US embassy cable - 05PARIS5003

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 005003 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR PM, EUR/RPM AND EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: MARR, MASS, PREL, ECIN, FR 
SUBJECT: U.S./FRANCE:  THE CASE FOR RENEWING AND 
NEGOTIATING NEW MIL/MIL SCIENCE, RESEARCH AND 
TECHNOLOGY AGREEMENTS 
 
1.  (U) THIS CABLE CONTAINS AN ACTION REQUEST FOR PM 
AND EUR/RPM IN PARAGRAPH 8. 
 
2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  WE CONTINUE TO COUNT ON FRENCH 
SUPPORT IN THE WAR AGAINST TERORISM, AND IN A VARIETY 
OF INTERNATIONAL FLASHPOINTS, INCLUDING AFGHANISTAN, 
AFRICA, THE BALKANS, THE MIDDLE EAST AND HAITI.  IN A 
NUMBER OF CASES, THIS TRANSLATES INTO COOPERATIVE 
ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FRENCH MILITARY.  FUTURE 
SUCCESSFUL COOPERATION OF THIS KIND DEPENDS ON THE 
ROUTINE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION, WHICH IN TURN 
REQUIRES THE EVALUATION AND RENEWAL OF EXISTING 
SCIENCE, RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY AGREEMENTS AND THE 
NEGOTIATION OF NEW AGREEMENTS IN THESE AREAS. THE 
CURRENT POLITICAL CONTEXT -- THE DEFEAT OF THE 
REFERENDUM ON THE CONSTITUTION, PRESIDENT CHIRAC'S 
DECLINING POLITICAL FORTUNES, AND THE RISE OF HIS 
MORE ATLANTICIST RIVAL NICOLAS SARKOZY -- IS ONE 
MARKED BY A TURNING INWARD OF THE POLITICAL ELITE.  A 
U.S. INITIATIVE NOW ON THIS SUBSET OF MIL/MIL 
AGREEMENTS WOULD SERVE OUR INTERESTS BY KEEPING THE 
FRENCH ENGAGED, AND BY FACILITATING POSITIVE MOVES BY 
THOSE WHO SEEK TO TAKE FRENCH POLICY IN A MORE 
TRANSATLANTIC DIRECTION.  EMBASSY RECOMMENDS THAT THE 
DEPARTMENT AND DOD/OSD REVIEW STEPS NECESSARY TO 
COMPLETE/RENEW THESE AGREEMENTS, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 
END SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST. 
 
2. (U) DEFENSE COOPERATION AGREEMENTS PERMIT BOTH THE 
EXCHANGE OF SPECIFIED INFORMATION WITHIN DEFINED AND 
AGREED PARAMETERS AND COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT 
PROGRAMS TO FACILITATE THE RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND 
TESTING OF NEW CONCEPTS AND EXISTING DESIGNS.  THESE 
AGREEMENTS ARE SEPARATELY NEGOTIATED WITH VARYING 
TERMS OF VALIDITY USUALLY BETWEEN FOUR AND TEN YEARS. 
WHEN THEY EXPIRE THEY MUST BE RENEWED, AMENDED OR 
RENEGOTIATED IF THEY ARE TO STAY IN FORCE.  THE VALUE 
OF THESE AGREEMENTS COMES FROM THE FRAMEWORK THEY 
ESTABLISH TO ENABLE RAPID EXPLOITATION OF MUTUALLY 
BENEFICIAL COOPERATION.  WHEN COOPERATION IS NOT 
DESIRED OR MUTUALLY AGREEABLE THESE AGREEMENTS DO NOT 
CONSTITUTE AN OBLIGATION TO COOPERATE WITH THE OTHER 
PARTY.  THEY ARE STRICTLY VOLUNTARY IN NATURE.  A 
FAILURE TO RENEGOTIATE THESE AGREEMENTS IS ERODING 
THE HISTORICALLY STRONG MIL-MIL INDUSTRIAL 
RELATIONSHIP AND MAY LEAD TO A WEAKENING OF THE 
INTEROPERABILITY OF FRENCH FORCES DUE TO A LACK OF 
THE NECESSARY FRAMEWORK FOR COOPERATION. 
 
