SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES REPORT-ODC ARMENIA-November 2007

UNCLAS YEREVAN 001412 SIPDIS SIPDIS SECSTATE FOR PM AND ISP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MCAP KCFE XG AM SUBJECT: SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES REPORT-ODC ARMENIA-November 2007 ¶1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Letter of Agreement (LOA) totaling $6.8M in FMF for Peacekeeping equipment and radios signed by ARM MOD; Letter of Agreement for Excess Defense Articles (EDA) approved; Letter of Request (LOR) received from ARM MOD requesting additional EDA trucks forwarded to USASAC; ARM MOD requests EDA UH-1H helicopters. ¶2. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS ¶A. On 26 Nov 07 the ARM MOD signed the Letter of Acceptance (LOA) for $6.8M of peacekeeping equipment and communications equipment for their new 2nd Peacekeeping Battalion and new Peacekeeping Brigade staff. The development of these units directly supports the EUCOM Country Campaign Plan: Objective 2, and the NATO IPAP with Armenia: Objective 2.3.2; Establish a Peacekeeping Brigade. The new LOA is the second amendment to the existing FMF case: AM-B-BAA: Peacekeeping equipment. ¶B. The Letter of Request (LOR) submitted by the ARM MOD requesting Excess Defense Article (EDA) trucks to support the transport and deployment of the U.S provided Expeditionary Medical Support (EMEDS) field hospital was approved by DoS. This directly supports Armenian IPAP Goal 2.3.1; Action 3: Improve Combat Service Support: Medical. A cable authorizing the acquisition of seven trucks and four trailers through the EDA system was received on 20 Nov 08. The ODC Chief and selected Armenian technicians will conduct a Joint Visual Inspection of the vehicles the week of 17 Dec, and the vehicles should be shipped to Armenia soon after that to support extensive training events planned for Feb-May 08. All training and equipping is designed to have the EMEDS available for Coalition or NATO deployments by Aug 08. ¶C. An additional Letter of Request was submitted by the ARM MOD requesting Excess Defense Article (EDA) trucks on 26 Nov 07. These requested trucks are intended to support the new Armenian Peacekeeping Brigade, which will stand-up the 2nd PK Bn in the spring. This request directly supports Armenian IPAP Goal 2.3.2; Establish Peacekeeping Brigade. The request asks for about 10 5-ton and fifteen 2.5-ton cargo trucks. The LOR was forwarded to USASAC on 26 Nov 07 for processing. ¶D. The ARM MOD also provided ODC Armenia with a tentative LOR requesting EDA UH-1H helicopters. Given the ODC Chief's extensive experience with the Georgia UH-1H Helicopter program, which he managed from 2002-2004, and given Armenia's lack of understanding and current inability to provide the extensive training and sustainment costs that such an acquisition would require, ODC Armenia strongly recommends against approval of the LOR should the ARM MOD request it be sent forward. The ARM MOD is a relative newcomer to FMF equipment acquisitions and only recently had its EDA request for trucks approved in Nov 07, and has yet to experience the financial burden of maintaining those simple troop platforms. Additionally, Armenia would require extensive training of flight, and maintenance personnel, and an extensive spare parts case. Current FMF and IMET levels are unlikely to support all of these needs. It is further unlikely the ARM MOD has considered the acquisition of the new fuel required to fly these aircraft: their existing Soviet frames use a different type of fuel. ODC Armenia will provide estimated costs to the MOD for initial acquisition and sustainment of a potential UH-1h program in the coming weeks with USASAC assistance. These initial estimates will hopefully cause the necessary "sticker-shock" to dissuade the ARM MOD from pursuing this course of action. ¶E. STATUS OF FOREIGN MILITARY FINANCING (FMF): ¶1. The final end items ordered for the 12th Peacekeeping Battalion in the FMF AM-B-BAA, A1 case requested in Sep 06, arrived on 23 Nov 07. Included in the shipment were various medical supplies for the planned medic platoon, as well as field kitchens and EOD de-mining protective suits for the 12th Peacekeeping Bn and its sub units. ¶3. Equipment from AM-B-UBC: NBC Equipment also continues to arrive, with a number of spare parts arriving prior to their end items. ODC will continue to track and work with USASAC. ¶F. Joint Contact Team Program (JCTP). One JCTP event was conducted in Armenia from 26-30 Nov 07. "NCO Program Implementation" addressed the current Armenian officer duties and responsibilities that should be passed to the NCOs of the Armenian 12th Peacekeeping Battalion to make the NCOs of that unit more effective. This event was designed to assist the Peacekeeping forces better implement their NCO program in the 12th PK Bn. It may further provide adequate detailed information about the respective NCO duties and responsibilities which should in turn provide significant guidance to the Armenian MOD, thereby allowing them to re-write their job description booklets for specific NCO positions in the 12th Bn. ¶G. State Partnership Program (SPP). No SPP events were conducted in November. One SPP event is planned for December involving Kansas National Guard Engineers. "Mine-clearing Operation in PKO TCT" will familiarize the Armenian De-mining unit with the new de-mining equipment it received through its recent FMF order. Mine detectors, EOD protective suits, and even field equipment such as rucksacks will be demonstrated by the Kansans Engineers so that the Armenians can get an initial understanding of how to properly employ their new American equipment which will replace worn, older equipment. ¶H. Humanitarian Assistance (HA). ¶1. The ODC will conduct a project initiation meeting for the HA water project event as soon as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers representative in Tbilisi receives the HA funding from EUCOM and is available to make the trip to Yerevan. The stand-alone HA event will reconstruct existing water wells in three rural villages in Armenia where the current water system has deteriorated to a degree that potable water is seldom available. ¶2. The ODC submitted two Excess Property requests that are awaiting funding from EUCOM-J4-ID-HA. One request is to supply furniture and school equipment to two affiliated orphanages for disabled children. The second request is to supply the same items for a boarding school for children with disabilities. ¶I. International Military Education and Training (IMET): English Language testing and number of IMET students in US. ¶1. Training Snapshot Students at DLI: 12 Students at Specialty Training: 12 E-IMET: 0 ¶2. English Comprehension Level (ECL) Testing Students tested in November: 2 ¶3. PERSONNEL/RESOURCES/LOGISTICS ¶A. GAINS: None. ¶B. LOSSES: None ¶C. ATTACHED PERSONNEL (TDY): None. ¶D. APPROVED LEAVES NEXT 30 DAYS: None ¶E. TDY NEXT 30 DAYS: Ms Hovannissian and Ms Martiosyan: 3-7 Dec to TMS training in Stuttgart, Germany LTC Peterson: 10-14 Dec; EMEDS training and equipping IPR in San Antonio, TX LTC Peterson: 17-18 Dec; EDA Joint Visual Inspection in Kaiserslautern, Germany ¶F. RATING SCHEME CHANGES: None ¶G. EXTENSIONS/CURTAILMENTS: None. ¶5. ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES: ¶A. EFFICIENCY REPORT SUSPENSES: None ¶B. AWARD SUSPENSES: None ¶C. PERSONNEL ACTIONS: None ¶6. ODC CHIEF'S COMMENTS: Armenian Dram exchange rate against the dollar has experienced a significant drop in the past weeks from 330 to 301 Drams to the dollar. ¶7. POC for this message is LTC Doug Peterson. 37410-49-46-65 37410-46-47-36(fax) petersond@state.gov PENNINGTON