Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02ROME4292
2002-09-04 13:46:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:
GPS/GALILEO CONSULTATIONS IN ITALY
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ROME 004292
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR OES/SAT/JULIE KARNER
NATO PASS SES-4 FOR MELVIN FLACK
USDOC PASS OFFICE OF SPACE COMMERCIALIZATION
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2007
TAGS: TSPA TSPL ECON TSPL ECON TSPL ECON IT ITTSPA ITTSPA
SUBJECT: GPS/GALILEO CONSULTATIONS IN ITALY
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 ROME 04292 01 OF 03 041407Z
CLASSIFIED BY: ACTING ECONOMIC MINISTER COUNSELOR DAVID MULENEX FOR REA
SONS 1.5 (B,D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ROME 004292
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR OES/SAT/JULIE KARNER
NATO PASS SES-4 FOR MELVIN FLACK
USDOC PASS OFFICE OF SPACE COMMERCIALIZATION
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2007
TAGS: TSPA TSPL ECON TSPL ECON TSPL ECON IT ITTSPA ITTSPA
SUBJECT: GPS/GALILEO CONSULTATIONS IN ITALY
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 ROME 04292 01 OF 03 041407Z
CLASSIFIED BY: ACTING ECONOMIC MINISTER COUNSELOR DAVID MULENEX FOR REA
SONS 1.5 (B,D)
1. (C) SUMMARY: DURING 23-24 JULY CONSULTATIONS IN ROME,
ITALIAN GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES PROVIDED A DIVERSE SET OF
NUANCED RESPONSES TO US CONCERNS OVER THE POSSIBLE OVERLAY OF
THE GPS M-CODE BY GALILEO PRS. WHILE ITALIAN TECHNICAL
EXPERTS WORKING ON GALILEO EXPRESSED SOME SYMPATHY TO US
CONCERNS AND A WILLINGNESS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE, THOSE
OFFICIALS DEALING WITH GOI GALILEO POLICY RESPONDED IN A MORE
AMBIGUOUS MANNER. BUT EVEN THEY ACKNOWLEDGED USG CONCERNS,
EVEN IF THEY WERE NONCOMMITTAL ON A WAY FORWARD TO FINDING A
SOLUTION. ALTHOUGH THE USG GPS DELEGATION MET WITH
REPRESENTATIVES OF A VARIETY OF GOI AGENCIES, THE ITALIANS
HAD CLEARLY COORDINATED THEIR POSITION AS A RESULT OF HAVING
BEEN BRIEFED IN DETAIL ABOUT A DRAFT REPORT ON GPS-GALILEO
INTERRELATIONSHIP PRODUCED BY AN AD HOC WORKING GROUP OF THE
NATO C3 BOARD. ON THE WHOLE, THE ITALIANS SEEM COMMITTED TO
GPS-GALILEO INTEROPERABILITY, BUT IT IS UNCLEAR HOW THIS
WILLINGNESS WILL TRANSLATE INTO ITALIAN ASSISTANCE IN
ACHIEVING A FAVORABLE RESOLUTION OF THE M-CODE OVERLAY ISSUE.
END SUMMARY.
3. (SBU) OES/SAT JULIE KARNER AND USNATO DIRECTOR OF THE
COMMUNICATIONS ELECTRONICS DIVISION MELVIN FLACK, ACCOMPANIED
BY ESTOFF LORENZO MARTINI, MET WITH OFFICIALS OF THE ITALIAN
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (MFA),THE ITALIAN MINISTRY OF
TRANSPORTATION (MOT) AND THE ITALIAN SPACE AGENCY (ASI). IN
ALL THREE MEETINGS, THE US DELEGATION MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE
USG IS NOT OPPOSED TO EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENT OF THE GALILEO
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 ROME 04292 01 OF 03 041407Z
GLOBAL NAVIGATIONAL SATELLITE SYSTEM (GNSS) IN PRINCIPLE BUT
WISHES TO ASSURE THAT GPS AND GALILEO ARE FULLY INTEROPERABLE
SO THAT GNSS CIVILIAN CONSUMERS OBTAIN THE BEST POSSIBLE
SERVICE AT THE LOWEST PRICE. YET, THE USG CAN NOT ACCEPT THE
OVERLAY OF A PORTION OF THE U.S. GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM
(GPS) MILITARY SIGNAL (M-CODE) BY THE PROPOSED GALILEO
PUBLICLY REGULATED SIGNAL (PRS) BECAUSE OF THE RISKS TO U.S.
AND NATO MILITARY CAPABILITIES. THE DELEGATION STRESSED THAT
WHILE THE USG WAS EAGER TO COLLABORATE WITH THE EUROPEANS ON
GALILEO INTEROPERABILITY, THE M-CODE OVERLAY ISSUE WOULD BE
AN OBSTACLE TO FUTURE USG COOPERATION IF IT REMAINS
UNRESOLVED. MR. FLACK ANALYZED THE POTENTIAL DETRIMENTAL
IMPACT TO NATO WAR-FIGHTING CAPABILITIES AND THE RISKS TO
NATO TROOPS AS A RESULT OF AN M-CODE OVERLAY. IN PARTICULAR,
MR. FLACK EXPLAINED THE POTENTIAL HARM TO NATO OBJECTIVES AND
PERSONNEL IF AN ADVERSARY OBTAINED THE CAPACITY TO USE
GALILEO SIGNALS FOR ITS OWN WAR-FIGHTING CAPABILITIES.
