AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSMAN PRESENTS DUBIOUS IL-76

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 002121 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/14/2017 TAGS: MASS MARR PGOV PREL EAIR EIND MCAP NATO EUN ANZUS, CH, RS, AU, UZ SUBJECT: AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSMAN PRESENTS DUBIOUS IL-76 PROPOSAL REF: A. TASHKENT 1324 ¶B. TASHKENT 438 Classified By: Poloff Steven Prohaska for reasons 1.4 (b, d). ¶1. (C) Summary: An Australian named Frederick Darby in November approached Post with a plan to provide the Australian military with leased IL-76 cargo aircraft assembled in Tashkent. Darby claimed the deal could help sink Russia's plans to bring Tashkent's Chkalov Aircraft Factory (a.k.a TAPOiCh) into its Consolidated Aircraft Company. Embassy Moscow's Air Attache (who previously served in Tashkent) and Canberra's Office of Defense Cooperation have reviewed the information and cast serious doubts on Darby's credibility - or at least on his information. Post wishes to create a permanent record of the matter, via front channel reporting, in case either Darby or his proposal should resurface. End summary. ¶2. (C) An Australian named Frederick Darby, who claims to work for a Tashkent-based company, Amir-Mineral, approached Emboffs in November. He claimed to be in touch with an Australian firm called Adagold, which he said is the Australian military's prime cargo transport provider. The crux of Darby's proposal was that Adagold would buy six used IL-76 aircraft from an associate of his who had secured rights to buy them at a discount from the GOU. These six aircraft would form the core of a fleet that Adagold would use to supplement Australian military operations and humanitarian projects. Darby sought USG support and asked that we approach the Government of Australia about the matter. The draw Darby presented was the possibility of putting a fix on Russia's planned consolidation of IL-76 production. (Post note: The GOU has publicly stated that Tashkent's TAPOiCh plant probably will participate in the Russian venture. End note.) Darby claimed that by preventing the consolidation, the U.S. and its allies could also delay sales of IL-76s to China and possibly enhance the possibility that the new Labor government in Canberra would go forward with planned Joint Striker Fighter purchases. ¶3. (C) Post requested colleagues in Canberra and Moscow to provide an assessment of Darby's information. Responses from both posts cast serious doubts on the credibility of this information. Unless asked, Post has no further plans to contact Darby. POC is Political Officer Steve Prohaska. NORLAND