RUSSIA: GLOBAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE FORUM CONTRASTS COSMIC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MOSCOW 001637 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/RUS (HOLMAN, GUHA),OES/SAT (BRAIBANTI, HODGKINS),L/NP BERLIN FOR ROBERT HAGEN STATE PASS TO NASA (BARRY) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TSPA TSPL ECON RS SUBJECT: RUSSIA: GLOBAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE FORUM CONTRASTS COSMIC HOPES AND REALITY REF: MOSCOW 00038 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The April 9-10 International Global Navigation Satellite Forum in Moscow showcased advances in global positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) systems. Led by the U.S. GPS system and followed closely by the Russian GLONASS, many new technologies are opening in agriculture, weather and environment monitoring, transportation, counterterrorism security, and other civilian and military uses. Despite GLONASS lagging behind GPS in operational capability, the moment is ripe for the USG and the GOR to pursue agreement on cooperation between their PNT systems. END SUMMARY Reaching for the Stars... -------------- ¶2. (U) On April 9-10 the Federal Space Agency Roskosmos hosted the International Global Navigation Satellite Forum in Moscow. More than 600 representatives of government, business and the scientific community attended over 200 presentations at the Forum. Highlighting the importance the GOR attaches to its Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS),Anatoliy Perminov, head of Roskosmos, opened the Plenary Session with a call for expansion of GLONASS to 18 satellites, the minimum number for operation of the global navigation system, with two planned launches by the end of ¶2007. In what sounded like a promise to President Putin and First Deputy Premier Sergey Ivanov, who have called for rapid completion of GLONASS, Perminov said by 2009 Roskosmos would deploy 24 GLONASS satellites or newer-model GLONASS M satellites necessary for full configuration of the system. ¶3. (U) Nikolay Anfimov, member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) and General Director of the Central Machine Building Institute, outlined improvements in the accuracy of Russian global positioning systems. He identified GLONASS applications for air and marine safety, mapmaking and environmental issues. Anfimov reported accuracy of measurements from 0.1 meter to 2 meters for aviation, from 0.1 meter to 1 meter for maritime use, from .02 to .03 meters for cartography and an amazing .001 to .005 meters for geodynamics. Other speakers at the breakout sessions detailed the potential uses of GLONASS in these areas, but most acknowledged that current �A;applications used the fully-operational United States Global Positioning System (GPS). ... Through Adversity -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Nikolay Testoyedov, member of RAS and General Director of NPO Applied Mechanics named for Academician Reshetnev, which builds GLONASS satellites, reported that 15 GLONASS satellites are in orbit, including three launched on December 25, 2006. However, he was questioned pointedly by Forum participants based on recent newspaper articles that claimed only seven GLONASS satellites were currently operational. Testoyedov responded that the articles were "true in form" but were outdated. He claimed that two of the three December satellites had recently been declared operational and the third would be fully functional by the end of April. (COMMENT: This explanation fails to account for the other non-operational satellites. Although the sources are not identified, media reports suggest that as many as 10 navigational satellites may be out of commission. END COMMENT) He also defended the longevity of GLONASS satellites, saying that by 2009 their functional life would increase. (NOTE: Roskosmos press releases have stated that the next generation GLONASS K satellite service life would be 10 to 12 years. END NOTE) ¶5. (U) M. G. Lebedev, Advisor to the Ministry for Information Technologies and Communications, cited the break-even point in annual sales at 700,000 to 750,000 units of GLONASS positioning and synchronization devices. He forecast achievement of this level in the Russian market within five years based on projected sales of two to three million new cars and the inclusion of such devices in 70% of information technology products. He ascribed 2006 sales of 380,000 units to lagging development of infrastructure, especially outside Moscow and St. Petersburg, and low awareness by users. However, audience questions suggested that the Russian market had not accepted the GLONASS-based devices because of their poor quality compared to GPS devices. MOSCOW 00001637 002 OF 003 ¶6. (U) Kenneth Hodgkins, Deputy Director of the Office of Space and Advanced Technology reviewed the progress in U.S.