CONCERNS OVER THE ROBUSTNESS OF ENCRYPTION TO BE USED BY PRS
AND THE POSSIBILITY OF A WIDE DISSEMINATION OF ACCESS TO PRS
AMONG NON-GOVERNMENTAL USERS REPRESENT AN INHERENT RISK OF
THE PROLIFERATION OF GNSS CAPABILITY TO POSSIBLE NATO
ADVERSARIES. BY OVERLAYING THE M-CODE, NATO FORCES WOULD
DEGRADE THEIR ABILITY TO USE GNSS SIGNALS WHILE TRYING TO
DENY PRS TO AN ADVERSARY IN THE THEATER OF OPERATIONS. THE
ALTERNATIVE, CHANGING THE PRS ENCRYPTION KEYS TO DENY ACCESS
TO THE ADVERSARY, WOULD BE DEPENDENT ON NATO'S ABILITY TO
OBTAIN A RAPID CONSENSUS FOR COOPERATION AMONG ALL THE
MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU) AND THE EUROPEAN SPACE
AGENCY (ESA),SOME OF WHOM ARE NOT NATO MEMBERS. IN
ADDITION, MS. KARNER EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT THE EUROPEAN
COMMITMENT TO INTEROPERABILITY, NOTING AN APPARENT EUROPEAN
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 ROME 04292 01 OF 03 041407Z
PREFERENCE TO PURSUING INDEPENDENCE RATHER THAN
INTERDEPENDENCE IN THE AREAS OF TIMING, GEODESY AND SIGNAL
STRUCTURE.
4. (SBU) AT THE MFA, THE DELEGATION MET WITH COUNSELOR
ENRICO GUICCIARDI, HEAD OF SPACE COOPERATION AFFAIRS OF THE
MFA'S DIRECTORATE OF ECONOMIC COOPERATION. GUICCIARDI
ACKNOWLEDGED THE USG'S CONCERNS BUT DID NOT ADDRESS THEM IN
DETAIL, SHIELDING HIMSELF BEHIND HIS LACK OF TECHNICAL
EXPERTISE. HE BELIEVED THAT USG CONCERNS WERE SOMEWHAT
PREMATURE SINCE GALILEO WAS AT SUCH AN EARLY STAGE OF
DEVELOPMENT. HE PROVIDED AN OVERVIEW OF THE JOINT
UNDERTAKING BETWEEN ESA AND THE EU TO MANAGE THE PROGRAM.
THE UNDERLYING THESIS OF HIS PRESENTATION WAS THAT THE M-CODE
OVERLAY ISSUE COULD BE ADDRESSED COMPREHENSIVELY ONCE THE
EUROPEANS HAD WORKED OUT ALL THE WRINKLES IN THE OPERATION OF
THE JOINT UNDERTAKING. WITHOUT PROVIDING A COMMITMENT,
GUICCIARDI SEEMED AMENABLE TO FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ON THIS
ISSUE BUT ADMITTED THAT HE WAS NOT THE KEY GOI DECISION-MAKER
ON GALILEO.
5. (C) ON 24 JULY, THE DELEGATION MET WITH COUNSELOR RENATO
LIBASSI, A SPECIAL ADVISOR TO THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORTATION
AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE GOI'S INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP ON
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ5851
PAGE 01 ROME 04292 02 OF 03 041408Z
ACTION OES-01
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AGRE-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CEA-01 CIAE-00
CTME-00 INL-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00 DOTE-00 PERC-00 SRPP-00
EB-00 EUR-00 EXIM-01 E-00 FAAE-00 VC-00 FRB-00
H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 ITC-01 L-00 VCE-00 NASA-01
AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PM-00 ACE-00
SP-00 IRM-00 SSO-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 T-00
USIE-00 EPAE-00 PMB-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /011W
-------------- E24E86 041412Z /38
R 041346Z SEP 02
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5691
USDOC WASHDC
USMISSION USNATO
INFO EU INTEREST COLLECTIVE
AMCONSUL FLORENCE
AMCONSUL MILAN
AMCONSUL NAPLES
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 ROME 004292
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR OES/SAT/JULIE KARNER
NATO PASS SES-4 FOR MELVIN FLACK
USDOC PASS OFFICE OF SPACE COMMERCIALIZATION
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2007
TAGS: TSPA TSPL ECON TSPL ECON TSPL ECON IT ITTSPA ITTSPA
SUBJECT: GPS/GALILEO CONSULTATIONS IN ITALY
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 ROME 04292 02 OF 03 041408Z
GALILEO. WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THE US DELEGATION'S CONCERNS,
LIBASSI DID NOT DIRECTLY ADDRESS THEIR MERITS. INSTEAD, HE
PROVIDED A NUANCED RESPONSE THAT REITERATED AN ITALIAN
COMMITMENT TO AN OPEN US-EUROPEAN DIALOGUE WITH THE GOAL OF
ACHIEVING GPS-GALILEO INTERDEPENDENCE WHILE MAINTAINING EU
SOLIDARITY. LIBASSI STRESSED THAT ITALY DID NOT WANT TO
WEAKEN THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION (EC) BY PURSUING A SEPARATE
GALILEO DIALOGUE WITH THE UNITED STATES AND THAT ITALY
INTENDS TO GIVE ITS "FULL, LOYAL SUPPORT TO THE EC" IN THIS
MATTER. WHILE HE LEFT THE DOOR OPEN TO A NATO-EU DIALOGUE ON
THE M-CODE OVERLAY ISSUE, HE INDICATED THAT THE US-EU
NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD TAKE PRIMACY OVER ANY NATO-EU DISCUSSION.
ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT DISPUTE THE MERITS OF THE CONCERNS OF
THE US OR OTHER NATO MEMBERS ON M-CODE OVERLAY, HE EXPRESSED
A CONCERN ABOUT THE USE OF SECURITY ISSUES AS A COVER FOR
COMMERCIAL OR POLITICAL OBJECTIVES. SPECIFICALLY, LIBASSI
DID NOT WANT TO SEE THE OVERLAY ISSUE USED BY UNNAMED EU
MEMBER STATES TO USE THEIR DUAL MEMBERSHIP IN NATO AS A MEANS
TO REOPEN AGREEMENTS THAT HAD BEEN CONCLUDED WITHIN THE EU
TRANSPORT COUNCIL IN ORDER TO RENEGOTIATE BETTER TERMS.
(EMBASSY COMMENT: HE MAY HAVE BEEN REFERRING TO THE
COMPETITION FROM GERMANY TO BE THE SITE OF THE FUTURE
ADMINISTRATIVE SEAT OF GALILEO. ALTHOUGH THE GERMANS WERE
LATECOMERS IN JOINING GALILEO, THEY ARE AGGRESSIVELY SEEKING
TO HAVE THE GALILEO HEADQUARTERS BASED IN GERMANY ACCORDING
TO A AUGUST 21 CONVERSATION BETWEEN ESTOFF AND THE GERMAN
EMBASSY COUNSELOR FOR SCIENCE AFFAIRS JEN-PETER VOSS
(PROTECT). GUICCIARDI MENTIONED ITALIAN-GERMAN FRICTION OVER
THIS ISSUE BUT DID NOT GO INTO DETAIL. END COMMENT) HE
CLAIMED THAT THERE WAS A "STRONG POLITICAL WILL" WITHIN THE
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 ROME 04292 02 OF 03 041408Z
EU TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE UNITED STATES OVER GALILEO AND
IMPLIED THAT FULL US ENGAGEMENT IN GPS-GALILEO
INTEROPERABILITY "MIGHT AFFECT DESIGN." HE NOTED THAT THE
EUROPEANS WILL LOOK VERY CAREFULLY AT THE ISSUES OF ACCESS
CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OF PRS ENCRYPTION. ALTHOUGH HE
CLAIMED NOT TO HAVE SEEN A COPY OF THE NATO C3 BOARD'S
WORKING GROUP'S DRAFT REPORTON GPS-GALILEO
INTERRELATIONSHIP, HE ADMITTED TOHAVING BEEN BRIEFED ON ITS
CONTENTS.
6. (C) LIBASSI MADE AN OFFHAND COMMENT REGARDING THE ROLE
OF CHINA, WHICH ALLOWED THE US DELEGATION THE OPPORTUNITY TO
ASK FOR CLARIFICATION ON THE NATURE OF CHINESE PARTICIPATION
IN GALILEO THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP ARRANGEMENT WITH ESA.
LIBASSI RESPONDED THAT THE ROLE OF ESA'S NON-EU COLLABORATORS
SUCH AS CHINA COULD PLAY IN GALILEO HAD NOT BEEN DECIDED. HE
SEEMED TO UNDERSTAND THAT EXTENSIVE CHINESE PARTICIPATION IN
GALILEO WOULD HEIGHTEN US CONCERNS OVER THE POTENTIAL OF
NON-NATO COUNTRIES TO HAVE A DE FACTO VETO POWER OVER NATO
DECISION-MAKING IN A CRISIS THROUGH PRS OVERLAY OF THE
M-CODE. IN ADDITION, HE MADE AN OBLIQUE COMMENT REGARDING
"NATO BECOMING AN ASSISTANCE GROUP" OVER TIME. IT WAS NOT
CLEAR WHAT HE MEANT BY THIS STATEMENT, AND THE US DELEGATION
DID NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESS HIM FOR CLARIFICATION.
(EMBASSY COMMENT: WE VIEW THIS STATEMENT TO REFLECT
LIBASSI'S PERSONAL OPINION ONLY. HE DOES NOT HAVE ANY
COMPETENCY IN NATO AFFAIRS, SINCE HE DOES NOT HAVE ANY DIRECT
ROLE IN ITALIAN NATO POLICYMAKING, NOR DOES HE SEEM TO HAVE
ANY EXPERTISE IN THIS AREA. END COMMENT.)
