US embassy cable - 05ANKARA4071

UNCLAS ANKARA 004071 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/SE AND PM/DTTC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MARR, TU 
SUBJECT: TURKEY ISSUES RFI ON RECONNAISSANCE AND 
SURVEILLANCE SATELLITE SYSTEMS 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 1259 
     B. ANKARA 6205 
     C. STATE 225833 
     D. ANKARA 5005 
 
1. Turkey's Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (Savunma 
Sanayi Mustesarligi - SSM) issued on July 7 a Request for 
Information (RFI) about Reconnaissance and Surveillance 
Satellite Systems.  According to the SSM website, the project 
will include development of an Electro-Optical (EO) 
reconnaissance surveillance satellite system as the first 
step towards creation of a space-based imaging architecture 
with passive and active remote sensing and related systems 
for the Turkish Air Force (TUAF).  In addition to satellite 
system procurement, the project will encompass launch and 
early orbit operation services, logistical support, 
co-development and possible co-use of the systems and related 
services.  The program description contained on SSM's website 
specifically notes a requirement for technology transfer. 
 
2. Lockheed Martin (LHM) notified Post that it has applied 
for the RFI.  The SSM website lists 41 international 
companies and organizations that have applied to-date, 
including several other US firms (Ball Aerospace, Digital 
Globe Inc., Orbital Sciences Corporation and Global 
Technology Limited).  According to LHM, the deadline for 
responses is August 26, 2005 and SSM expects to issue a 
Request for Proposal (RFP) in January 2006. 
 
3. COMMENT: The RFI was issued one day after Turkish daily 
newspaper Hurriyet published an interview with outgoing TUAF 
Commander General Ibrahim Firtina on Turkey's space plans. 
In the interview, Firtina lists remote sensing, the use of 
space for offensive and defensive (early warning) purposes, 
space-based electronic warfare, and space-based command and 
control systems as areas of priority for the Turkish space 
program.  The current project was initiated in August 2004 
when TUAF issued a remote sensing satellite questionnaire to 
six countries including the United States (see reftels b-d). 
Following TUAF's evaluation of the questionnaire responses in 
February 2005, the Turkish General Staff (TGS) decided to 
hand over responsibility for the project to SSM for 
commercial procurement.  SSM Electronic Systems Office 
Director Ahmet Lutfu Varoglu told Deputy PolMilCouns at that 
time that SSM would only issue an RFI if it did not consider 
the questionnaire responses adequate for preparation of an 
RFP (ref a).  END COMMENT. 
MCELDOWNEY