EMBASSY SUPPORTS EFFORTS TO IMPROVE DOMINICAN AIR

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 001757 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR PM DAS COULTER AND ROSATI, WHA, WHA/CAR ROSHOLT, L/PM COFFEE SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MARR PTER DR SUBJECT: EMBASSY SUPPORTS EFFORTS TO IMPROVE DOMINICAN AIR FORCE CT AND HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE ¶1. (SBU) Embassy concurs with and supports the aircraft procurement program (termed RAMP) proposed by U.S. Air Force Southern Command (AFSOUTH) designed to provide partner nations such as the Dominican Republic with the ability to work jointly with the United States to secure national borders and execute humanitarian relief operations. The program would provide, on a cost-sharing basis, light ground attack, utility helicopter, tactical/medium airlift, and intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance platforms to a number of Central American nations, including the Dominican Republic. ¶2. (SBU) Embassy understands and concurs with the expenditure of 1206 monies to fund AFSOUTH country team visit(s) to the Dominican Republic to investigate cost-sharing capability and national desire for cooperation with United States on military and humanitarian operations. BULLEN