7. (C) AT ASI, THE DELEGATION MET WITH THE DIRECTOR OF
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 ROME 04292 02 OF 03 041408Z
EXTERNAL RELATIONS, ROMEO PERNICE, AND THE TWO CHIEF ASI
REPRESENTATIVES TO THE ESA AND EU TECHNICAL WORKING GROUPS ON
GALILEO, DR. FRANCO MARCONICCHIO AND DR. FRANCO MARUCCI.
MARCONICCHIO AND MARUCCI ARE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE ITALIAN
CONTRIBUTION TO THE TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT OF GALILEO. THIS
DISCUSSION WAS MUCH MORE OPEN AND DIRECT WITH REGARD TO THE
ITALIAN RESPONSE. THE ASI REPRESENTATIVES, ON THE WHOLE,
EXPRESSED A SINCERE DESIRE TO COOPERATE WITH THE UNITED
STATES ON GPS-GALILEO INTEROPERABILITY. MARCONICCHIO, IN
PARTICULAR, ASKED IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO CONTINUE
US-EUROPEAN TECHNICAL DISCUSSIONS ON THE NON-PRS GALILEO
SERVICES AND SEPARATE THEM FROM THE M-CODE OVERLAY ISSUE.
WHILE THE USG PLANS TO GO FORWARD WITH GPS-GALILEO TECHNICAL
DISCUSSIONS, THE M-CODE OVERLAY ISSUE, IF IT REMAINS
UNRESOLVED, WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME AN IMPEDIMENT TO FUTURE
USG COOPERATION WITH GALILEO. FROM ASI'S PERSPECTIVE, ON THE
WHOLE, US-EUROPEAN TECHNICAL COOPERATION ON GPS-GALILEO ARE
PROCEEDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. ASI IS COMMITTED TO
COMPLETE INTEROPERABILITY WITH GPS AS BEING A FUNDAMENTAL
GOAL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF GALILEO. THE ASI TEAM NOTED THAT
A PRELIMINARY SYSTEM DESIGN REVIEW FOR GALILEO WAS COMPLETED
THE WEEK OF 14-20 JULY 2002 BUT THE EXACT CAPABILITIES OF PRS
HAD NOT YET BEEN DECIDED. WHATEVER THEIR PERSONNEL
PERCEPTIONS OF THE MERITS OF THE U.S. CONCERNS ABOUT THE
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ5852
PAGE 01 ROME 04292 03 OF 03 041408Z
ACTION OES-01
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AGRE-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CEA-01 CIAE-00
CTME-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00 DOTE-00 PERC-00 SRPP-00 EB-00
EUR-00 EXIM-01 E-00 FAAE-00 VC-00 FRB-00 H-01
TEDE-00 INR-00 ITC-01 L-00 VCE-00 NASA-01 AC-01
NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PM-00 ACE-00 SP-00
IRM-00 SSO-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /011W
-------------- E24E8A 041412Z /38
R 041346Z SEP 02
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5692
USDOC WASHDC
USMISSION USNATO
INFO EU INTEREST COLLECTIVE
AMCONSUL FLORENCE
AMCONSUL MILAN
AMCONSUL NAPLES
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 ROME 004292
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR OES/SAT/JULIE KARNER
NATO PASS SES-4 FOR MELVIN FLACK
USDOC PASS OFFICE OF SPACE COMMERCIALIZATION
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2007
TAGS: TSPA TSPL ECON TSPL ECON TSPL ECON IT ITTSPA ITTSPA
SUBJECT: GPS/GALILEO CONSULTATIONS IN ITALY
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 ROME 04292 03 OF 03 041408Z
RISKS OF THE M-CODE OVERLAY (MARUCCI SEEMED TO BE
PARTICULARLY SKEPTICAL),THEY ALL ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THEY
UNDERSTOOD THE SERIOUSNESS WITH WHICH THE UNITED STATES VIEWS
THIS ISSUE. THE ASI TEAM ALSO ADMITTED TO HAVING BEEN
BRIEFED ON THE CONTENTS OF THE NATO C3 REPORT BEFORE THEIR
MEETING WITH THE US DELEGATION.
8. (C) EMBASSY COMMENT: THE ITALIANS WERE FAIRLY UNANIMOUS
IN THEIR DESIRE TO CONTINUE A DIALOGUE WITH THE UNITED STATES
WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF REACHING A COMPREHENSIVE LEVEL OF
INTEROPERABILITY BETWEEN GPS-GALILEO. THE GOI DOES NOT SEEM
TO HAVE A DEEPLY VESTED INTEREST IN PRS OVERLAYING THE GPS
M-CODE ISSUE BUT DECLINED TO COMMIT OPENLY TO SEEKING A
RESOLUTION OF THE ISSUE, OSTENSIBLY TO MAINTAIN EU UNITY.
THE ASI TECHNICAL EXPERTS SEEMED TO BE THE MOST WILLING TO
SEEK A RESOLUTION, WHICH SUGGESTS THAT THE DECISION TO
OVERLAY THE M-CODE IS BEING DRIVEN BY POLITICAL RATHER THAN
TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS, AT LEAST IN ITALY. UNFORTUNATELY,
IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE FOR THE DELEGATION TO MEET WITH
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ITALIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENSE, WHICH
MIGHT HAVE A MORE VESTED INTEREST IN THE SANCTITY OF THE
M-CODE. END COMMENT.
