CROATIA REQUESTS ASSISTANCE FOR MANPADS DESTRUCTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000554

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE, PM/WRA MARK ADAMS
DEPARTMENT ALSO PLEASE PASS TO DTRA SALW PROGRAM - REYNO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/22/2018
TAGS: MASS PREL PGOV PTER MARR PARM HR DEFENSE REFORM
SUBJECT: CROATIA REQUESTS ASSISTANCE FOR MANPADS DESTRUCTION

REF: A. ZAGREB 00334 B. D'AMICO-ADAMS 7/23/2008
TELCON AND E-MAIL C. ZAGREB 322 D. STATE
30482

Classified By: PolOfficer PETER D'AMICO, Reasons 1.4 (B/D)


1. (C) After an April visit to Croatian Army logistics
facilities to discuss the destruction of the military's
excess Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) (ref A),
the Croatian Ministry of Defense (MOD) sent a formal letter
on June 11 requesting USG assistance in destroying 929 of the
approximately 2,900 Strela-2 missiles and upgrading the site
security. The Croatians are likely to request assistance in
destroying additional missiles from this inventory the in
coming years. Post attempted to get a second letter adding
grip stocks to the list of items requested to be destroyed,
but MOD has not to date been able to produce a request
including grip stocks.


2. (SBU) Unofficial translation of the letter follows:

Material Resources Department
Ministry of Defense
Republic of Croatia


U.S. Embassy Zagreb

LTC Michael Kaffka

Subject: MANPADS Disposal

Dear Sir,

In his 28 April 2008 letter to the Chief of Development,
Acquisition, and Modernization Service BG Knezevic,
Ambassador Bradtke offered financial assistance for MANPADS
disposal. The same willingness was expressed by the U.S.
side during the May 19 meeting between the U.S. Embassy
Defense AttachQ, Col. McAloon, and Ministry of Defense State
Secritary Mate Raboteg.

In accordance with this offer, we are informing you that
the following ordnance systems have been declared obsolete,
and need to be disposed of:

-9M32M rocket (Strela 2M) - 929 units

In accordance with the above, we are kindly asking for
official notification stating the amount of financial
resources with which you are willing to support the MANPADS
disposal project as well as the project to upgrade our system
of technical protections for the MANPADS that will remain in
the inventory of the Croatian Armed Forces. We need the
requested information to be able to prepare the Minister's
order for the ordinance disposal.


Respectfully,

Director,

Darko Polanec


3. (SBU) NEXT STEPS: Based on this letter, Post will present
the draft Implementing Arrangement (IA) that Washington
cleared to the GoC this week, in hopes of having the document
signed by August 1. If, during discussions of the IA text,
the GoC can confirm in writing its readiness to destroy the
grip stocks as well, Post will revert to Washington for
guidance on possible revisions to the IA and the
corresponding increase in funding that could be available.
If the GoC is still not prepared to commit on the grip
stocks, then post shall proceed with the IA text as is.
Bradtke