DOD DIRECT PARTICIPATION IN EUROSATORY 2008

UNCLAS PARIS 000461 SIPDIS E.O. 12598: N/A TAGS: MASS MILI PINS ETRD MARR MASS FR SUBJECT: DOD DIRECT PARTICIPATION IN EUROSATORY 2008 ¶1. IN ANTICIPATION OF JUNE 2008 EUROSATORY, U.S. EMBASSY PARIS STRONGLY SUPPORTS AND ENCOURAGES DIRECT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PARTICIPATION IN THIS IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL EVENT. ¶2. THE WORLD LARGEST LAND AND AIR DEFENSE ARMAMENT TRADE SHOW, SCHEDULED FOR 16-20 JUNE 2008, PROVIDES AN UNEQUALLED SHOWCASE FOR THE BEST IN U.S. TECHNOLOGY. DOD ENTHUSIASTIC AND SUCCESSFUL PRESENCE AT PREVIOUS EUROSATORY EXPOSITIONS ILLUSTRATES OUR COMMITMENT TO NATO AND COALITIONS AND DEMONSTRATES OUR CAPACITY FOR TECHNICAL AND MILITARY LEADERSHIP. A STRONG AND OFFICIALLY SUPPORTED DISPLAY OF AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY IS A MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO COMMUNICATE OUR VOCATION TO LEADERSHIP IN DEFENSE ISSUES. ¶3. USG AND DOD PARTICIPATION IN THIS EVENT SUPPORTS THIS EMBASSY MISSION PERFORMANCE PLAN BY ENHANCING BILATERAL AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS WITH KEY PARTNERS. EUROSATORY STATISTICS FOR 2006 REFLECT THE TRULY INTERNATIONAL SCOPE OF THIS EVENT: SEVENTY PERCENT OF INDUSTRY PARTICIPANTS (WHICH NUMBERED NEARLY 1200) AND FIFTY PERCENT OF VISITORS (FROM A TOTAL OF 48,000) WERE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES, AND INCLUDED 110 OFFICIAL DELEGATIONS FROM 71 NATIONS. ¶4. AS THE REGIONAL COMBATANT COMMANDER, EUCOM THEATER SECURITY COOPERATION PLAN IS EQUALLY SUPPORTED BY PARTICIPATION IN EUROSATORY. OUR PRESENCE PROMOTES STRONG TIES TO CURRENT AND FUTURE ALLIES WHILE EMPHASIZING DOD COMMITMENT TO INTEROPERABILITY OF OUR RESPECTIVE ARMED FORCES. ¶5. THE U.S. EMBASSY IN PARIS STRONGLY RECOMMENDS THAT THE EQUIPMENT SELECTED FOR THE DOD CORRAL HAVE AS ITS FOCUS THOSE SYSTEMS AND PLATFORMS THAT HAVE PROVEN ESSENTIAL IN THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR. SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT THEREFORE INCLUDES: THE M1A2 ABRAMS MAIN BATTLE TANK; THE M2 BRADLEY INFANTRY FIGHTING VEHICLE; THE STRYKER FAMILY OF VEHICLES; PATRIOT OR SLAMRAAM (RAYTHEON STANDOFF LAND ATTACK MEDIUM RANGE ANTI-AIR MISSILE); AVENGER (BOEING AIR DEFENSE SAM MOUNTED ON A HMMWV); UGV (ANY UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE); JAVELIN (LOCKHEED-MARTIN GROUND-LAUNCHED ANTI-TANK MISSILE); LOSAT (LOCKHEED-MARTIN, LINE-OF-SIGHT ANTITANK); BAT-31 (NORTHROP-GRUMMAN BRILLIANT ANTI-TANK MISSILE); HYDRA 70 (NORTHROP-GRUMMAN HIGH EXPLOSIVE REMOTE MISSILE); HELLFIRE (LOCKHEED-MARTIN FIRE-AND-FORGET ANTI-TANK MISSILE); SENTINEL (RAYTHEON ROTARY WING UAV); HUNTER (ALLIANT TECH UAV); SHADOW (AAI UAV); GLOBAL HAWK (NORTHROP-GRUMMAN UAV); LAV (GENERAL MOTORS DEFENSE LIGHT ARMOR VEHICLE); SADRAM (GEN CORP MULTI-SENSOR FUSED SMART MUNITIONS); HIMARS (STEWART & STEVENSON AND LOCKHEED- MARTIN, HIGHLY MOBILE ARTILLERY ROCKET SYSTEM; PREFERABLY MOUNTED ON A 5-TON VEHICLE); FMTV (GOODMAN BALL FAMILY OF MEDIUM TACTICAL VEHICLES AND POWER GENERATORS); MILSATCOM AND SMPTFIRE (ROCKWELL-COLLINS SINGLE CHANNEL SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS); DRASH (DNS 4X4 DEPLOYED TACTICAL SHELTER); APACHE LONGBOW HELICOPTER (NORTHROP-GRUMMAN AND LOCKHEED- MARTIN, AH-64); BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER (UNITED TECHNOLOGIES, UH-60); AND THE KIOWA (BELL HELICOPTER, OH-58),MLRS, HMARS AND THE HUNTER OR SHADOW UAV. AS MAIN THEMES FOR THE EVENT EMERGE, REQUESTED EQUIPMENT MAY CHANGE AND WILL BE REFLECTED VIA SEPCOR. ¶6. A STRONG DOD PRESENCE IN 2008 WILL CONFIRM THE U.S. AS THE STANDARD AGAINST WHICH ALLIANCE INTEROPERABILITY IS MEASURED AND SERVE AS A PLATFORM FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY. ADDITIONALLY, DOD PRESENCE SERVES AS AN INVITATION TO PURSUE TRANSATLANTIC ARMAMENTS COOPERATION AND SECURITY ASSISTANCE. WITH THE ADVENT OF THE EUROPEAN DEFENSE AGENCY AND INCREASING CONCERNS OF A CLOSED EUROPEAN ARMS MARKET, U.S. PARTICIPATION IS ALL THE MORE ESSENTIAL. ¶7. U.S. EMBASSY PARIS CONSIDERS EUROSATORY 2008 AN EXEMPLARY OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE VIA A STRATEGIC PARTICIPATION PLAN THAT THE UNITED STATES REMAINS COMMITTED TO LEADERSHIP IN ACHIEVING GLOBAL SECURITY AND STABILITY. I THEREFORE RECOMMEND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROVAL FORFULL, DIRECT PARTICIPATION IN EUROSATORY 2008.