US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO565

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000565 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: MASS, PREL, PGOV, PTER, CE, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT:  COUNTRY TEAM ASSESSMENT FOR VERTICAL TAKE OFF AND 
LANDING (VTOL) EAGLE EYE UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES (UAV) 
 
REF:  LOR SUBMISSION FOR VTOL EAGLE EYE UAV 
 
1.  THE GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA HAS SUBMITTED REFERENCE 
(FORWARDED UNDER SEPARATE COVER) REQUEST FOR TWO VERTICAL 
TAKE OFF AND LANDING (VTOL) EAGLE EYE UNMANNED AERIAL 
VEHICLES (UAV).  THE SRI LANKA NAVY CURRENTLY DESIRES TO 
PURCHASE TWO VTOL EAGLE EYE UAVS IN ORDER TO ENHANCE THEIR 
SURVEILLANCE CAPABILITIES. 
 
2.  AMEMBASSY COLOMBO STRONGLY SUPPORTS THIS FMS CASE AND IN 
ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 70003 OF THE SAMM, THE FOLLOWING 
INFORMATION IS SUBMITTED: 
 
  A. SRI LANKA REQUIRES THE TWO VTOL UAVS IN ORDER TO 
INCREASE AND IMPROVE ITS MARITIME SURVEILLANCE CAPABILITY. 
SRI LANKA ALREADY POSSESSES UAV SURVEILLANCE CAPABILITY, 
HOWEVER ITS MARITIME UAV SURVEILLANCE CAPABILITY IS LIMITED. 
THIS PLATFORM WOULD BE USED FOR SURVEILLANCE OPERATIONS 
WITHIN THE ECONOMIC EXCLUSIVE ZONE AND IN SUPPORT OF GWOT. 
A US-DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ASSESSMENT OF THE SRI LANKA 
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 CAPABILITY IS REQUIRED TO MONITOR THE 
LTTE SHIPPING NETWORK, WHICH CONTINUES TO BE INVOLVED IN 
GUNRUNNING. 
 
  B. THE ACQUISITION OF THE TWO VTOL UAV UNITS 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 SURVEILLANCE CAPABILITY OF 
THE SRI LANKA NAVY (SLN).  THE SLN INTENDS TO BASE ONE UAV 
UNIT ON THE EX-USCG CUTTER COURAGEOUS AND THE OTHER UAV UNIT 
ON THE INDIAN MADE SAYURA, AN OFFSHORE PATROL VESSEL. THE 
INITIATION OF THIS PROGRAM WOULD REQUIRE THE SLN TO GENERATE 
NEW UNITS ON-BOARD THESE SHIPS TO MAN AND MAINTAIN THE 
UNITS, CAUSING A SLIGHT ALTERATION IN THE OVERALL STRUCTURE 
OF THE SLN. 
 
  C. AS SRI LANKA ALREADY POSSESSES A LIMITED UAV 
SURVEILLANCE CAPABILITY, INDIA, SRI LANKA'S CLOSEST AND MOST 
STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT NEIGHBOR, IS UNLIKELY TO VOICE 
CONCERNS OVER SRI LANKA'S ACQUISITION OF THIS CAPABILITY. 
FURTHERMORE, AS INDIA CURRENTLY ASSISTS SRI LANKA IN 
SURVEILLANCE OPERATIONS, INCLUDING PATROLS OF THE PALK 
STRAIT, INDIA WOULD LIKELY VIEW SRI LANKA'S ACQUISITION OF 
VTOL UAVS FAVORABLY, AS ANY INCREASED SURVEILLANCE 
CAPABILITY BY THE SLN WOULD REDUCE INDIAN NAVY 
RESPONSIBILITIES. 
 
  D. TRAINING IN THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE VTOL 
UAVS WOULD BE REQUIRED AS A PART OF THE FMS PACKAGE.  THE 
SLN WOULD LIKELY TRAIN DEDICATED PERSONNEL TO FOCUS ON 
MAINTENANCE OF THE UNITS. WITH APPROPRIATE TRAINING, SLN 
OPERATORS AND MAINTAINERS SHOULD HAVE NO TROUBLE KEEPING 
SUCH SYSTEMS RUNNING. 
 
  E. THIS SALE 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 LANKA 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