review the public docket containing the
proposal, any comments received, and any final disposition in person in
the Dockets Office between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays. The Docket Office (telephone 1-800-
647-5527), is on the ground floor of the building at the above address.
    Comments on environmental and land use aspects should be directed
to: U.S. Army Garrison, Directorate of Public Works, Attn: IMSI-PWE
(Sarah Sminkey), Environmental Quality Division, Fort Sill, OK 73503-
5100; email<EMAIL_ADDRESS>phone:<PHONE_NUMBER>.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colby Abbott, Airspace Policy Group,
Office of Airspace Services, Federal Aviation Administration, 800
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267-
8783.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority for This Rulemaking

    The FAA's authority to issue rules regarding aviation safety is
found in Title 49 of the United States Code. Subtitle I, Section 106
describes the authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII,
Aviation Programs, describes in more detail the scope of the agency's
authority. This rulemaking is promulgated under the authority described
in Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart I, Section 40103. Under that section,
the FAA is charged with prescribing regulations to assign the use of
the airspace necessary to ensure the safety of aircraft and the
efficient use of airspace. This regulation is within the scope of that
authority as it would establish the restricted area airspace at Fort
Sill, OK, to enhance aviation safety and accommodate essential U.S.
Army hazardous above-the-horizon laser operations conducting counter
unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) activities.

Comments Invited

    Interested parties are invited to participate in this proposed
rulemaking by submitting such written data, views, or arguments as they
may desire. Comments that provide the factual basis supporting the
views and suggestions presented are particularly helpful in developing
reasoned regulatory decisions on the proposal. Comments are
specifically invited on the overall regulatory, aeronautical, economic,
environmental, and energy-related aspects of the proposal.
    Communications should identify both docket numbers (FAA Docket No.
FAA-2017-0144 and Airspace Docket No. 17-ASW-2) and be submitted in
triplicate to the Docket Management System (see ADDRESSES section for
address and phone number). You may also submit comments through the
Internet at www.regulations.gov.
    Commenters wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their comments
on this action must submit with those comments a self-addressed,
stamped postcard on which the following statement is made: ``Comments
to FAA Docket No. FAA-2017-0144 and Airspace Docket No. 17-ASW-2.'' The
postcard will be date/time stamped and returned to the commenter.
    All communications received on or before the specified closing date
for comments will be considered before taking action on the proposed
rule. The proposal contained in this action may be changed in light of
comments received. All comments submitted will be available for
examination in the public docket both before and after the closing date
for comments. A report summarizing each substantive public contact with
FAA personnel concerned with this rulemaking will be filed in the
docket.

Availability of NPRMs

    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded through the
Internet at www.regulations.gov. Recently published rulemaking
documents can also be accessed through the FAA's Web page at http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/airspace_amendments/.
    You may review the public docket containing the proposal, any
comments received and any final disposition in person at the Dockets
Office (see ADDRESSES section for address and phone number) between
9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays. An informal docket may also be examined during normal
business hours at the office of the Operations Support Group, Central
Service Center, Federal Aviation Administration, 10101 Hillwood Blvd.,
Fort Worth, TX 76177.

Background

    As the U.S. Army's Center of Excellence for Fires, Fort Sill has
submitted a proposal to the FAA to establish two restricted areas
overlying a portion of the Fort Sill R-5601 restricted area complex,
and extending slightly eastward, to support an emerging kinetic and
directed energy weapons training mission. The designated altitudes of
the proposed restricted areas would extend upward from 40,000 feet mean
sea level (MSL) to 60,000 feet MSL.
    Fort Sill has long been the U.S. Army's schoolhouse for traditional
field artillery training and it has now been tasked to field advanced
technology weapons, and train soldiers in their use for both field
artillery and air defense artillery missions. Railguns, hypervelocity
projectiles, and lasers being introduced at Fort Sill represent a
technological leap in capability, and require additional high altitude
segregated airspace to contain the hazardous activities and protect
non-participating air traffic from those hazardous activities.
    The primary activities associated with the proposed R-5602A would
include high trajectory surface-to-surface kinetic weapons employment
using existing firing points and impact areas, with occasional laser
fires passing through R-5601 complex restricted area airspace and the
proposed R-5602A before entering the proposed R-5602B restricted area.
The proposed R-5602B

