BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3: PRE-LICENSE END-USE CHECK ON

UNCLAS LJUBLJANA 000130

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PM/DTCC - BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KOMC ETTC SI
SUBJECT: BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3: PRE-LICENSE END-USE CHECK ON
APPLICATION 050029807

REF: SECSTATE 22837


1. (U) Econoff conducted a site visit to Slovenian company
Aviotech d.o.o.and met with company owner Matjaz Praprotnik.
He confirmed his order from U.S. seller Cloud Cap of 10
Piccolo II Autopilots, 3 Developers Kits, 5 Portable Ground
Station Kits and 10 LT Avionics. The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
(UAV) equipment will be used to develop long-range
anti-aircraft defense drones. According to Praprotnik, the
purpose of the purchased equipment is to maintain appropriate
alignment of a UAV's wings and rudder when UAV is out of
sight. Currently, Aviotech makes short-range (less than 1.5
kms) remote-controlled anti- aircraft defense training drones
which are controlled by handheld devices. Aviotech's only
client is the Slovenian Airforce, which uses Aviotech UAVs
for training purposes. Aviotech is on the outskirts of Ptuj
(pop. 23,000). Its neighbors are chicken-processing company
Perutnina Ptuj and a printing company.


2. (U) In 2006, the Overseas Defense Cooperation chief, Lt.
Colonel Eugene Moty, visited Aviotech to learn more about its
UAV technology. Econoff consulted with Moty, and Moty
confirmed Aviotech's long standing work with UAVs.


ROBERTSON