9. (SBU) OES/SAT JULIE KARNER CLEARED ON THIS MESSAGE.
USNATO DIRECTOR OF THE COMMUNICATIONS ELECTRONICS DIVISION
MELVIN FLACK WAS UNABLE TO COORDINATE ON THIS CABLE PRIOR TO
ITS TRANSMISSION.
SKODON
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 ROME 04292 03 OF 03 041408Z
CONFIDENTIAL
>
2002ROME04292 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR OES/SAT/JULIE KARNER
NATO PASS SES-4 FOR MELVIN FLACK
USDOC PASS OFFICE OF SPACE COMMERCIALIZATION
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2007
TAGS: TSPA TSPL ECON TSPL ECON TSPL ECON IT ITTSPA ITTSPA
SUBJECT: GPS/GALILEO CONSULTATIONS IN ITALY
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 ROME 04292 01 OF 03 041407Z
CLASSIFIED BY: ACTING ECONOMIC MINISTER COUNSELOR DAVID MULENEX FOR REA
SONS 1.5 (B,D)
1. (C) SUMMARY: DURING 23-24 JULY CONSULTATIONS IN ROME,
ITALIAN GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES PROVIDED A DIVERSE SET OF
NUANCED RESPONSES TO US CONCERNS OVER THE POSSIBLE OVERLAY OF
THE GPS M-CODE BY GALILEO PRS. WHILE ITALIAN TECHNICAL
EXPERTS WORKING ON GALILEO EXPRESSED SOME SYMPATHY TO US
CONCERNS AND A WILLINGNESS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE, THOSE
OFFICIALS DEALING WITH GOI GALILEO POLICY RESPONDED IN A MORE
AMBIGUOUS MANNER. BUT EVEN THEY ACKNOWLEDGED USG CONCERNS,
EVEN IF THEY WERE NONCOMMITTAL ON A WAY FORWARD TO FINDING A
SOLUTION. ALTHOUGH THE USG GPS DELEGATION MET WITH
REPRESENTATIVES OF A VARIETY OF GOI AGENCIES, THE ITALIANS
HAD CLEARLY COORDINATED THEIR POSITION AS A RESULT OF HAVING
BEEN BRIEFED IN DETAIL ABOUT A DRAFT REPORT ON GPS-GALILEO
INTERRELATIONSHIP PRODUCED BY AN AD HOC WORKING GROUP OF THE
NATO C3 BOARD. ON THE WHOLE, THE ITALIANS SEEM COMMITTED TO
GPS-GALILEO INTEROPERABILITY, BUT IT IS UNCLEAR HOW THIS
WILLINGNESS WILL TRANSLATE INTO ITALIAN ASSISTANCE IN
ACHIEVING A FAVORABLE RESOLUTION OF THE M-CODE OVERLAY ISSUE.
END SUMMARY.
3. (SBU) OES/SAT JULIE KARNER AND USNATO DIRECTOR OF THE
COMMUNICATIONS ELECTRONICS DIVISION MELVIN FLACK, ACCOMPANIED
BY ESTOFF LORENZO MARTINI, MET WITH OFFICIALS OF THE ITALIAN
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (MFA),THE ITALIAN MINISTRY OF
TRANSPORTATION (MOT) AND THE ITALIAN SPACE AGENCY (ASI). IN
ALL THREE MEETINGS, THE US DELEGATION MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE
USG IS NOT OPPOSED TO EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENT OF THE GALILEO
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 ROME 04292 01 OF 03 041407Z
GLOBAL NAVIGATIONAL SATELLITE SYSTEM (GNSS) IN PRINCIPLE BUT
WISHES TO ASSURE THAT GPS AND GALILEO ARE FULLY INTEROPERABLE
SO THAT GNSS CIVILIAN CONSUMERS OBTAIN THE BEST POSSIBLE
SERVICE AT THE LOWEST PRICE. YET, THE USG CAN NOT ACCEPT THE
OVERLAY OF A PORTION OF THE U.S. GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM
(GPS) MILITARY SIGNAL (M-CODE) BY THE PROPOSED GALILEO
PUBLICLY REGULATED SIGNAL (PRS) BECAUSE OF THE RISKS TO U.S.
AND NATO MILITARY CAPABILITIES. THE DELEGATION STRESSED THAT
WHILE THE USG WAS EAGER TO COLLABORATE WITH THE EUROPEANS ON
GALILEO INTEROPERABILITY, THE M-CODE OVERLAY ISSUE WOULD BE
AN OBSTACLE TO FUTURE USG COOPERATION IF IT REMAINS
UNRESOLVED. MR. FLACK ANALYZED THE POTENTIAL DETRIMENTAL
IMPACT TO NATO WAR-FIGHTING CAPABILITIES AND THE RISKS TO
NATO TROOPS AS A RESULT OF AN M-CODE OVERLAY. IN PARTICULAR,
MR. FLACK EXPLAINED THE POTENTIAL HARM TO NATO OBJECTIVES AND
PERSONNEL IF AN ADVERSARY OBTAINED THE CAPACITY TO USE
GALILEO SIGNALS FOR ITS OWN WAR-FIGHTING CAPABILITIES.