4. (U) THERE ARE CURRENTLY SIX TYPES OF AGREEMENTS OR 
REGIMES IN VARYING STATES OF HEALTH.  WE NOTE THAT 
THE FIRST THREE BELOW ARE IN NEED OF IMMEDIATE 
ATTENTION TO MAINTAIN THE CAPACITY FOR TECHNICAL 
INFORMATION EXCHANGE AND RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY 
COOPERATION WITH THE FRENCH, WHEN NEEDED.  THE NEXT 
THREE PROGRAMS ARE IN GOOD HEALTH, ALTHOUGH MUCH MORE 
MODEST IN SCOPE, MEANING THEY DO NOT PROVIDE A 
SUFFICIENT FRAMEWORK FOR COOPERATION BY THEMSELVES. 
 
A. ESEP: THE ENGINEER AND SCIENTIST EXCHANGE PROGRAM 
INITIATED IN 1985 HAS ALLOWED OVER FORTY RESEARCHERS 
FROM FRANCE AND THE U.S. TO WORK IN EACH OTHER'S 
FACILITIES TO ADVANCE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND PERFECT 
RESEARCH IN A VARIETY OF DOMAINS.  THIS AGREEMENT 
PROVIDES RECIPROCAL ACCESS TO RESEARCH FACILITIES 
LEADING TO EARLY EXCHANGE ON PROMISING TECHNOLOGIES 
AND TECHNIQUES BETWEEN OUR SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITIES. 
THE AGREEMENT WAS RENEWED FOR TEN YEARS IN 1994.  IN 
2004 THE AGREEMENT WAS AMENDED, NOT RENEWED, WITH 
EXPIRATION SCHEDULED FOR 2006.  CURRENTLY, THERE IS 
AN OSD EFFORT TO EXTEND THE EXPIRATION UNTIL 2008 TO 
ALLOW TIME FOR RENEGOTIATION OF THE AGREEMENT.  WHILE 
THIS WILL KEEP THE PROGRAM ALIVE IT DOES NOT ADDRESS 
THE LONG-TERM NEED TO RE-NEGOTIATE THIS AGREEMENT TO 
ENSURE U.S. INTERESTS ARE PROTECTED IN THIS RAPIDLY- 
EVOLVING ENVIRONMENT.  THERE ARE TWO FRENCH EXCHANGE 
SCIENTISTS WORKING IN THE U.S., ONE AT THE SINGLE 
INTEGRATED AIR PICTURE (SIAP) OFFICE AND ANOTHER ONE 
AT THE AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB.  THE U.S. ARMY IS 
PROVIDING A RESEARCHER TO A FRENCH LAB IN GRENOBLE 
FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE CURRENT TERM (2006). 
 
B. TRDP: THE TECHNOLOGY, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
PROGRAM SIGNED IN 1994 EXPIRED IN 2004.  A SUBSEQUENT 
AGREEMENT DESIGNED TO REPLACE IT, THE RESEARCH, 
DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY AND EVALUATION MEMORANDUM OF 
UNDERSTANDING (RDT&E MOU) WAS NEGOTIATED BUT NEVER 
SIGNED.  UNDER THE RDT&E MOU, COOPERATION WOULD BE 
PERMITTED, AMONG OTHER THINGS, ON ADVANCED CONCEPT 
TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS (ACTDS) THROUGH MORE EASILY 
INITIATED PROJECT AGREEMENTS (PAS).  WITHOUT AN 
OVERARCHING AGREEMENT, PROJECTS MUST BE NEGOTIATED AD 
HOC WITH ALL THE ATTENDANT DELAYS THAT ARE INHERENT 
IN THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS.  AN APPROVED RDT&E 
MEMORANDUM WOULD ENSURE THE ABILITY TO RAPIDLY 
EVALUATE CRITICAL TECHNOLOGIES IDENTIFIED IN FRANCE 
WITH A POTENTIAL TO ENHANCE THE SAFETY, SURVIVABILITY 
AND EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR FORCES. 
 
