COUNTRY TEAM ASSESSMENT OF F-16 UPGRADES FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 007820 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2013 TAGS: MAP SUBJECT: COUNTRY TEAM ASSESSMENT OF F-16 UPGRADES FOR WEAPONS COMPATABILITY (C) REF: A. A. JORDANIAN FAX WITH LOR APPENDIX CHANGES 21 AUG 2003. ¶B. B. EMAIL FROM SAF/IARM DATED 14 OCT 2003 Classified By: COMLOR ¶1. (U) PER REFERENCE B ABOVE, THE US EMBASSY ) AMMAN IS PROVIDING A COUNTRY TEAM ASSESSMENT (CTA) IN SUPPORT OF THE GOJ,S REQUEST THAT F-16 UPGRADES BE COMPATIBLE WITH MULTIPLE WEAPONS SYSTEMS IDENTIFIED IN REFERENCE A. ¶2. (C) THE HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN HAS REQUESTED IN REFERENCE A, AS PART OF ITS F-16 MODIFICATIONS, THAT THE F-16 CONFIGURATION BE COMPATIBLE WITH SEVERAL WEAPONS SYSTEMS JORDAN MAY DESIRE TO PROCURE IN THE FUTURE. THE LIST IS: AIM-120 (AMRAAM) GBU-24 LASER GUIDED BOMB (LGBS) JDAM (GBU-31) AGM-65D/G MAVERICK PGU-27 AND PGU 28 BULLETS CBU-87/89/97 CLUSTER MUNITIONS AIM-9X SIDEWINDER (ASRAAM) AGM-88 HARM & ASQ-213 HARM TARGETING SYSTEM POD AGM-84 HARPOON BSU-49 BALOOT (500 LB) BSU-50 BALOOT (500 LB) LGBS (GBU-10,12) CURRENTLY, A FEW OF THESE ITEMS ARE IN QUESTION: AIM-9X, AGM-88 HARM & HARM TARGETING PODS, CBU-97, CBU-89, AGM-84 BLOCK II, AND THE GBU-31. THE AIM 9-X, CBU-89, AND AGM-88 HARM & HARM TARGETING PODS ARE NOT CURRENTLY RELEASABLE TO JORDAN. THE CBU-97 AND AGM-84 BLOCK II CAN BOTH BE WORKED VIA ENDP AND THE GBU-31 CAN BE HANDLED VIA A TOPLINE FROM SAF/IA. EVEN WITH SOME WEAPONS CURRENTLY AT ISSUE, THIS CTA REQUESTS THAT ALL THESE ITEMS REMAIN AS FUTURE OPTIONS TO THE JORDANIANS. JORDAN HAS BEEN A STAUNCH SUPPORTER OF U.S. EFFORTS AND MAY RECEIVE FAVORABLE CONSIDERATION ON MANY OF THESE ITEMS AT SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE. ADDITIONALLY, IT MAY BE YEARS BEFORE THE ACTUAL ITEMS ARE REQUESTED AND FUNDED. THE F-16 MODIFICATIONS WILL NOT BE COMPLETE UNTIL SOMETIME IN THE MIDDLE OF 2008 (KIT MANUFACTURE WILL TAKE 2 YEARS FOLLOWED BY 2.5 YEARS FOR INSTALLATION IN 17 AIRCRAFT). BARRING ANY MAJOR FUNDING INCREASE TO THE ROYAL JORDANIAN AIR FORCE OR CHANGE IN THE JORDAN,S AIR FORCE MODERNIZATION PLAN, IT IS LIKELY THAT SIGNIFICANT WEAPONS BUYS WILL BE TOO COSTLY IN THE NEAR TERM. THUS KEEPING THE OPTION OPEN OFFERS JORDAN THE POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE CAPABILITIES WITH MINIMAL RISK. ¶3. (U) RECOMMEND U.S. GOVERNMENT APPROVAL FOR RETAINING ALL THESE ITEMS AS FUTURE OPTIONS FOR JORDAN,S AIR FORCES WITH EACH ITEM AT ISSUE TO BE EVALUATED AT THE TIME OF AN OFFICIAL LETTER OF REQUEST FROM JORDAN. THE HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN PLAYS A PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE FUTURE PEACE OF THE REGION AND MERITS FURTHER U.S. ASSISTANCE IN THIS KEY AREA OF DEFENSE. ¶4. (U) THE US EMBASSY AMMAN COUNTRY TEAM HAS CONFIRMED WITH THE JORDANIAN GOVERNMENT THEIR INTENT TO PROVIDE THESE ITEMS WITH THE SAME DEGREE OF SECURITY AS THE U.S. WOULD PROVIDE. JORDAN HAS IN THE PAST BEEN A TRUSTWORTHY CUSTODIAN OF OTHER STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY. THE COUNTRY TEAM STRONGLY BELIEVES THAT IT WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. ¶5. (C) WE ANTICIPATE THERE MAY BE A NEGATIVE REACTION FROM ISRAEL AND SYRIA IF JORDAN ACQUIRES THE AIM-9X AND HARM SYSTEMS. HOWEVER, SINCE THIS IS NOT A REQUEST TO ACQUIRE THE AIM-9X AND HARM SYSTEMS, WE EXPECT THE REACTION TO BE MINIMAL. WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE ANY SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE REACTION FROM SAUDI ARABIA AND/OR OTHER REGIONAL STATES FOR THIS ACQUISITION. ¶6. (U) WE ARE UNAWARE OF ANY ALLEGATIONS OF GROSS VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS BY THE RJAF THAT WOULD PROHIBIT RELEASE OF THIS ITEM. ¶7. (U) POC THIS ACTION IS MAJ CJ OMLOR, USAF, AT 011-962-6-592-0101, EXT 2549 OR AT COMLOR@SAN.OSD.MIL HALE