Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05VIENNA611
2005-03-02 13:08:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:  

BLUE LANTERN END-USE CHECKS: LICENSES 05-91445,

Tags:  ETTC KOMC AU TC 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 000611 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR PM/DTCC - BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR -- PETER
MAXWELL AND PETER SABATINI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETTC KOMC AU TC
SUBJECT: BLUE LANTERN END-USE CHECKS: LICENSES 05-91445,
05-908239 AND 05-900036 FOR SCHIEBEL ELEKTRONISCHE GERAETE,
VIENNA, AUSTRIA

REF: A. (A) STATE 35570

B. (B) STATE 28053

C. (C) ABU DHABI 880

D. (D) 04 STATE 268472

E. (E) 04 STATE 210819

F. (F) 04 STATE 210780

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 000611

SIPDIS

STATE FOR PM/DTCC - BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR -- PETER
MAXWELL AND PETER SABATINI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETTC KOMC AU TC
SUBJECT: BLUE LANTERN END-USE CHECKS: LICENSES 05-91445,
05-908239 AND 05-900036 FOR SCHIEBEL ELEKTRONISCHE GERAETE,
VIENNA, AUSTRIA

REF: A. (A) STATE 35570

B. (B) STATE 28053

C. (C) ABU DHABI 880

D. (D) 04 STATE 268472

E. (E) 04 STATE 210819

F. (F) 04 STATE 210780


1. EconPolCouns and DATT met on March 2 with Hans G.
Schiebel, President and CEO of the Schiebel Group and
Schiebel Elektronische Geraete GmbH, and Evelyne Pallanich, a
Marketing Assistant, at Schiebel's headquarters at
Margaretenstrasse 112, A-1050 Vienna. During the meeting,
James Rolig, Schiebel's Manager for Camcopter Service and
Support, joined the discussion. (Per ref c, Rolig, an Amcit,
had particpated in Embassy Abu Dhabi's end-use check.)
Schiebel provided the following information in response to
ref (a) and (b) questions.


2. DTC case 05-914445: 5 Inertial Measurement Units

-- How is Schiebel using the IMUs? The IMUs will go into
the flight control systems of Camcopter S-100 prototypes
(actually, Dr. Schiebel explained, these are pre-production
models, almost identical to what will emerge from full-scale
production). Schiebel will install two IMUs per aircraft,
for purposes of redundancy. Dr. Schiebel explained that his
plan was to use one U.S.-origin (i.e., Honeywell) IMU and one
from another source in each aircraft. Dr. Schiebel said he
hoped to sign a production contract with the United Arab
Emirates which would permit him to order 100 more IMUs from
Honeywell.

-- Have all 5 IMUs been installed on the Camcopter prototype
UAV? No. In the course of testing the pre-production models
which Schiebel has built, the company is in the process of
determining which of the IMU models (of the three Honeywell
types they have) they will use in production. Therefore, the
company is still in a process of installing, using, and
removing the IMUs for various test purposes.

-- To what kind of applications will the prototypes be used?
Schiebel is using the aircraft for flight testing,
development, and flight demonstrations to potential
customers. The aircraft are physically present in Vienna,
and undergo flight testing at a military airfield in nearby
Wiener Neustadt, Austria. Dr. Schiebel noted that his
company has applied for another export license for IMUs to
install in the two prototypes which Schiebel will deliver to
the United Arab Emirates.


3. DTC case 05-908239: 10 actuators

-- Have all 10 actuators been incorporated into the
Camcopter VTOL UAV system? No. Dr. Schieble explained that
there had been a mixup with Kearfott Guidance and Navigation
by which Schiebel received some analogue actuators instead of
the digital actuators Schiebel required. Some of the
actuators are in Vienna and some are in the UAE, he said, but
all were still the property of Schiebel.

-- Into how many UAV systems were they incorporated? None
on a permanent basis. Dr. Schiebel explained that the
company is constantly installing and uninstalling the
actuators for test purposes. In the end, the materials will
go into two complete airframes, each of which will have one
IMU and 5 actuators.

-- Were all these systems sent to the UAE armed forces? Not
yet. Delivery of those two aircraft will take place "by
midyear to the end of the year," with potential delays due to
bureaucratic requirements.

-- When were the systems sent by Schiebel to the UAE?
September 2004, when flight testing began in the UAE.
However, the systems remain the property of Schiebel until
delivery later this year.


4. DTC case 05-900036: 4 quartz rate sensors

-- Schiebel received the quartz rate sensors as planned.
The quartz rate sensors are currently in Schiebel's warehouse
in Vienna, and Schiebel no longer intends to use them. Dr.
Schiebel said the company had acquired the equipment when it
planned to build its own Inertial Measurement Units (IMU).
However, the company determined that it was cheaper and more
efficient to buy complete IMUs from Honeywell. Dr. Schiebel
noted that it was unlikely that he would ever use the 4
quartz rate sensors, because better and cheaper technology
was now available. He expressed some doubt as to how to
eliminate them from his inventory, and said he would
appreciate any guidance we could offer.

--------------
No Sales to Iran
--------------


5. We took advantage of the meeting to enquire about
internet allegations that Schiebel had sold units of its
first generation Camcopter to Iran. (Entries at
www.keypublishing.co.uk and www.vectorsite.net include the
line, "It was purchased by the Iranians, officially to help
clear minefields, but has apparently also been used for
patrolling Iran's border with Afghanistan.") Dr. Schiebel
said these reports were false, and Schiebel has not/not sold
any aircraft to Iran. Dr. Schiebel explained that Iran had
enquired about Schiebel's prodcuts about two years ago, but
"nothing came of it."
Brown