C. DEAS: DATA EXCHANGE AGREEMENTS ARE NEGOTIATED 
BETWEEN SERVICES FOR SPECIFIED EXCHANGE OF 
INFORMATION.  CURRENTLY THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 80 
AGREEMENTS IN FORCE (28 ARMY, 28 NAVY AND 21 AIR 
FORCE) WITH SEVERAL NEW AGREEMENTS PENDING APPROVAL. 
THESE AGREEMENTS HAVE VARYING EXPIRATION DATES AND 
THEIR RENEGOTIATION CAN BE A LENGTHY PROCESS. 
NUMEROUS DEAS ARE SET TO EXPIRE IN 2005 WITH NO 
CURRENT PLAN TO REVIEW OR RENEW THEM.  WITHOUT THESE 
AGREEMENTS IN PLACE, COOPERATION ON URGENT ISSUES 
COULD BE DELAYED WHILE NEW NEGOTIATIONS ARE 
ACCOMPLISHED. 
 
D. TEP: THE TEST AND EVALUATION PROGRAM MOU WAS 
SIGNED IN 2003 AND PERMITS THE RECIPROCAL USE OF TEST 
FACILITIES (RUTF) AND POTENTIAL COOPERATIVE TEST AND 
EVALUATION (CTE) COOPERATION UNDER PROJECT AGREEMENTS 
(PAS) AS WELL AS THE LOAN OF TEST EQUIPMENT.  IT IS 
IN EFFECT, BUT COVERS A VERY LIMITED AREA OF DEFENSE 
COOPERATION. BY ITSELF, THIS AGREEMENT IS 
INSUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE THE FRAMEWORK FOR COOPERATION 
IN RESEARCH AND OTHER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS.  IT IS A 
COMPLEMENT TO THE OTHER AGREEMENTS IN THE RANGE OF 
OPTIONS AVAILABLE. 
 
E. ACTD: WE ARE CURRENTLY CONDUCTING TWO ADVANCED 
CONCEPT TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS WITH 
FRANCE, UNDER SEPARATE, STAND-ALONE AGREEMENTS, SINCE 
THE RDTE AGREEMENT HAS NOT YET BEEN ESTABLISHED: 
SPARTAN (UNMANNED SURFACE VEHICLE OR USV) AND COMMON 
OPERATIONAL PICTURE (COP).  THESE LAST TWO 
EXPERIMENTS REQUIRED INDIVIDUAL APPROVAL DUE TO THE 
LACK OF AN UMBRELLA AGREEMENT AND WOULD HAVE BEEN 
EASIER TO ACCOMPLISH UNDER THE RDT&E AGREEMENT. 
PROMISING TECHNOLOGIES LIKE THESE SHOULD NOT BE 
NEEDLESSLY DELAYED FROM CONSIDERATION IF AN 
ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVE EXISTS. 
 
F. FCT: OSD HAS FUNDED 77 FOREIGN COMPARATIVE TEST 
PROJECTS TO EVALUATE FRENCH MILITARY PRODUCTS SINCE 
1980.  TOTAL RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TESTING, AND 
EVALUATION (RDT&E) COST AVOIDANCE HAS BEEN $119 
MILLION BY CHOOSING FRENCH PRODUCTS.  THE TOTAL SPENT 
TO TEST ITEMS FROM FRANCE IS APPROXIMATELY $95 
MILLION.  FOURTEEN PROJECTS WITH FRANCE HAVE RESULTED 
IN PROCUREMENTS AMOUNTING TO APPROXIMATELY $561 
MILLION. 
 
