US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO961

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000961 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MASS, PREL, PGOV, PTER, CE, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT: COUNTRY TEAM ASSESSMENT FOR AIR DEFENSE RADARS 
 
REF: GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA REQUEST FOR DIRECT 
 
     COMMERCIAL PUCHASE OF AIR DEFENSE RADARS 
 
 1. THE GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA HAS REQUESTED THROUGH A US 
COMPANY PRICE AND AVAILABILITY OF A COMPLETE SYSTEM 
SALE FOR AN UNSPECIFIED NUMBER OF AIR DEFENSE RADARS. 
LIKELY RADARS MENTIONED ARE THE SENTINEL OR ANTPQ36A.  A 
SYSTEM SALE WOULD INCLUDE ASSOCIATED SUPPORT EQUIPMENT, 
TRAINING, SPARES AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 
 
2. EMBASSY COLOMBO STRONGLY SUPPORTS THIS SALE AND IN 
ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 70003 OF THE SAMM, THE FOLLOWING 
INFORMATION IS SUBMITTED: 
 
A.  SRI LANKA REQUIRES AIR DEFENSE RADARS TO DEFEND ITS 
SOVEREIGN AIRSPACE FROM AIR ATTACKS, INCLUDING SUICIDE 
ATTACKS FROM LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL EELAM (LTTE) 
AIRCRAFT.  AS THE EVENTS OF 11 SEPTEMBER, 2001 CLEARLY 
DEMONSTRATED, A SINGLE AIRCRAFT CAN BE A DEVASTATING WEAPON 
IN THE HANDS OF A DETERMINED SUICIDE BOMBER.  RECENT 
INFORMATION IN THE OPEN MEDIA INDICATES THAT THE LTTE IS 
NOW IN POSSESSION OF ORGANIC AIRCRAFT, AN ALL WEATHER 
AIRFIELD AND, POSSIBLY, TRAINED PILOTS.  SRI LANKA HAS NO 
INTEGRATED AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM AND APART FROM THE CIVIL 
SURVEILLANCE RADARS AT THE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, LACKS ANY 
CAPABILITY TO DETECT INCOMING AIRCRAFT.  AIR DEFENSE RADARS 
WOULD GIVE THE SRI LANKA AIR FORCE THE BASIC ACQUISITION 
CAPABILITY INHERENT TO AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS THE WORLD OVER 
AND WOULD PROVIDE A DETERRENT TO LTTE ATTEMPTS TO FLY INTO 
A POLITICAL OR ECONOMIC TARGET IN THE SOUTH OF SRI LANKA. 
 
B.  WHILE NO AIR DEFENSE RADARS ARE CURRENTLY IN THE SLAF 
INVENTORY, COMPATIBLE VERSIONS OF COUNTERFIRE RADAR ARE 
PRESENT IN THE SRI LANKA ARMY.  AIR DEFENSE RADARS WOULD 
ADD A NEW, BUT COMPLETELY DEFENSIVE CAPABILITY TO SRI 
LANKAN MILITARY, GIVING THE SLAF THE TECHNICAL ABILITY TO 
DEFEND AGAINST THE AIR WING OF THIS FOREIGN TERRORIST 
ORGANIZATION. 
 
C.  IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT SRI LANKA'S NEIGHBORS WILL HAVE 
NO SIGNIFICANT OR NEGATIVE REACTION TO THIS SALE.  INDIA 
HAS ASSISTED SRI LANKA AGAINST THE LTTE IN A NUMBER OF 
WAYS, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH HAS BEEN MARITIME 
INTERDICTION.  THE INTRODUCTION OF A DEFENSIVE RADAR SYSTEM 
THAT MIGHT REDUCE INDIA'S ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS WOULD 
LIKELY BE VIEWED POSITIVELY IN NEW DELHI. 
 
D.  WITH PROPER TRAINING, SRI LANKA AIR FORCE MECHANICS 
WILL HAVE NO TROUBLE WHATSOEVER IN MAINTAINING THESE 
RADARS.  AIRBORNE HISAR AND FLIR SYSTEMS ARE ALREADY IN USE 
IN THE SLAF AND ARE MAINTAINED TO A HIGH STANDARD.  THE 
ARMY POSSESSES COUNTER-BATTERY RADARS THAT ARE SIMILAR IN 
DESIGN TO THE AIR DEFENSE RADARS BEING SOUGHT BY THE AIR 
FORCE.  THIS MEANS THAT SOME DEGREE OF TECHNICAL EXPERTISE 
EXISTS IN COUNTRY AND COULD BE CROSS-LEVELLED TO THE AIR 
FORCE BY WAY OF ADVICE AND SUPPORT. 
 
E.  THIS SALE SHOULD BE FINANCED WITH COUNTRY FUNDS.  THIS 
PROCUREMENT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE ANNUAL DEFENSE 
PROCUREMENT BUDGET FOR 2005, BUT SENIOR AIR FORCE OFFICIALS 
HAVE VERIFIED THAT FUNDING WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE.  SINCE 
THE SRI LANKAN PRESIDENT IS PERSONALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE 
POSSIBILITY OF AN LTTE AIR ATTACK IN COLOMBO, SUFFICIENT 
FUNDS SHOULD BE EARMARKED FOR THE PURCHASE WITHIN THE 
REQUIRED TIME.  THE OVERALL ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THE SRI 
LANKAN ECONOMY IS LIKELY NEGLIGIBLE.  WHILE MONEY IS TIGHT, 
POST THINKS IT IS LIKELY THE FINANCE MINISTRY WOULD INSIST 
ON OFFSETS AND OTHER LINE ITEMS TO KEEP FISCAL DISCIPLINE. 
NATURALLY, FINANCING OPTIONS, SALE STRUCTURE AND NUMBER 
OF UNITS PURCHASED WOULD IMPACT THIS ASSESSMENT. 
 
F.  HUMAN RIGHTS CONSIDERATIONS CONTINUE TO BE A PRIORITY 
FOR EMBASSY COLOMBO.  THE GENERAL LEVEL OF HUMAN RIGHTS 
GUARANTEES IS GOOD AND IMPROVING CONTINUOUSLY IN SRI 
LANKA.  AS THIS SYSTEM IS DEFENSIVE IN NATURE AND CAN 
ONLY BE USED AGAINST AN INBOUND AIRCRAFT, THIS 
CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT AFFECT THE PROPOSED SALE. 
 
G. EMBASSY COLOMB0 STRONGLY RECOMMENDS THE APPROVAL OF 
THIS PROPOSED SALE. 
 
3. POC FOR THIS ACTION IS LTC RICHARD S. GIRVEN, ARMY AND 
DEFENSE ATTACHE, USDAO COLOMBO. 
LUNSTEAD