CANADIANS, GERMANS DISCUSSING HELICOPTER SUPPORT

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 002069

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2017
TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR NATO CA GM
SUBJECT: CANADIANS, GERMANS DISCUSSING HELICOPTER SUPPORT
TO RC-S

REF: OSLO 1093

Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (S/NF) Summary: German and Canadian officials in Ottawa
are discussing the possible deployment of German CH-53
rotary-wing aircraft to southern Afghanistan in support of
NATO-ISAF operations. The Canadians asked us to avoid
raising or pressing the matter with the Germans for now
because their discussions are at a delicate stage. While
still a long-shot, if a deal emerges, we will need to be
ready to tell our allies to what extent we would be willing
to help them face the attendant infrastructure and
supportability issues. End summary.


2. (S/NF) The German military assistant to Parliamentary
State Secretary Christian Schmidt visiting Ottawa October 31
revealed to Defense Attache that Germany and Canada were
discussing the possible deployment of German helicopters to
the restive Regional Command - South (RC-S) area of
Afghanistan. German air crews would be able deploy, he said,
in part by re-interpreting the rules of engagement that
govern their current operations in Afghanistan. The military
assistant said he was very optimistic that some type of
arrangement could be worked out.


3. (S/NF) On November 7, Canadian Department of National
Defense officials briefed Defense Attache and pol-miloff on
their bilateral discussions with the Germans. According to
DND Director for NATO Policy Gavin Buchan, Canadian and
German officials had recently begun discussing various
scenarios that could lead to the deployment of German rotary
wing airlift deployed to RC-S as soon as early 2008. One
scenario would have the German military conduct temporary
deployments of German-crewed CH-53 aircraft from northern
Afghanistan to RC-S in a combat support role. Buchan noted
that, in this scenario, aircraft operations would probably
require forward-deployed air crews and ground support units.


4. (S/NF) Canadian and German officials have also discussed
whether, when, and how to approach the U.S. and other allies
to facilitate the deployment, according to Buchan. Making
such a mission sustainable over the longer term, he added,
would require bolstering ground support capacity, as well as
turbine upgrades, and expediting the provision of
ITAR-controlled counter-measure devices for some of the
aircraft that the Germans could make available to the
mission.


5. (S/NF) Another scenario, Buchan described, had Canadian
or "NATO multilateral" crews flying German CH-53 aircraft in
RC-S after eight months of training for Canadian crews; there
are no CH-53s in the Canadian inventory. The two sides, he
stressed, are still working out how they would configure such
an arrangement. When asked whether the Canadians and the
Germans were thinking in terms of a loan, a lease, or some
other mechanism, Buchan said that all options remain on the
table, but that he would not be surprised if they ended up in
a lease arrangement, "like we did with the Leopard tanks."


6. (S/NF) Buchan commented that a combination of the two
arrangements was also possible, with the Germans deploying
some of their existing airlift to RC-S on "temporary"
assignments to fill "critical" shortfalls, while the two
sides cooperate bilaterally and with other ISAF members,
"perhaps Poland," to build a longer term, more sustainable
Q"perhaps Poland," to build a longer term, more sustainable
solution.


7. (S/NF) Buchan stressed that, even though he was making us
aware of Canada's discussions with the Germans, the Canadian
government wanted the U.S. to steer clear for now. Let
Canada "fan the embers gently, and avoid blowing them out,"
he said. The discussions could lead to a "dead-end," he
acknowledged, but so far Canada was getting enough positive
signals from Germany to believe it was worth pressing ahead.
In a separate conversation, DND NATO desk officer Sarah Terry
observed that the Canada-Germany relationship is very good
and that a gentle Canadian approach to Germany would likely
bode better in Berlin than a more assertive joint U.S.-
Canadian approach.


8. (S/NF) Comment: Having no capable rotary-wing assets of
its own, and taking political hits for being unable to
convince allies to render support in RC-S, the Canadian

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government is primed to jump at almost any agreement with the
Germans, even a potentially flawed one. While still a
long-shot, if a deal emerges, we will need to be ready to
tell our allies to what extent we would be willing to help
them face the attendant infrastructure and supportability
issues.

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