MARCH 10 OPEN SKIES TREATY PLENARY: AGREEMENT ON

UNCLAS USOSCE 000066 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR VCI/CCA, EUR/PRA, EUR/RPM, SCA/CEN JCS FOR NORWOOD OSD FOR ISA (PERENYI) NSC FOR DOWLEY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL OSCE SUBJECT: MARCH 10 OPEN SKIES TREATY PLENARY: AGREEMENT ON PRINCIPLES FOR SENSORS, WORK ON TEXT STARTED ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Open Skies Consultative Commission (OSCC) Plenary met on March 10 in its last formal session before the Spring OSCE break. It heard the Chairman's report of the Informal Working Group on Sensors to the Plenary and for the German Chairman to pass the leadership over to the United States, which assumes leadership for the next part of the session (April - July). Russia informed the forum of its Open Skies activities in February and March. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) During the March 10 OSCC Plenary, Chairman Simmons (U.S.) of the Informal Working Group on Sensors reported on the past two weeks of the Group meetings. The first week was devoted to commercial aerial camera manufacturers and technical discussions which allowed the members to gain new insights and understandings through dialogue and interface with industry experts. Representative from seven companies provided a good understanding of the various commercial digital camera systems commonly used on aircraft today, as well as the digital processing being used by these manufacturers to produce imagery. ¶3. (SBU) The second week was devoted to completing Revision One to Decision 14, which is almost completed, and building the basis for the Digital Image Processing Decision. The Working Group achieved an agreement on the basis of principles and have begun work on actual text. When completed, these two decisions will define the specifications and protocols for certifying digital aerial cameras for use in the Open Skies Treaty and provide a foundation for Open Skies sensors well into the next decade. ¶4. (SBU) Russia reported that it had conducted four observation flights; Lithuania 18-22 February, Estonia 25-29 February, and Croatia 3-7 March. Russia also conducted a joint mission with Sweden over the U.S. 2-10 March. There were also three observation flights flown over Russia; Canada 4-8 February, joint Germany and France 18-22 February, and Norway 3-7 March which was not completed due to weather. ¶5. (SBU) Concerning the 500th Open Skies Mission flight, Russia confirmed that according to its calculations, this flight would occur during the second part of the session between April and July. Germany, as Chairman, agreed and supported some type of ceremony marking the date. ¶6. (SBU) As at the end of each session comes change of personnel, The forum bid farewell to Jean-Micheal Vidal of France. Additionally, the Chairman (Germany, Ratzlaff) quietly spoke of the Decision on the future work of the sensor Informal Working Group and noted that it was normal for intensity to increase as the session continued into the Spring and Summer. Ratzlaff highlighted the decision that needed to be agreed upon return would be the deadline on the scales of distribution for provisional application through 2007, which needed updated for 2008. ¶7. The next formal Open Skies Plenary will take place on April 7, 2008 under the Chairmanship of the United States. SCOTT