-Russian cooperation on GPS-GLONASS interoperability and radio frequency compatibility. He praised fruitful talks between the GOR and the USG on a proposed agreement to document this progress. Michael Shaw, Director of the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Coordination Office, outlined the USG policy of open access to GPS free of direct user fees on a worldwide basis. He cited mutual security interests and encouragement of GPS use and cooperation with competing systems, such as GLONASS. He noted that the PNT Advisory Board had six international members of the 24 total participants. ¶7. (SBU) In a question period at the end of the Plenary Session, the participants were told that the GOR had already contracted for the GLONASS K satellites in 2009, but by law other contracts would be open for bidding. Yuriy Urlichich, Director General of the Russian Institute of Space Device Engineering, said funding for GLONASS would be provided from the government budget and private loans, but he suggested that the Ministry of Finance might oppose this. A representative from Motorola was told there was a special office for certification of imported devices, and this would be covered in one of the breakout sessions. At that session, the response was "See me outside the conference." Several questioners elicited the information that regulatory authorities were considering acceptance of U.S.-based CDMA technology for GLONASS. Legal and Regulatory Environment -------------- ¶8. (U) In the Forum session devoted to the International and Legal Aspects of Satellite Navigation in Russia, Vladimir Klimov, head of the Roskosmos Office of Navigation of Automatic Spacecraft, identified 11 departments and agencies in the GOR that are part of the Coordinating Council for the interagency group overseeing GLONASS. He said the Coordinating Council's priorities are upgrading GLONASS functioning and orbital configuration, developing civilian use, pursuing transportation applications, improving capabilities and servicing special (i.e. military and security forces) users. He professed optimism on cooperation with GPS, the European Space Agency's Galileo system and other global navigation programs. (NOTE: Klimov is co-chair with Ken Hodgkins of the Plenary Group on GPS-GLONASS Cooperation. END NOTE) ¶9. (U) Sergey Pisarev, Director General of the Russian Institute of Radionavigation and Timing (RIRV in Russian acronym),referred to coordination and research for civilian and military purposes as driving GLONASS. He cited the Chaika (seagull) system of 14 stationary and 20 mobile stations as having cost advantages and allowing coverage of the southern and eastern areas of Russia. First Deputy Premier Sergey Ivanov recently encouraged RIRV to increase Russian competitiveness with GPS. When questioned, he acknowledged that the GLONASS standard was only accepted in 20 percent of the countries using global positioning technology. He forecast that GLONASS will develop a receiving chip that would sell for only five dollars each. ¶10. (U) Col. Mark Crews, U.S. Air Force Chief Engineer for GPS, reviewed satellite development and modernization. He noted recent decommissioning of the longest orbiting GPS satellite after 15 years. Twenty-nine satellites are currently operational, the latest having come online a few days after launch in November. He also cited improvements in technical aspects of bandwidths and signal strength that provided enhanced civilian user benefits. He looked forward to increased cooperation with GLONASS and other international systems. Comment -------------- ¶11. (SBU) High-level officials of Roskosmos extended extraordinarily warm welcomes to the U.S. delegation. Roskosmos Deputy Head Yuriy Nosenko invited Hodgkins, who has the lead on drafting the GPS-GLONASS Cooperation Agreement, to sit on the dais for the Plenary Session with Perminov and First Deputy Commander of the Space Forces Kvasnikov. Nosenko's second-in-command, Anatoliy Shilov, Director of the Space Complexes and Ground Control Directorate, came to the U.S. table at the celebratory dinner and MOSCOW 00001637 003 OF 003 toasted Russian-U.S. cooperation in space navigation systems. ¶12. (SBU) COMMENT (CONT.): Despite GLONASS lagging at this point behind GPS, it is still the only other functional global PNT system. On March 29 President Putin cited GLONASS at a meeting of the Presidium of the State Council as an example of innovation and diversification of the economy. First Deputy Premier Ivanov has noticeably pushed development of GLONASS. This is clearly an opportune moment to seize the initiative to conclude a GPS-GLONASS cooperation agreement between the GOR and the USG. ¶13. (U) OES/SAT Ken Hodgkins cleared this cable. BURNS