USAU: COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR AU -- UPDATE

UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 001242 STATE FOR AF/RSA - MIKE BITTRICK E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MASS MCAP SO AU SUBJECT: USAU: COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR AU -- UPDATE REF: A. ADDIS ABABA 754 ¶B. ADDIS ABABA 853 ¶1. The Command, Control, and Communications Information System Project (C3IS) is progressing steadily. Since the last update (ref B),the project has been presented to the African Union Ministers of Defense and Chiefs of Defense on May 11-15 in Addis Ababa. The project was approved by the Ministers to proceed accordingly. Currently, USAU is holding biweekly meetings with key communications experts and managers from the AU, EU, UN, and the U.S. ¶2. A budget has been proposed to AF/RSA to advise on future costs associated with the project. An MOU has been drafted and was presented to AU Peace and Security Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra who presented the project at the MOD/CHOD conference last week. AFRICOM and Mitre Corporation are collaborating to take control of the previously bought communication gear and ship it to Stuttgart in order to distribute the non-ITAR restricted equipment to the AU. To accommodate the equipment, a secure warehouse has been identified at the AU and space allocated to store the equipment once it arrives. Senior AU officials have been briefed on the plans to build a temporary operations center located on the AU premises behind the logistics base. ¶3. In June, a review will begin of the new Peace and Security building sponsored by the German GTZ agency to ensure that the blueprints contain proper specifications to accommodate a large enough space and wiring needed for the new Operations Center room. In order to provide immediate relief for Somalia, we are attempting to procure airtime cards for the AMISOM Commanders' satellite phones. Also, contractor EMC Corporation is planning to go back to Mogadishu to reset another modem and hopefully repair the failing VSAT. ¶4. Going forward, aside from the biweekly meetings, an interim workshop has been scheduled for August 4-6 at USAU which will include all participants from the last workshop. Lastly, the AU plans to send their Communications Officer Lt. Col. Tembo to do a site survey of communication capabilities at the five regional headquarters in June. USAU will provide another update in July. YAMAMOTO