5. (U) OVER TIME, SEVERAL OF THE AGREEMENTS HAVE 
LAPSED OR WILL SOON LAPSE.  WHILE THE AGREEMENTS 
FACILITATED COOPERATIVE RELATIONSHIPS, THEIR LACK OF 
RENEWAL WILL MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO NEGOTIATE NEW 
EXCHANGES OTHER THAN ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.  THIS 
CASE-BY-CASE APPROACH SLOWS DOWN COOPERATION AND 
LEADS TO DELAYS IN RESEARCH, PRODUCTION AND 
EMPLOYMENT OF NEW SYSTEMS.  ULTIMATELY, THE LACK OF 
AGREEMENT COULD DEPRIVE OUR MILITARY OF USEFUL 
MATERIEL THAT COULD SAVE LIVES. 
 
6. (SBU) WHILE THE LOSS OF THESE AGREEMENTS IS NOT 
ALWAYS IMMEDIATELY EVIDENT AT ALL LEVELS, THEIR 
CONTINUED DELAYED NEGOTIATION AND NON-RENEWAL COULD 
HAMPER FUTURE COOPERATION WITH THE FRENCH MILITARY 
AND INDUSTRY IN A TIME OF CRISIS.  WE CONTINUE TO 
COUNT ON FRENCH SUPPORT IN THE WAR AGAINST TERRORISM, 
AS WELL AS IN NATO ON AFGHANISTAN, DARFUR, THE 
BALKANS AND WITH THE IRAQ TRAINING MISSION.  OUR 
SUCCESSFUL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FRENCH MILITARY IN 
DEALING WITH THESE CRISES AND POSSIBLE FUTURE EVENTS 
WILL DEPEND, IN PART, ON THE ABILITY TO RAPIDLY 
EXPLOIT COOPERATIVE OPPORTUNITIES WHEN THEY ARISE. 
 
7.  (SBU) FOLLOWING THE MAY 29 REFERENDUM DEFEAT OF 
THE EUROPEAN DRAFT CONSTITUTION, FRANCE HAS BECOME 
INCREASINGLY INWARD-LOOKING.  PRESIDENT CHIRAC, WITH 
21 MONTHS AS A LAME DUCK REMAINING IN HIS TERM, IS 
INCREASINGLY CHALLENGED BY HIS POWERFUL INTERIOR 
MINISTER, NICOLAS SARKOZY, WHOSE ANNOUNCED INTENTION 
TO SUCCEED CHIRAC IS THE DOMINANT FEATURE OF THE 
CURRENT POLITICAL SCENE.  SARKOZY'S IDENTIFICATION AS 
AN ATLANTICIST HAS NOT, THUS FAR, HARMED HIS STANDING 
IN THE OPINION POLLS.  AS WE SEE IT, COOPERATION 
INITIATIVES BELOW THE POLITICAL RADAR CAN HELP KEEP 
FRANCE ENGAGED DURING A PERIOD OF REDUCED FOREIGN AND 
SECURITY POLICY FOCUS.  THEY CAN ALSO -- BY 
DEMONSTRATING U.S. GOOD WILL DURING A TIME OF 
RELATIVE DIFFICULTY FOR THE FRENCH GOVERNING ELITE - 
OFFER A SIGNAL TO THOSE PREPARED TO MOVE AWAY FROM 
CHIRAC'S STRESS ON MULTIPOLARITY AND TOWARD A MORE 
ATLANTICIST RECENTERING OF FRENCH POLICY. 
 
8.  (SBU) ACTION REQUEST:  VOLUNTARY AND MUTUALLY 
BENEFICIAL, THE AGREEMENTS OVER THE YEARS HAVE 
BROUGHT TANGIBLE BENEFITS TO U.S. RESEARCH, 
INNOVATION AND ACQUISTION IN THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL 
FIELD.  THEY MOST CLEARLY SERVE U.S. INTERESTS. 
EMBASSY RECOMMENDS THAT DEPARTMENT (PM BUREAU AND 
EUR/RPM) ASSESS WITH DOD/OSD COUNTERPARTS THE CURRENT 
STATUS OF THESE AGREEMENTS, IDENTIFY PENDING, EXPIRED 
OR EXPIRING ACCORDS AND PRODUCE AN ACTION PLAN FOR 
COMPLETING, RENEWING OR RENEGOTIATING THE AGREEMENTS 
ON AN URGENT BASIS. 
 
STAPLETON