RESPONDING TO GOJ QUESTIONS ABOUT IRANIAN

S E C R E T STATE 044624

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/01/2034
TAGS: MTCRE PARM PREL MNUC ETTC KSCA JA IR IT
SUBJECT: RESPONDING TO GOJ QUESTIONS ABOUT IRANIAN
SERVO-ACTUATOR PROCUREMENT EFFORTS (S)

REF: A. ROME 472

B. STATE 34798

C. TOKYO 800

D. STATE 32269

E. TOKYO 306

F. STATE 6399

G. 08 STATE 109147

H. 08 TOKYO 2554

I. 08 STATE 97993

J. 07 TOKYO 4687

K. 07 TOKYO 3805

L. 07 STATE 113257

Classified By: ISN/MTR DIRECTOR PAM DURHAM FOR REASONS
1.4 (B),(C),AND (D).


1. (U) This is an action request. Embassy Tokyo,
please see paragraph 4.


2. (S) Background: Since the summer of 2007, we have
discussed with Japanese officials the efforts of
entities acting on behalf of Iran's unmanned aerial
vehicle (UAV) program to acquire SSPS105 and PS050
servo-actuators manufactured by the Japanese firm
Tonegawa-Seiko (Refs). These efforts have included
approaches to Tonegawa-Seiko by the Taiwan-based
intermediary Prime Kit Enterprises, as well as by
numerous Malaysia-based intermediaries including
Microset Systems, Evertop Services, and an individual
named Hamed Ghazvinian.


3. (S) Most recently, we shared with Japanese
officials information indicating that in February 2009,
the Iranian parent firm of Evertop - the Farazeh
Equipment Distributor Company (FEDCO) - sought
Tonegawa-Seiko servo-actuators via the Italian firm
Alpi Aviation (Ref D). In response, the GOJ informed
us that Tonegawa-Seiko had in fact exported 200 PS050
actuators to Alpi Aviation in late February (Ref C).
Japanese officials suggested that we raise this issue
with Italian officials, and also requested details
regarding the specific end-use of the actuators Iran
has been seeking (including the type of UAVs that could
use these actuators). In addition, the Japanese
government has asked for U.S. views on whether these
servo actuators are indispensable to Iran's UAV program
and if Iran could be procuring similar items from other
manufacturers.


4. (S//REL JAPAN) Action request: Department requests
that post advise the GOJ that we recently met with Italian
government officials and shared the information related
to FEDCO's attempted procurement of the Tonegawa-Seiko
servo-actuators through Alpi Aviation (Refs A & B).


5. (S) Regarding the end-uses of the items, post
should inform GOJ officials that:

(SECRET//REL JAPAN)

U.S. technical experts assess that the SSPS105 and
PS050 servo-actuators Iran is attempting to acquire
probably are intended for use with Iranian UAV systems.
These servos provide enough torque to command control
surface deflections for the ailerons, rudders,
elevators or flaps of large remote control aircraft or
UAVs with wingspans approaching seven meters.
Tonegawa-Seiko design and vendor marketing information
describes the servos as rugged, all-weather,
electromagnetically shielded, high torque equipment
"originally designed for UAVs," which suggests that
they would be ideal for UAV systems requiring near
military-grade reliability. These systems could be
used on any of Iran's UAVs, but probably are
exclusively intended for the Ababil III or Mohajer 4
series of UAVs. We do not currently have any
information to share regarding other possible suppliers
of servo-actuators to Iran's UAV program.

(Note: This information may be left as a non-paper.
End Note)


6. (U) Please contact ISN/MTR's John Paul Herrmann
with any questions or follow-up issues related to this
case (202-647-1430 - herrmannjp@state.sgov.gov) and
slug any reporting on this issue for ISN/MTR and EAP/J.
CLINTON