BLUE LANTERN - 05006144

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000476 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR PM/DTCC - BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KOMC ETTC EZ LO SUBJECT: BLUE LANTERN - 05006144 REF: STATE 104291 ¶1. (U) Post confirms that Air Transport Europe (ATE) is a limited liability company registered in the Slovak Republic and authorized to conduct repairs of aircraft and to import, export, buy and sell military materials. Daniel Ontko, Desk Officer in the Arms Control and Disarmament Section at the Slovak MFA told Poloff that he has no derogatory information on ATE. ¶2. (SBU) Poloff and Air Attache met with Mr. Marvin Denenny from the U.S. Army's Threat System Management Office (TSMO) on August 13. Denenny confirmed that TSMO contracted with ATE to upgrade helicopters and that the parts ordered under application 05006144 are necessary for the completion of TSMO's order. Denenny confirmed that his office has a long SIPDIS working relationship with ATE and they have found ATE to be a reliable and responsible partner. ¶3. (U) Poloff and Air Attache visited ATE's offices on August 22 and met with General Director Milan Hoholik. (Please note proper spelling.) Hoholik confirmed that the parts ordered under application 05006144 will be installed on Mi-8MTV helicopters that are the property of the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command. Upon completing contracted refurbishment and upgrade work, ATE will return the helicopters to the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command. ¶4. (U) ATE has been licensed to import and sell defense articles since 1999. According to Mr. Hoholik, however, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command is their only customer for controlled technologies. ATE's main business, excluding work done for the USG, is in civil transportation and helicopter maintenance. A sister company - registered separately for self-evident PR reasons - is the main provider of emergency medical air transport in Slovakia. Mr. Hoholik indicated that he is familiar with restrictions against the unauthorized re-transfer or re-export of U.S.-origin defense articles. SILVERMAN