HONDURAS' DECISION TO TERMINATE FOUR FMS SERVICE

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 001652

SIPDIS

STATE FOR P, T, WHA, WHA/CEN, PM, AND INR/IAA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/27/2014
TAGS: PARM PREL MASS MCAP PBTS PINR HO
SUBJECT: HONDURAS' DECISION TO TERMINATE FOUR FMS SERVICE
LOA WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE ITS FLEET OF F-5S

REF: 03 TEGUCIGALPA 2380

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Roger D. Pierce;
Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (SBU) On July 22, USMILGP Tegucigalpa received a letter
from the Honduran Air Force's (HAF) Department of Logistics
requesting that the number of Honduran F-5s under U.S.
Foreign Military Sales (FMS) service Letters of Agreement
(LOAs) be reduced from ten to only six jets. The request
appears to have been generated from the Commanding General of
the HAF, Colonel Manuel Enrigue Caceres Diaz, in an effort to
conserve limited HAF funds. This move effectively reduces
Honduras' original fleet of 12 F-5s to six. Note: Although
the GOH originally had 12 F-5s, two of these are inoperable
(one crashed and one has been used for spare parts). End
Note.


2. (C) In reftel, Post noted that Honduras' aging fleet of
F-5s would likely face further reductions due to a lack of
spare parts and other budgetary constraints. Honduras' move
to reduce FMS F-5 contracts appears to be an effort to keep
its remaining six jets in a state of adequate repair rather
than attempt to continue to service the others at a cost of
significantly reduced readiness. As it is, Honduran pilots
train on their F-5s only one hour a month due to high fuel
costs.


3. (C) Comment: The Government of Honduras (GOH) has
consistently indicated it would not negotiate a reduction in
F-5s on a bilateral basis with Nicaragua regarding its excess
Man Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) (reftel),and this
latest move by the GOH was not necessarily in the spirit of
furthering regional arms reductions. However, this
unilateral move by Honduras, albeit apparently for budgetary
reasons, could be used to encourage Nicaragua to consider
deeper cuts in its current MANPAD arsenal. It could also be
used as a catalyst for furthering regional arms reductions
through established channels such as the Central American
Security Commission (SICA) and/or the Armed Forces Conference
of Central America (CFAC). End Comment


4. (U) Post will transmit via fax the original HAF letter to
WHA/CEN.
Pierce