(S/NF) IBB/SPACEFOR COLLABORATE ON IRANIAN JAMMING

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000957 NOFORN SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP,R, BBG AND IBB DEFENSE FOR CENTCOM E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2019 TAGS: PREL OIIP BBG KPAO KU IR SUBJECT: (S/NF) IBB/SPACEFOR COLLABORATE ON IRANIAN JAMMING ATTACKS REF: A. KUWAIT 917 ¶B. KUWAIT 778 (NOTAL) ¶C. KUWAIT 756 Classified By: Political Counselor Pete O'Donohue for reasons 1.4 b and d ¶1. (S/NF) Kuwait-based International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) and Office of Military Cooperation-Kuwait (OMC-K) staff traveled to Al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar on September 27 to meet with Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) counterparts to establish protocols for reporting suspected Iranian jamming against Radio Farda satellite broadcasts. Of particular concern is the ongoing, but sporadic, suspected systemic jamming of IBB broadcasts by Iranian-based sources. The meetings resulted in the establishment of protocols for future incident notification, spectrum interference reporting, and secure communications. DoD capabilities may assist in confirming the nature and extent of suspected jamming from Tehran. End summary. IBB Visit to Al-Udeid Results in Notification Protocols -------------- -------------- ¶2. (S/NF) At Post's initiative, Kuwait-based International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) and OMCK personnel traveled to Al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar on September 27 to meet with Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC - Allied Joint Headquarters for Air, Space, and Cyberspace Assets) counterparts to gain insight into suspected Iranian jamming efforts against our Radio Farda broadcasts on regional geostationary satellites (i.e. Hotbird, Arabsat) (reftels). Director Space Forces (DIRSPACEFOR) -- a CAOC component that coordinates US space forces support to operations in the USCENTCOM area of operations -- officials briefed the team on US capabilities such as Silent Sentry, a tactical passive electronic system used to monitor satellite communications and geolocate sources of interference. Iran Waging Electronic Warfare on Farda? -------------- ¶3. (S/NF) Evidence presented by both teams bolstered suspicions noted reftels that Iran is engaged in jamming of IBB signals. Electronic interference has been sporadically occurring since at least late June 2009 -- coinciding with the Iranian Presidential elections -- and has been targeted primarily against IBB video signals relayed on transponders leased from commercial satellite companies, and uplinked from Kuwait and other locations. While jamming has not been continuous, it has been persistent, and anecdotal evidence of Iranian involvement included an incident during the post-Iranian election disturbances when the Farsi video signal was jammed, effectively blocking the IBB transmission from being received in Iran. Unfortunately, the jamming methodology also disrupted other non-Farsi IBB program channels. New Protocols -------------- ¶4. (S/NF) In the event of future interruptions, IBB watch-standers will notify the CAOC Combat Operations Division (COD) via voice and email. CAOC DIRSPACEFOR will provide the IBB station engineer with a report template to ensure the military space community gets the information needed in a usable format. Upon notification from the IBB station, CAOC COD Space will work with Air Forces Director of Command, Control, Communications, and Computer Systems (AFFOR A6) to ensure that proper Joint Spectrum Interference Reporting is accomplished. CAOC COD Space will also report jamming attempts to the Global Satellite Support Center for coordination of national and theater assets as appropriate. Feedback from the CAOC to the IBB Kuwait station is planned via secure telephone calls from CAOC and the IBB station manager with a secure copy message relayed through the OMC-K. The Way Forward -------------- ¶5. (S/NF) IBB and CAOC are implementing the inaugural KUWAIT 00000957 002 OF 002 notification process immediately to address any subsequent jamming events. Reciprocating the visit and looking for further avenues of cooperation and enhancement of capabilities, CAOC DIRSPACEFOR, AFFOR A6, and CAOC COD officials will tour the IBB Kuwait facility in November. ********************************************* ********* For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: visit Kuwait's Classified Website at: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it ********************************************* ********* JONES