would be established solely to contain directed energy laser fires
intended to destroy adversary UAS. Target UAS would only operate in the
lower R-5601 restricted areas since the proposed R-5602A and R-5602B
restricted areas would not be approved for aviation activity. For
directed energy laser fires that extend beyond the ceiling of the
proposed R-5602B restricted area, Fort Sill would follow existing
interagency procedures to ensure protection of both manned aircraft and
space assets operating above 60,000 feet MSL.
    To leverage advanced technology weapons capabilities for training
soldiers in emerging field artillery and air defense artillery
missions, Fort Sill requires additional restricted area airspace.
Through extensive safety analysis, the U.S. Army has determined that
the volume of restricted area airspace proposed in R-5602A and R-5602B
is the minimum amount required to contain the planned hazardous
activities and protect non-participant air traffic in the area.
    Minimal aeronautical impact is anticipated since the proposed
restricted areas would be located above a portion of the existing R-
5601 complex, which extends from the surface to 40,000 feet MSL, and
the designated altitudes of the proposed restricted areas would extend
upward from 40,000 feet MSL to 60,000 feet MSL.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to 14 CFR part 73 to establish
two new restricted areas, R-5602A and R-5602B, overlying a portion of
the R-5601 complex located at Fort Sill, OK. The new restricted areas
would support the U.S. Army fielding advanced technology weapons and
training for emerging field artillery and air defense artillery
missions. To effectively segregate non-participant air traffic from the
hazardous activities associated with the use of the advanced technology
weapons at Fort Sill, the proposed R-5602A and R-5602B restricted areas
would extend upward from 40,000 feet MSL to 60,000 feet MSL and be
activated by a Notice to Airman (NOTAM).
    The proposed lateral boundaries for R-5602A would overlie and
extend upward over the ceilings of the R-5601A, R-5601B, and a portion
of R-5601F restricted areas. The proposed lateral boundaries for R-
5602B would extend a shelf of restricted area airspace approximately 8
nautical miles (NM) east beyond the R-5601A and R-5601F eastern
boundaries. Collectively, the proposed R-5602A and R-5602B restricted
areas and the existing R-5601 complex would fully contain planned
hazardous activities within restricted area airspace from the surface
to 60,000 feet MSL. Existing interagency procedures would be followed
to further segregate hazardous activities from manned aircraft and
space assets operating above 60,000 feet MSL.
    The proposed designated altitudes for the proposed R-5602A and R-
5602B restricted areas would extend upward from 40,000 feet MSL to
60,000 feet MSL. The altitudes are defined relative to MSL to highlight
that the proposed area would be used for other than aircraft
operations. From an air traffic perspective, establishing the proposed
restricted areas for other than aircraft operations reduces the radar
separation requirements for circumnavigating the proposed restricted
areas and contributes to minimizing impacts to aviation.
    The proposed time of designation for the proposed R-5602A and R-
5602B restricted areas would be, ``By NOTAM 0830-1630, Monday-Friday;
other times by NOTAM.'' The expected usage for the proposed R-5602A
would be approximately 8 hours per day on most weekdays, consistent
with in-garrison syllabus training. However, the expected usage for the
proposed R-5602B would be much lower to approximately 25 days per year.
Due to the heavy dependence on favorable weather and unpredictability
of seasonal weather patterns, NOTAM activation is considered an
operational necessity for both proposed restricted areas.

Regulatory Notices and Analyses

    The FAA has determined that this proposed regulation only involves
an established body of technical regulations for which frequent and
routine amendments are necessary to keep them operationally current.
It, therefore: (1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under
Executive Order 12866; (2) is not a ``significant rule'' under
Department of Transportation (DOT) Regulatory Policies and Procedures
(44 FR 11034; February 26, 1979); and (3) does not warrant preparation
of a regulatory evaluation as the anticipated impact is so minimal.
Since this is a routine matter that will only affect air traffic
procedures and air navigation, it is certified that this proposed rule,
when promulgated, will not have a significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the
Regulatory Flexibility Act.

Environmental Review

    This proposal will be subjected to an environmental analysis in
accordance with FAA Order 1050.1F, ``Environmental Impacts: Policies
and Procedures,'' prior to any FAA final regulatory action.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 73

    Airspace, Prohibited areas, Restricted areas.

The Proposed Amendment

    In consideration of the foregoing, the Federal Aviation
Administration proposes to amend 14 CFR part 73 as follows:

PART 73--SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE

0
1. The authority citation for part 73 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  49 U.S.C. 106(f), 106(g); 40103, 40113, 40120; E.O.
10854, 24 FR 9565, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 389.

Sec.  73.56   Oklahoma (Amended)

0
2. Sec.  73.56 is amended as follows:
* * * * *

R-5602A Fort Sill, OK [New]

    Boundaries. Beginning at lat. 34[deg]46'45'' N., long.
98[deg]17'01'' W.; to lat. 34[deg]38'15'' N., long. 98[deg]17'01''
W.; to lat. 34[deg]38'15'' N., long. 98[deg]37'57'' W.; to lat.
34[deg]40'54'' N., long. 98[deg]37'56'' W.; to lat. 34[deg]42'07''
N., long. 98[deg]37'20'' W.; to lat. 34[deg]43'21'' N., long.
98[deg]36'02'' W.; to lat. 34[deg]43'30'' N., long. 98[deg]35'40''
W.; to lat. 34[deg]45'03'' N., long. 98[deg]29'46'' W.; to lat.
34[deg]46'15'' N., long. 98[deg]25'01'' W.; to lat. 34[deg]47'00''
N., long. 98[deg]17'46'' W.; to the point of beginning.
    Designated altitudes. 40,000 feet MSL to 60,000 feet MSL.
    Time of designation. By NOTAM 0830-1630, Monday-Friday; other
times by NOTAM.
    Controlling agency. FAA, Fort Worth ARTCC.
    Using agency. U.S. Army, Commanding General, U.S. Army Fires
Center of Excellence (USAFCOE) and Fort Sill, Fort Sill, OK.

R-5602B Fort Sill, OK [New]

    Boundaries. Beginning at lat. 34[deg]49'30'' N., long.
98[deg]08'43'' W.; to lat. 34[deg]36'36'' N., long. 98[deg]08'43''
W.; to lat. 34[deg]38'15'' N., long. 98[deg]17'01'' W.; to lat.
34[deg]46'06'' N., long. 98[deg]17'01'' W.; to the point of
beginning.
    Designated altitudes. 40,000 feet MSL to 60,000 feet MSL.
    Time of designation. By NOTAM 0830-1630, Monday-Friday; other
times by NOTAM.
    Controlling agency. FAA, Fort Worth ARTCC.
    Using agency. U.S. Army, Commanding General, U.S. Army Fires
Center of Excellence (USAFCOE) and Fort Sill, Fort Sill, OK.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 26, 2017.
Rodger A. Dean Jr.,
Manager, Airspace Policy Group.
[FR Doc. 2017-13990 Filed 6-30-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P