U.S. EMBASSY DOHA COUNTRY TEAM ASSESSMENT FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L DOHA 000470

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/25/2019
TAGS: PREL MASS IT QA
SUBJECT: U.S. EMBASSY DOHA COUNTRY TEAM ASSESSMENT FOR
APPROVAL TO TRANSFER TECHNICAL DATA AND SELL THE STAR
SAFIRE HD CAMERA TO QATARI ARMED FORCES VIA AGUSTA WESTLAND
(ITALY).

Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY AMB JOSEPH LEBARON, REASONS 1.4(A),(B),A
ND (D).

1.(U) SUMMARY: AGUSTA-WESTLAND (ITALY) HAS RECEIVED A
CONTRACT FOR THE STAR SAFIRE HD AIRBORNE SURVEILLANCE CAMERA
SYSTEM FROM THE QATAR EMIRI AIR FORCE (QEAF) IN SUPPORT OF
SEARCH AND RESCUE AND COUNTER-TERRORISM MISSIONS FOR QATAR'S
NEW AW139 HELICOPTERS. EMBASSY DOHA SUPPORTS RELEASE OF
INFORMATION AS WELL AS SALE OF THE SYSTEM TO THE QATAR ARMED
FORCES (QAF).

2.(U) THE FOLLOWING COUNTRY TEAM ASSESSMENT IS PROVIDED IN
SUPPORT OF THE QAF REQUEST.

3.(C) REASON QATAR DESIRES THE STAR SAFIRE HD CAMERA: QATAR
HAS CONTRACTED WITH AGUSTA-WESTLAND (ITALY) FOR FLIR SYSTEMS
INCORPORATED TO PROVIDE TEN (10) STAR SAFIRE HD CAMERAS FOR
THE EIGHTEEN (18) AW139 HELICOPTERS THAT AGUSTA-WESTLAND IS
SELLING TO QATAR. THESE HELICOPTERS WILL BE TASKED WITH
SEARCH AND RESCUE AND COUNTER-TERRORISM MISSIONS FOR THE QEAF
AND INTERNAL SECURITY FORCES (ISF).

4.(C) HOW THE ARTICLES OR SERVICES WOULD AFFECT QATAR'S FORCE
STRUCTURE: THE NET BENEFIT FOR THE QATAR ARMED FORCES IS THE
EXPANDED CAPABILITY TO EXECUTE SEARCH AND RESCUE AND
COUNTER-TERRORISM MISSIONS. CURRENTLY THEY HAVE TWO
HELICOPTERS OPERATING WITH THE SAFIRE I SYSTEM.

5.(C) HOW THE ARTICLES OR SERVICES WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO BOTH
U.S AND QATAR DEFENSE/SECURITY GOALS: AUTHORIZING THE SALE
OF THE STAR SAFIRE HD AIRBORNE SURVEILLANCE CAMERA SYSTEM
WILL SUPPORT SEVERAL USG REGIONAL STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES.

-- DETER AND DEFEAT ADVERSARIES

-- ASSURE REGIONAL ACCESS

-- STRENGTHEN REGIONAL STABILITY

-- BUILD SELF-RELIANCE OF PARTNER NATION SECURITY FORCES

6.(C) PROTECT VITAL INTERESTS OF THE U.S. WITHIN THE AREA OF
RESPONSIBILITY.

ULTIMATELY, SALE OF THIS SYSTEM WILL HELP STRENGTHEN U.S.
EFFORTS TO PROMOTE REGIONAL STABILITY BY ENHANCING REGIONAL
DEFENSE TO A KEY U.S. ALLY. THE ACQUISITION OF THIS FLIR
SYSTEM WOULD PROVIDE A LONG-TERM SEARCH AND RESCUE AND
COUNTER-TERRORISM CAPABILITY CURRENTLY EXISTENT IN A MUCH
SMALLER QUANTITY ON THE QATARI PENINSULA. SALES OF THIS
WEAPON SYSTEM WILL ENHANCE A NASCENT U.S. FOREIGN MILITARY
SALES (FMS) PROGRAM. THE STRENGTHENING OF THE PROGRAM
CONTRIBUTES TO FUTURE ACQUISITIONS OF INTEGRATABLE U.S.
SYSTEMS THAT WILL ENHANCE REGIONAL SECURITY.

7.(C) JUSTIFICATION FOR THE TYPE AND QUANTITY OF ARTICLES OR
SERVICES REQUESTED: QATAR SEEKS TO EXPAND THEIR SEARCH AND
RESCUE AND COUNTER-TERRORISM CAPABILITIES. THE QAF HAS
DETERMINED THAT TEN (10) STAR SAFIRE HD CAMERA SYSTEMS TO
MOUNT ON THEIR AGUSTA 139AW HELICOPTERS ARE NEEDED TO SUPPORT
QAF GOALS TO PROVIDE SEARCH AND RESCUE AND COUNTER-TERRORISM
CAPABILITIES.

8.(C) ANTICIPATED REACTIONS OF NEIGHBORING NATIONS: THE
EXPECTATION IS NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES WILL HAVE NO PARTICULAR
REACTION TO THE PURCHASE OF THE STAR SAFIRE HD CAMERA SYSTEM
AND NONE ARE EXPECTED TO RAISE OBJECTIONS. MANY OF QATAR'S
NEIGHBORS ARE ACQUIRING OR HAVE ACQUIRED SIMILAR SYSTEMS.

