AUSTRIA: INITIAL BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3 END-USE

UNCLAS VIENNA 001237 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/AGS (SAINT ANDRE) AND PM/DTCC (WATKINS) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC KOMC AU SUBJECT: AUSTRIA: INITIAL BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3 END-USE CHECK ON LICENSE 05-987332 REF: STATE 43605 ¶1. EconPolOff and Post's Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) Chief met on May 8 with Manfred Siegl, of the Austrian Ministry of Defense's (MOD) Air Material Division. ODC and Siegl have a close working relationship and have carried out previous end-use checks for the Department of Defense "Golden Sentry" Program. Siegl understands the function and importance of the Blue Lantern program. He helped facilitate an appointment for us at the MOD with Walter Rodler, who holds a civilian procurement job and was responsible for procuring the 40 steering valves for the M109. We also spoke with the Deputy Commander of the Austrian Army's operational support command, who was knowledgeable about the current whereabouts and usage of these parts. Both were unfamiliar with the Blue Lantern Program. ¶2. The MOD officials presented EconPolOff and ODC Chief with paperwork showing that the 40 steering valves were delivered to Wels, Austria, on March 6, 2007. The deputy commander explained that the Wels location is a customs and receiving point for all Austrian military equipment. We also viewed paperwork showing that the MOD transferred the 40 parts to a military base in Klagenfurt, Austria, on March 7, 2007. This is the centralized maintenance facility for all M109 support. EconPolOff and ODC Chief explained the purpose of the Blue Lantern program and made a request to inventory the equipment. Per MOD regulations, the MOD officials explained that we needed to get permission from its legal department to inventory the equipment. ¶3. Later the same day, EconPolOff and ODC officer met with General Ronald Stoeller from the Austrian Army's procurement department. Stoeller explained that the MOD is in the process of writing a new legal policy that will govern how it carries out end-use checks, including Golden Sentry and Blue Lantern checks. He said it will be possible for us to inventory the parts in Klagenfurt together with Austrian MOD representatives, but not until the MOD finalizes the new policy. We anticipate this will take place in early June and that this Blue Lantern check will be a useful test-run of the new MOD policy. ¶4. Post will issue a follow-up report on this Blue Lantern request as soon as we inventory the 40 valve steering parts. Kilner