EXTRANCHECK: PRE-LICENSE CHECK: SKARD ELECTRONIC, KURSK,

UNCLAS MOSCOW 000300 SIPDIS USDOC FOR 532/OEA/M.HAMES/L.RITTER USDOC FOR 3150/USFCS/OIO/CEENIS/MCOSTA USDOC FOR 532/BIS/OEA/TWILLIS/EHOLLAND/ANALYST E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: BEXP ETRD ETTC RS SUBJECT: EXTRANCHECK: PRE-LICENSE CHECK: SKARD ELECTRONIC, KURSK, RUSSIA, LICENSE NO. D408571 REFTEL: USDOC 07085 ¶1. Unauthorized disclosure of the information provided below is prohibited by Section 12C of the Export Administration Act. ¶2. Reftel requested a Pre-license check to determine the legitimacy and reliability of the end-user, SKARD Electronic, Kursk, Russia. The company is listed on BIS license application D408571 as the ultimate consignee of TriQuint Semi-conductor 33 - 47 GHZ wideband driver amplifier. This item is controlled for national security and nuclear non-proliferation reasons under ECCN 3A001. The licensee is RFMW, Ltd, 90 Great Oaks Blvd., Suite 107, San Jose, CA 95119. ¶3. On February 4, 2009, Export Control Attach Peter Liston and LES Natalya Shipitsina conducted the requested pre-license check at the offices of SKARD Electronic, Katla Marksa 70B, Kursk, Russia. The export control team met with Oleg Donskoy, Deputy General Director, and Vladimir Semykin, Commercial Director. ¶4. SKARD Electronic is a privately held company that was established in 2002. SKARD has two principal owners and has approximately 80 employees. SKARD specializes in radio and electronics relay, microwave and metrology. SKARD is fully licensed within the 1 -40 GHZ radio microwave frequencies. SKARD does approximately 1 million USD in annual sales, has an almost monopoly in the local market and according to Oleg Donskoy, Deputy General Director, SKARD actually turns away business. ¶5. Oleg Donskoy, Deputy General Director, advised he export control team that SKARD Electronic is purchasing the RFMW, Ltd's 33 - 47 GHZ wideband driver amplifier for the construction of radio relay stations. The purchase will be for testing the relay stations until the project to install the system in the greater Kursk area passes the development stage. ¶6. SKARD Electronic appears to have the commercial viability to make the purchase. SKARD has the technical sophistication and a legitimate need for the commodity in reftel. The export control team did not detect and possible connection to state sponsored terrorism. SKARD is not involved in any chemical, biological, nuclear or missile programs. ¶7. Recommendations: Post recommends SKARD Electronic, Kursk, Russia, as reliable recipients of sensitive U.S. origin commodities. It is requested that post be notified of final disposition of the application, and of any shipments for this organization in order to conduct appropriate FCS follow-up and statistical reporting. (FCS MOSCOW/JMARKS/PLISTON) BEYRLE