CONCERNS OVER THE ROBUSTNESS OF ENCRYPTION TO BE USED BY PRS
AND THE POSSIBILITY OF A WIDE DISSEMINATION OF ACCESS TO PRS
AMONG NON-GOVERNMENTAL USERS REPRESENT AN INHERENT RISK OF
THE PROLIFERATION OF GNSS CAPABILITY TO POSSIBLE NATO
ADVERSARIES. BY OVERLAYING THE M-CODE, NATO FORCES WOULD
DEGRADE THEIR ABILITY TO USE GNSS SIGNALS WHILE TRYING TO
DENY PRS TO AN ADVERSARY IN THE THEATER OF OPERATIONS. THE
ALTERNATIVE, CHANGING THE PRS ENCRYPTION KEYS TO DENY ACCESS
TO THE ADVERSARY, WOULD BE DEPENDENT ON NATO'S ABILITY TO
OBTAIN A RAPID CONSENSUS FOR COOPERATION AMONG ALL THE
MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU) AND THE EUROPEAN SPACE
AGENCY (ESA),SOME OF WHOM ARE NOT NATO MEMBERS. IN
ADDITION, MS. KARNER EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT THE EUROPEAN
COMMITMENT TO INTEROPERABILITY, NOTING AN APPARENT EUROPEAN
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 ROME 04292 01 OF 03 041407Z
PREFERENCE TO PURSUING INDEPENDENCE RATHER THAN
INTERDEPENDENCE IN THE AREAS OF TIMING, GEODESY AND SIGNAL
STRUCTURE.
4. (SBU) AT THE MFA, THE DELEGATION MET WITH COUNSELOR
ENRICO GUICCIARDI, HEAD OF SPACE COOPERATION AFFAIRS OF THE
MFA'S DIRECTORATE OF ECONOMIC COOPERATION. GUICCIARDI
ACKNOWLEDGED THE USG'S CONCERNS BUT DID NOT ADDRESS THEM IN
DETAIL, SHIELDING HIMSELF BEHIND HIS LACK OF TECHNICAL
EXPERTISE. HE BELIEVED THAT USG CONCERNS WERE SOMEWHAT
PREMATURE SINCE GALILEO WAS AT SUCH AN EARLY STAGE OF
DEVELOPMENT. HE PROVIDED AN OVERVIEW OF THE JOINT
UNDERTAKING BETWEEN ESA AND THE EU TO MANAGE THE PROGRAM.
THE UNDERLYING THESIS OF HIS PRESENTATION WAS THAT THE M-CODE
OVERLAY ISSUE COULD BE ADDRESSED COMPREHENSIVELY ONCE THE
EUROPEANS HAD WORKED OUT ALL THE WRINKLES IN THE OPERATION OF
THE JOINT UNDERTAKING. WITHOUT PROVIDING A COMMITMENT,
GUICCIARDI SEEMED AMENABLE TO FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ON THIS
ISSUE BUT ADMITTED THAT HE WAS NOT THE KEY GOI DECISION-MAKER
ON GALILEO.
5. (C) ON 24 JULY, THE DELEGATION MET WITH COUNSELOR RENATO
LIBASSI, A SPECIAL ADVISOR TO THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORTATION
AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE GOI'S INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP ON
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ5851
PAGE 01 ROME 04292 02 OF 03 041408Z
ACTION OES-01
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AGRE-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CEA-01 CIAE-00
CTME-00 INL-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00 DOTE-00 PERC-00 SRPP-00
EB-00 EUR-00 EXIM-01 E-00 FAAE-00 VC-00 FRB-00
H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 ITC-01 L-00 VCE-00 NASA-01
AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PM-00 ACE-00
SP-00 IRM-00 SSO-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 T-00
USIE-00 EPAE-00 PMB-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /011W
-------------- E24E86 041412Z /38
R 041346Z SEP 02
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5691
USDOC WASHDC
USMISSION USNATO
INFO EU INTEREST COLLECTIVE
AMCONSUL FLORENCE
AMCONSUL MILAN
AMCONSUL NAPLES
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 ROME 004292
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR OES/SAT/JULIE KARNER
NATO PASS SES-4 FOR MELVIN FLACK
USDOC PASS OFFICE OF SPACE COMMERCIALIZATION
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2007
TAGS: TSPA TSPL ECON TSPL ECON TSPL ECON IT ITTSPA ITTSPA
SUBJECT: GPS/GALILEO CONSULTATIONS IN ITALY
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 ROME 04292 02 OF 03 041408Z
GALILEO. WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THE US DELEGATION'S CONCERNS,
LIBASSI DID NOT DIRECTLY ADDRESS THEIR MERITS. INSTEAD, HE
PROVIDED A NUANCED RESPONSE THAT REITERATED AN ITALIAN
COMMITMENT TO AN OPEN US-EUROPEAN DIALOGUE WITH THE GOAL OF
ACHIEVING GPS-GALILEO INTERDEPENDENCE WHILE MAINTAINING EU
SOLIDARITY. LIBASSI STRESSED THAT ITALY DID NOT WANT TO
WEAKEN THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION (EC) BY PURSUING A SEPARATE
GALILEO DIALOGUE WITH THE UNITED STATES AND THAT ITALY
INTENDS TO GIVE ITS "FULL, LOYAL SUPPORT TO THE EC" IN THIS
MATTER. WHILE HE LEFT THE DOOR OPEN TO A NATO-EU DIALOGUE ON
THE M-CODE OVERLAY ISSUE, HE INDICATED THAT THE US-EU
NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD TAKE PRIMACY OVER ANY NATO-EU DISCUSSION.
ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT DISPUTE THE MERITS OF THE CONCERNS OF
THE US OR OTHER NATO MEMBERS ON M-CODE OVERLAY, HE EXPRESSED
A CONCERN ABOUT THE USE OF SECURITY ISSUES AS A COVER FOR
COMMERCIAL OR POLITICAL OBJECTIVES. SPECIFICALLY, LIBASSI
DID NOT WANT TO SEE THE OVERLAY ISSUE USED BY UNNAMED EU
MEMBER STATES TO USE THEIR DUAL MEMBERSHIP IN NATO AS A MEANS
TO REOPEN AGREEMENTS THAT HAD BEEN CONCLUDED WITHIN THE EU
TRANSPORT COUNCIL IN ORDER TO RENEGOTIATE BETTER TERMS.
(EMBASSY COMMENT: HE MAY HAVE BEEN REFERRING TO THE
COMPETITION FROM GERMANY TO BE THE SITE OF THE FUTURE
ADMINISTRATIVE SEAT OF GALILEO. ALTHOUGH THE GERMANS WERE
LATECOMERS IN JOINING GALILEO, THEY ARE AGGRESSIVELY SEEKING
TO HAVE THE GALILEO HEADQUARTERS BASED IN GERMANY ACCORDING
TO A AUGUST 21 CONVERSATION BETWEEN ESTOFF AND THE GERMAN
EMBASSY COUNSELOR FOR SCIENCE AFFAIRS JEN-PETER VOSS
(PROTECT). GUICCIARDI MENTIONED ITALIAN-GERMAN FRICTION OVER
THIS ISSUE BUT DID NOT GO INTO DETAIL. END COMMENT) HE
CLAIMED THAT THERE WAS A "STRONG POLITICAL WILL" WITHIN THE
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EU TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE UNITED STATES OVER GALILEO AND
IMPLIED THAT FULL US ENGAGEMENT IN GPS-GALILEO
INTEROPERABILITY "MIGHT AFFECT DESIGN." HE NOTED THAT THE
EUROPEANS WILL LOOK VERY CAREFULLY AT THE ISSUES OF ACCESS
CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OF PRS ENCRYPTION. ALTHOUGH HE
CLAIMED NOT TO HAVE SEEN A COPY OF THE NATO C3 BOARD'S
WORKING GROUP'S DRAFT REPORTON GPS-GALILEO
INTERRELATIONSHIP, HE ADMITTED TOHAVING BEEN BRIEFED ON ITS
CONTENTS.
6. (C) LIBASSI MADE AN OFFHAND COMMENT REGARDING THE ROLE
OF CHINA, WHICH ALLOWED THE US DELEGATION THE OPPORTUNITY TO
ASK FOR CLARIFICATION ON THE NATURE OF CHINESE PARTICIPATION
IN GALILEO THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP ARRANGEMENT WITH ESA.
LIBASSI RESPONDED THAT THE ROLE OF ESA'S NON-EU COLLABORATORS
SUCH AS CHINA COULD PLAY IN GALILEO HAD NOT BEEN DECIDED. HE
SEEMED TO UNDERSTAND THAT EXTENSIVE CHINESE PARTICIPATION IN
GALILEO WOULD HEIGHTEN US CONCERNS OVER THE POTENTIAL OF
NON-NATO COUNTRIES TO HAVE A DE FACTO VETO POWER OVER NATO
DECISION-MAKING IN A CRISIS THROUGH PRS OVERLAY OF THE
M-CODE. IN ADDITION, HE MADE AN OBLIQUE COMMENT REGARDING
"NATO BECOMING AN ASSISTANCE GROUP" OVER TIME. IT WAS NOT
CLEAR WHAT HE MEANT BY THIS STATEMENT, AND THE US DELEGATION
DID NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESS HIM FOR CLARIFICATION.
(EMBASSY COMMENT: WE VIEW THIS STATEMENT TO REFLECT
LIBASSI'S PERSONAL OPINION ONLY. HE DOES NOT HAVE ANY
COMPETENCY IN NATO AFFAIRS, SINCE HE DOES NOT HAVE ANY DIRECT
ROLE IN ITALIAN NATO POLICYMAKING, NOR DOES HE SEEM TO HAVE
ANY EXPERTISE IN THIS AREA. END COMMENT.)
7. (C) AT ASI, THE DELEGATION MET WITH THE DIRECTOR OF
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EXTERNAL RELATIONS, ROMEO PERNICE, AND THE TWO CHIEF ASI
REPRESENTATIVES TO THE ESA AND EU TECHNICAL WORKING GROUPS ON
GALILEO, DR. FRANCO MARCONICCHIO AND DR. FRANCO MARUCCI.
