US embassy cable - 04ANKARA4440

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 004440 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MASS, MARR, PINR, TSPA, FR, IS, KS, TU, UK 
SUBJECT: TUAF QUESTIONNAIRE ON SPACE COOPERATION 
 
 
1. (U) This cable contains sensitive business information. 
Please protect accordingly. 
 
2. (U) This is an action request -- see para 4. 
 
3. (SBU) On July 27, the Turkish General Staff (TGS) conveyed 
to DAO Ankara a questionnaire from Turkish Air Force (TUAF) 
Command regarding space cooperation.  (The text of the TUAF 
introduction and questions are at paras 5 and 6.)  A Lockheed 
Martin source informed us that these same questions were 
being sent to five embassies in addition to our own: Germany, 
Israel, UK, Korea and France.  Responses are requested by 
September 6 and, according to our LM source, will be used to 
choose a partner with whom TUAF will work to acquire two 
remote sensing and one military communications satellites. 
This source suspects that the Koreans have a leg up, if not a 
lock, on the competition due to the recent intensification of 
mil-mil contacts between Turkey and the ROK.  Nonetheless, 
the Ankara LM office is interested in prompt responses from 
the USG to prevent their elimination from the expected 
competition. 
 
4. (U) Action request:  We request Washington provide 
responses to the questions in para 6 by the Sept 6 deadline. 
 
5. (SBU)  Begin text of TUAF English Translation of cover 
letter 
 
TUAF QUESTIONNAIRE ABOUT HER COOPERATION APPROACH IN 
DEVELOPING HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGING SATELLITE & RELATED GROUND 
SYSTEM 
 
PREFERENCE 
 
Turkish Air Force (TUAF) exploring the possibility of 
facilitating a cooperation program on high resolution imaging 
satellites which will be put into action with a "Project 
Agreement (PA)" formed under a government-to-government 
agreement, such as an MOU. 
 
It is aimed that the possible cooperation will be apprehended 
as a co-development program, not as a procurement program and 
the Parties will have cooperative minds as partners and share 
the risks such as export license, design change, path 
finding, etc., which are inherent in space development 
program and come from state-of-the-art technology development. 
 
The cooperation program is assumed to include the 
establishment of a ground station in Ankara, Turkey, training 
the TUAF personnel in ground station operations and image 
processing and developing a high resolution imaging 
satellite.  The satellite development process will comprise 
of: 
 
-- Facilitating operational sub-meter imaging satellite 
capability on orbit for Turkey, 
 
-- Developing Turkish defense industry's ability for 
satellite design, manufacture, integration and test, 
 
-- Providing on job training to Turkish engineers from design 
stage to integration & test stage, 
 
-- Participation of Turkish Defense Industries in satellite 
development process, continuous technology and know-how 
transfer throughout the program by facilitating an Assembly, 
Integration and Test (AI&T) infrastructure in Turkey. 
 
In this context, the following questions are prepared to get 
your impressions about the international cooperation concept 
of TUAF in the field of high resolution imaging satellite and 
to determine the possible cooperation opportunities in this 
area.  Thus, it will be appreciated if you answer and submit 
to TUAF the below questions by 06 September 2004. 
 
Point of contact for the issue is Turkish Air Force, 
Aerospace Branch E-mail: 
ygoker@hvkk.tsk.mil.tr, Fax: 312 417 4990, Phone: 312 414 
3749. 
 
End text of cover letter. 
 
6.  (SBU) Begin text of questions: 
 
Q1. What is your opinion about putting a cooperation program 
on high resolution imaging satellites into action with a 
"Project Agreement (PA)" that will be formed under a 
government-to-government agreement, such as an MOU? 
 
Q2. TUAF aims to improve Turkish industry with satellite 
design, manufacturing, assembly, integration and test 
capabilities.  In this context, what are your suggestions and 
limitations about technology and know-how transfer to Turkey 
in the field of high resolution imaging satellites? 
 
Q3. For an adept program management and to attain a 
sustainable satellite development capability in Turkey, can 
you offer on job trainings for Turkish engineers within a 
satellite development program? 
 
Q4. Do you have any suggestions for localization of 
sub-system level items?  Are there any items that you think 
Turkish industry can contribute to the satellite development 
process within a possible high resolution imaging satellite 
cooperation plan? 
 
Q5. What is your opinion about joint usage of a co-developed 
high resolution imaging satellite?  By the Joint Usage 
Concept it is intended to share the same satellite.  In 
addition what is your idea about the comparison with the 
joint usage of two dedicated satellites with equivalent 
technical specifications? 
 
Q6. Under a possible cooperation program in the field of 
high-resolution satellites, do you think that the ground 
stations in both countries can serve as back up stations in 
addition to dedicated operations? 
 
Q7. In the scope of satellite co-development project can you 
offer real time image downlink from you own satellites 
currently in orbit at the TUAF ground station, including the 
tasking authority?  In such a case what can be the dedicated 
capacity for TUAF? 
 
End text of questions. 
 
DEUTSCH