US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO444

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000444 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MASS, PREL, PGOV, PTER, CE 
SUBJECT:  COUNTRY TEAM ASSESSMENT FOR USCG 41- 
FOOT UTILITY BOAT 
 
REF:  LOR SUBMISSION FOR 41-FOOT UTILITY BOAT 
 
1.  THE GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA HAS SUBMITTED 
REFERENCE (FORWARDED UNDER SEPARATE COVER) 
REQUEST FOR EDA TRANSFER OF 41-FOOT US COAST 
GUARD UTILITY BOAT. BOTH THE SRI LANKAN NAVY 
(SLN) AND SRI LANKAN POLICE - PARAMILITARY 
BRANCH, THE SPECIAL TASK FORCE (STF) HAVE 
EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN OBTAINING THIS PLATFORM 
FOR MARITIME AND RIVERINE OPERATIONS. THE SLN IS 
REQUESTING 4-5 BOATS, THE STF IS INTERESTED IN 
OBTAINING 2-3 BOATS. 
 
2.  AMEMBASSY COLOMBO STRONGLY SUPPORTS THIS 
SALE AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 70003 OF THE 
SAMM, THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS SUBMITTED: 
 
  A.  SRI LANKA REQUIRES THE 41-FOOT UTILITY 
BOAT IN ORDER TO IMPROVE ITS MARITIME AND 
RIVERINE SURVEILLANCE AND INTERDICTION 
CAPABILITIES. IN PARTICULAR, THE SLN REQUIRES 
THIS PLATFORM FOR SEARCH AND INTERDICTION 
OPERATIONS WITHIN THE ECONOMIC EXCLUSIVE ZONE 
AND IN SUPPORT OF GWOT. THE BOATS WOULD ALSO BE 
USED TO PERFORM ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT 
FUNCTIONS CURRENTLY DONE BY COMBAT CAPABLE 
VESSELS. THE STF REQUIRES THE UTILITY BOAT FOR 
RIVERINE SEARCH OPERATIONS, ESPECIALLY IN THE 
EASTERN REGION, WHERE THE SRI LANKAN POLICE 
CURRENTLY LACK THE CAPABILITY TO TRACK AND 
PURSUE INDIVIDUALS TRAVERSING INTERNAL 
WATERWAYS. A US-DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ASSESSMENT 
OF THE SRI LANKAN MILITARY IN SEPTEMBER 2002 
REPORTED LIMITED MARITIME SURVEILLANCE AND 
INTERDICTION CAPABILITY TO BE THE CENTER OF 
GRAVITY IN THE WAR AGAINST THE LTTE. ALTHOUGH A 
CEASE-FIRE HAS BEEN IN EFFECT FOR OVER TWO 
YEARS, THE LTTE SEA TIGERS CONTINUE TO OPERATE 
IN BOTH COASTAL AND INLAND WATERS. GREATER 
SURVEILLANCE AND INTERDICTION CAPABILITY ARE 
REQUIRED TO ENSURE THAT THE TERMS OF THE CEASE- 
FIRE ARE BEING ADHERED TO AND THAT SRI LANKA 
REMAINS AT PEACE. 
 
  B.  THE ADDITION OF 41-FOOT UTILITY BOATS TO 
THE SLN FLEET WOULD IMPROVE THE COUNTRY'S 
ABILITY TO REACH ITS NATIONAL SECURITY 
OBJECTIVES AND DETER POTENTIAL LTTE VIOLATIONS 
OF THE CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENT BY INCREASING THE 
NUMBER OF SLN HULLS IN THE WATER AND RETURNING 
SEVERAL COMBAT CAPABLE BOATS TO THEIR PREFERRED 
ROLES. THE ACQUISITION OF THE UTILITY BOAT WOULD 
NOT ALTER THE CURRENT FORCE STRUCTURE. IN TERMS 
OF THE STF, THE UTILITY BOAT WOULD INCREASE 
THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN PATROLLING INLAND 
WATERWAYS AND ASSIST THEM IN MAINTAINING 
RIVERINE SECURITY, ESPECIALLY IN THE EASTERN 
PROVINCE. 
 
  C.  NO SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE REACTION IS 
ANTICIPATED FROM SRI LANKA'S NEIGHBOR AS A 
RESULT OF THIS SALE. INDIA, SRI LANKA'S CLOSEST 
AND MOST STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT NEIGHBOR, HAS 
ASSISTED SRI LANKA AGAINST THE LTTE IN A NUMBER 
OF WAYS, INCLUDING ASSISTANCE IN MARITIME 
INTERDICTION OPERATIONS. THE ACQUISITION OF A 
SYSTEM SUCH AS THE UTILITY BOAT WOULD DECREASE 
SRI LANKA'S DEPENDENCE ON INDIAN ASSISTANCE, AND 
WOULD LIKELY BE VIEWED POSITIVELY IN NEW DELHI. 
 
  D.  SINCE THE NAVY ALREADY OPERATES A FLEET OF 
SIMILAR SIZED VESSELS, WITH PROPER TRAINING 
SAILORS IN THE SLN SHOULD HAVE NO TROUBLE 
OPERATING AND MAINTAINING THE UTILITY BOATS, AT 
LEAST UP TO AND INCLUDING THE INTERMEDIATE 
LEVEL. TRAINING AND SPARES ARE EXPECTED IN THE 
INITIAL TRANSFER, SO THE SLN AND STF WOULD 
LIKELY TRAIN DEDICATED PERSONNEL TO FOCUS ON 
UTILITY BOAT MAINTENANCE. 
 
  E.  THIS IS AN EDA CASE. MINIMAL COSTS 
ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TRANSFER WOULD BE FINANCED 
WITH COUNTRY FUNDS. THESE EXPENSES WERE NOT 
INCLUDED IN THE ANNUAL DEFENSE PROCUREMENT 
BUDGET FOR 2004, HOWEVER, SENIOR OFFICIALS HAVE 
INDICATED THAT FUNDING WOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE. 
THE OVERALL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE TRANSFER ON 
THE SRI LANKAN ECONOMY IS INSIGNIFICANT. 
 
  F.  ALTHOUGH HUMAN RIGHTS CONSIDERATIONS 
CONTINUE TO BE A PRIORITY WITH AMEMBASSY 
COLOMBO, THE GENERAL LEVEL OF HUMAN RIGHTS 
GUARANTEES IS GOOD AND IMPROVING CONTINUOUSLY IN 
SRI LANKA. THIS CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT AFFECT 
THE PROPOSED SALE. 
 
  G.  AMEMBASSY STRONGLY RECOMMENDS THE APPROVAL 
OF THIS PROPOSED SALE. 
 
3. POC FOR THIS ACTION IS LTC RICHARD S. GIRVEN, 
ARMY AND DEFENSE ATTACHE, USDAO COLOMBO, OR MS. 
HEATHER CARTER, MARITIME PROGRAMS SPECIALIST, 
USDAO COLOMBO. 
 
LUNSTEAD