MARCONICCHIO AND MARUCCI ARE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE ITALIAN
CONTRIBUTION TO THE TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT OF GALILEO. THIS
DISCUSSION WAS MUCH MORE OPEN AND DIRECT WITH REGARD TO THE
ITALIAN RESPONSE. THE ASI REPRESENTATIVES, ON THE WHOLE,
EXPRESSED A SINCERE DESIRE TO COOPERATE WITH THE UNITED
STATES ON GPS-GALILEO INTEROPERABILITY. MARCONICCHIO, IN
PARTICULAR, ASKED IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO CONTINUE
US-EUROPEAN TECHNICAL DISCUSSIONS ON THE NON-PRS GALILEO
SERVICES AND SEPARATE THEM FROM THE M-CODE OVERLAY ISSUE.
WHILE THE USG PLANS TO GO FORWARD WITH GPS-GALILEO TECHNICAL
DISCUSSIONS, THE M-CODE OVERLAY ISSUE, IF IT REMAINS
UNRESOLVED, WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME AN IMPEDIMENT TO FUTURE
USG COOPERATION WITH GALILEO. FROM ASI'S PERSPECTIVE, ON THE
WHOLE, US-EUROPEAN TECHNICAL COOPERATION ON GPS-GALILEO ARE
PROCEEDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. ASI IS COMMITTED TO
COMPLETE INTEROPERABILITY WITH GPS AS BEING A FUNDAMENTAL
GOAL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF GALILEO. THE ASI TEAM NOTED THAT
A PRELIMINARY SYSTEM DESIGN REVIEW FOR GALILEO WAS COMPLETED
THE WEEK OF 14-20 JULY 2002 BUT THE EXACT CAPABILITIES OF PRS
HAD NOT YET BEEN DECIDED. WHATEVER THEIR PERSONNEL
PERCEPTIONS OF THE MERITS OF THE U.S. CONCERNS ABOUT THE
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CONFIDENTIAL PTQ5852
PAGE 01 ROME 04292 03 OF 03 041408Z
ACTION OES-01
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AGRE-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CEA-01 CIAE-00
CTME-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00 DOTE-00 PERC-00 SRPP-00 EB-00
EUR-00 EXIM-01 E-00 FAAE-00 VC-00 FRB-00 H-01
TEDE-00 INR-00 ITC-01 L-00 VCE-00 NASA-01 AC-01
NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PM-00 ACE-00 SP-00
IRM-00 SSO-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /011W
-------------- E24E8A 041412Z /38
R 041346Z SEP 02
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5692
USDOC WASHDC
USMISSION USNATO
INFO EU INTEREST COLLECTIVE
AMCONSUL FLORENCE
AMCONSUL MILAN
AMCONSUL NAPLES
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 ROME 004292
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR OES/SAT/JULIE KARNER
NATO PASS SES-4 FOR MELVIN FLACK
USDOC PASS OFFICE OF SPACE COMMERCIALIZATION
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2007
TAGS: TSPA TSPL ECON TSPL ECON TSPL ECON IT ITTSPA ITTSPA
SUBJECT: GPS/GALILEO CONSULTATIONS IN ITALY
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PAGE 02 ROME 04292 03 OF 03 041408Z
RISKS OF THE M-CODE OVERLAY (MARUCCI SEEMED TO BE
PARTICULARLY SKEPTICAL),THEY ALL ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THEY
UNDERSTOOD THE SERIOUSNESS WITH WHICH THE UNITED STATES VIEWS
THIS ISSUE. THE ASI TEAM ALSO ADMITTED TO HAVING BEEN
BRIEFED ON THE CONTENTS OF THE NATO C3 REPORT BEFORE THEIR
MEETING WITH THE US DELEGATION.
8. (C) EMBASSY COMMENT: THE ITALIANS WERE FAIRLY UNANIMOUS
IN THEIR DESIRE TO CONTINUE A DIALOGUE WITH THE UNITED STATES
WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF REACHING A COMPREHENSIVE LEVEL OF
INTEROPERABILITY BETWEEN GPS-GALILEO. THE GOI DOES NOT SEEM
TO HAVE A DEEPLY VESTED INTEREST IN PRS OVERLAYING THE GPS
M-CODE ISSUE BUT DECLINED TO COMMIT OPENLY TO SEEKING A
RESOLUTION OF THE ISSUE, OSTENSIBLY TO MAINTAIN EU UNITY.
THE ASI TECHNICAL EXPERTS SEEMED TO BE THE MOST WILLING TO
SEEK A RESOLUTION, WHICH SUGGESTS THAT THE DECISION TO
OVERLAY THE M-CODE IS BEING DRIVEN BY POLITICAL RATHER THAN
TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS, AT LEAST IN ITALY. UNFORTUNATELY,
IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE FOR THE DELEGATION TO MEET WITH
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ITALIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENSE, WHICH
MIGHT HAVE A MORE VESTED INTEREST IN THE SANCTITY OF THE
M-CODE. END COMMENT.
9. (SBU) OES/SAT JULIE KARNER CLEARED ON THIS MESSAGE.
USNATO DIRECTOR OF THE COMMUNICATIONS ELECTRONICS DIVISION
MELVIN FLACK WAS UNABLE TO COORDINATE ON THIS CABLE PRIOR TO
ITS TRANSMISSION.
SKODON
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2002ROME04292 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL