EMBASSY SUPPORTS PROPOSED IDB LOAN TO ARGENTINA FOR REMOTE

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001442 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS EX-IM BANK FOR MICHELE WILKINS OPIC FOR GEORGE SCHULTZ AND RUTH ANN NICASTRI SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD ARMY FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COMMAND SECNAV FOR OFFICE OF NAVAL RESEARCH OSAF FOR AFOSR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH SECDEF FOR DIRECTOR DEFENSE RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EFIN EAID TSPA AR SUBJECT: EMBASSY SUPPORTS PROPOSED IDB LOAN TO ARGENTINA FOR REMOTE SENSING SATELLITE PROJECT Ref: Buenos Aires 666 ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for internet distribution. ¶2. (SBU) Summary: Embassy Buenos Aires supports the proposed USD 50 million IDB loan to Argentina for a remote sensing satellite as being in the US national interest and as being an appropriate loan for the IDB. Far from being a "classic trophy project," the loan would develop an industry where Argentina is globally competitive and one in which the USG and US companies have extensive military, scientific and commercial interests. At all costs, we should avoid giving the impression that we are opposed to the development of Argentina's technology industry, one of the bases for the GOA's opposition to the G-7 proposal to limit trade in radioactive materials with Iran. Post has some sympathy for concerns about waiving procurement rules, but they may not matter in the Argentine context, where only one company can do the work. End summary. ¶3. (SBU) The IDB is preparing a USD 50 million performance driven loan (PDL) that will support the construction and launch of a remote sensing, L-band radar satellite, which would be Argentina's fourth publicly-owned satellite. The document has not been submitted for formal Board or IDB approval yet. However, the USED's office has already begun a conversation on the loan and has indicated it has three objections to this loan: -- That this is a "classic trophy project," a public sector space program that the multi-lateral development banks should not support. -- That this should not be done under the PDL Program because Argentina has asked for a waiver of IDB procurement rules; and -- That this is not a policy priority in Argentina, where IDB should focus on poverty alleviation and policy regime change. ¶3. (SBU) Embassy Buenos Aires supports the loan as being in the U.S. national interest. This loan would help develop one of the few technological areas where Argentina is globally competitive, and also one in which the USG and U.S. private companies are working in cooperation with Argentina and stand to gain substantially from this project. The U.S. military has direct interests in the technology that would result from this project going forward. Post has some reservations about the procurement rule exception, although it may have less relevance in the Argentine context, where there is only one company that can do this sort of work, one which sources 90 percent of its procurement from the United States. -------------- A Classic Development Project -------------- ¶4. (U) Far from being a "classic trophy project," this is a classic development project, one aimed at developing a country's comparative advantage. Argentina already has a highly-competitive remote sensing satellite components production industry. While the loan would be to CONAE, the Argentine space agency, CONAE will only contract the work out to private or public-private companies (see below). What is new in this loan is that instead of supplying components to L-band sensing satellites assembled in other countries, Argentina would produce this satellite domestically, and thus give it the ability to compete for remote sensing satellite business elsewhere. That fits within the IDB's Country Strategy for Argentina, to "increase national competitiveness" and "reconstruct human capital." ¶5. (U) The almost certain winner of the contract will be INVAP, a corporation owned by the province of Rio Negro which operates on a private sector basis, and receives no provincial funding. INVAP has 360 employees in Argentina, and two subsidiaries, one in the US (Black Rock Technology) and one in Brazil. 90 percent of its materials and components are purchased from the USA. INVAP has developed nuclear reactors (sold to Australia, Egypt and Algeria); the SAC series satellites; wind energy machinery; and robotic components for operations in hazardous areas. It has several partnerships with NASA and is certified to provide parts to NASA. The US military is interested in its technology. ¶6. (SBU) INVAP's supply line is heavily reliant on US technology, which not only means that US companies will receive a large portion of the loan proceeds but also that US technology restrictions (e.g., Kyl-Bingaman, related to remote sensing imagery of Israel) will apply. ¶7. (SBU) Post notes that Argentina's satellite technology capabilities do not extend to building a telecommunications satellite, where US private sector contacts tell us that INVAP does not yet have the technical capability necessary to compete at a world level. In remote sensing, however, Argentina can compete on both price and quality. -------------- USG Interests in Argentine Satellite industry -------------- ¶7. (U) NASA has an already established relationship with CONAE to coordinate collection of Earth Observation data. The Argentine SAC-C satellite was flying in formation with three NASA satellites (Terra--MODIS data, Landsat-7, and EO-1). The collection of data from different sensors at about the same time is quite an innovative and useful approach. We can reasonably expect a new Argentine satellite system to have the same level of coordination with NASA. INVAP is certified as a component supplier to NASA, and NASA receives satellite data thru the Cordoba Ground Station project. ¶8. (U) L-band radar, because of its wider wavelength will be very useful for soil moisture determination and crop residue (tillage) applications. This would help delineate the extent of a drought or the extent of flooding for agricultural areas. For areas that are more densely vegetated (forests, tropical rain forests, forest plantations in Corrientes and Misiones),the L-band would be useful for biomass measurement, and would greatly help in quantifying the deforestation taking place in northern Argentina (see reftel). These are remote areas, not easily accessible. Using space-based observations to complement and augment the few point-based ground observations would save time, and increase the efficiency and reliability of the information. The Engineer Research and Development Center of the US Army Corps of Engineers is interested in Argentina's use of L-band radar to remotely measure soil moisture and biomass. ¶9. (U) The Argentines, should they go forward with this project, would have a unique asset to bring to the table for Earth Observation. There is currently a Group on Earth Observation (GEO) which is a world-wide effort to build a global earth observation system to improve weather information, reduce vulnerability to natural disasters, adapt to a changing climate, and combat desertification. There are 64 GEO member countries. The satellite-based L-band would be able to contribute to this effort. ¶10. (SBU) There is extensive interest by all branches of the US military in INVAP technology. The US Army International Technology Center South America (USAITC-SA) is located in Argentina to identify Argentine technology that could be useful for US defense applications, including INVAP. The US Army is directly interested in INVAP sensing technology, particularly integrated and deep drilling sensors. Two US military entities are interested in INVAP satellite technology for Future Combat Systems (FCS). The Space and Missile Defense Command is interested in INVAP satellite buses and, potentially, in its L-Band radar technology. ¶11. (SBU) Comment: In Post's views, the US interest in Argentina's satellite industry -- commercial, scientific and military -- should be sufficient to support this loan. At all costs, the USG should avoid the appearance that the USG is opposed to Argentina's effort to develop its technology industry, an issue that Argentina already is sensitive about as a result of the G-7 proposal to limit trade in radioactive materials with Iran. GUTIERREZ