TURKEY ISSUES RFI ON RECONNAISSANCE AND

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