9.(C) ASSESSMENT OF QATAR'S ABILITY TO ACCOUNT FOR,
SAFEGUARD, OPERATE, MAINTAIN, AND SUPPORT THE ARTICLES: QAF
HAS LIMITED CAPABILITY AND PRINCIPLES TO MAINTAIN
ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE STAR SAFIRE HD CAMERA SYSTEM. THEY DO
HAVE TWO OPERATIONAL STAR SAFIRE I SYSTEMS. QAF UNDERSTANDS
THE NEED AND CAPABILITY TO SAFEGUARD THE SYSTEMS. ALTHOUGH
BASIC LEGISLATION EXISTS, QATAR'S POLICIES AND SYSTEMS FOR
EXPORT CONTROL ARE LIMITED. THE MINISTRY OF ECONOMY AND
COMMERCE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DEVELOPING LEGISLATION FOR AND
SUPERVISING THE NATION'S TRADE SYSTEM; HOWEVER, MEASURES
GENERALLY DO NOT EXTEND BEYOND ECONOMICALLY FOCUSED
AGREEMENTS, INCLUDING STANDARDS ESTABLISHED BY THE WORLD
TRADE ORGANIZATION AND GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL. THERE ARE
NO USER SERVICABLE PARTS ON THE STAR SAFIRE HD CAMERA SYSTEM.
ALL PARTS ARE LINE REPLACEABLE UNITS (LRUS). THESE LRUS
MUST BE SHIPPED TO FLIR SYSTEMS INCORPORATED DEPOT LOCATED IN
THE UAE FOR REPAIR/REPLACEMENT.



10.(C) TRAINING REQUIRED EITHER IN-COUNTRY OR IN THE UNITED
STATES AND THE ANTICIPATED REACTIONS RESULTING FROM THE
PRESENCE OF U.S. TRAINERS IN-COUNTRY: QAF PERSONNEL WILL
REQUIRE LITTLE ADDITIONAL TRAINING AS THIS IS AN UPGRADE TO
TECHNOLOGY ALREADY EXISTENT ON THEIR CURRENT HELICOPTERS.
EDUCATIONAL COURSES AND TRAINING EXERCISES ARE ROUTINELY
CONDUCTED BETWEEN QAF AND U.S. MILITARY. QATAR MAINTAINS A
ROBUST U.S. MILITARY AND DEFENSE CONTRACTOR PRESENCE; NO
ADVERSE REACTION TO U.S. TRAINERS IN QATAR IS ANTICIPATED.

11.(C) POSSIBLE IMPACT OF ANY IN-COUNTRY U.S. PRESENCE THAT
MIGHT BE REQUIRED AS A RESULT OF PROVIDING THE ARTICLE:
THERE WILL BE NO IMPACT IN-COUNTRY. IF QAF IS NOT ALLOWED TO
PURCHASE THE STAR SAFIRE HD CAMERA SYSTEM, IT WILL HAVE A
NEGATIVE IMPACT ON INTEROPERABILITY WITH U.S. AND
COALITION/REGIONAL FORCES, OUR SECURITY ASSISTANCE PORTFOLIO,
AND FUTURE U.S. DEFENSE PRODUCT ACQUISITION.

12.(C) SOURCE OF FINANCING AND THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE
PROPOSED ACQUISITION: THE FUNDS FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE STAR
SAFIRE HD CAMERA SYSTEM WILL COME FROM THE QATARI NATIONAL
BUDGET. QATAR APPEARS TO BE THE LEAST AFFECTED COUNTRY IN
THE MIDDLE EAST AND PERHAPS THE WORLD BY THE RECENT ECONOMIC
DOWNTURN. THE UNITED STATES GAINS IMMEDIATE ECONOMIC BENEFIT
BY SELLING THE DESIRED SYSTEM. APPROVAL AND EXPEDITIOUS
HANDLING OF THIS REQUEST WILL LEAD TO FUTURE U.S. ECONOMIC
BENEFITS.

13.(C) HUMAN RIGHTS CONSIDERATIONS RELEVANT TO THE PROPOSED
ACQUISITION: THERE ARE NO HUMAN RIGHTS CONSIDERATIONS
RELEVANT THE PURCHASE OF THE STAR SAFIRE HD CAMERA SYSTEM.

14.(C) A PLAN FOR END-USE MONITORING FOR SENSITIVE AND
ADVANCED WARFIGHTING TECHNOLOGY AND THE SAO'S PLAN FOR
COMPLIANCE VERIFICATION: QAF WILL REQUIRE EDUCATION ON
END-USE MONITORING PROGRAM, AS APPLICABLE. QAF WILL COMPLY
WITH END-USE MONITORING AS OUTLINED IN CHAPTER 8, DOD
5105-38-M, SECURITY ASSISTANCE MANAGEMENT MANUAL, 3 OCTOBER
2003, AS NECESSARY. OMC QATAR WILL FULFILL ITS
RESPONSIBILITY AND ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH END-USE MONITORING
REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE GOLDEN SENTRY PROGRAM BY CONDUCTING
PERIODIC ACCOUNTABILITY INVENTORIES AND MONITORING
OPERATIONAL USE AND CONTROL DURING DAY-TO-DAY
MILITARY-TO-MILITARY CONTACT, WHEN REQUIRED.

15.(C) RECOMMENDATION WHETHER THE USG SHOULD APPROVE TRANSFER
OF THE CLASSIFIED DATA AND JUSTIFICATION: AMEMBASSY DOHA
COUNTRY TEAM RECOMMENDS APPROVAL FOR THE SALE OF THE FLIR
SYSTEMS INCORPORATED STAR SAFIRE HD CAMERA SYSTEM TO QATAR.
THIS ASSESSMENT HAS BEEN FULLY COORDINATED WITH AMEMBASSY
DOHA COUNTRY TEAM.

16.(C) SALE OF THE STAR SAFIRE HD CAMERA SYSTEM IS IN THE
BEST INTERESTS OF BOTH NATIONS ECONOMICALLY, MILITARILY AND
POLITICALLY.

LeBaron