VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #8546 3211651
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 171645Z NOV 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 0000
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 0000
INFO RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 0000
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 0000
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/DTRA ALEX WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/DTRA DULLES WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
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UNCLAS STATE 118546 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OSCE PARM PREL RU KS CH
SUBJECT: OPEN SKIES TREATY MISSION IN RUSSIAN FAR EAST 
(18-20 NOVEMBER 2009) 
 
REF: A. 09 STATE 017091 
     ¶B. MARVIN/EAP EMAIL 11/2/09 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified. 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action cable - see paragraph 4. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Summary and background. The United States is 
conducting an Open Skies Treaty flight over the Russian Far 
East from 18-20 November.  The mission is being conducted 
from Khabarovsk Novyy (ICAO code: UHHH) International 
Airport, and the flight will cover a route up to 5,900 
kilometers. Part of the route is adjacent to the land borders 
of China and North Korea. As a courtesy to these neighboring 
countries (China and South Korea), this cable provides 
background to ensure the flight does not prompt concerns. Ref 
A was a similar cable for a previous flight in March 2009. 
 
¶3. (U) The Open Skies Treaty enables full territorial, 
unarmed, overflight of other Treaty partners to build mutual 
confidence and security, and has no direct connection to 
civil aviation. Russia is one of 34 State Parties, all of 
which are in Europe/Eurasia except the United States and 
Canada. The Treaty is designed to enhance mutual 
understanding and confidence by giving all participants, 
regardless of size, a direct role in gathering information 
through aerial imaging of military forces and activities of 
concern to them.  Open Skies is one of the most wide-ranging 
international arms control efforts to date to promote 
openness and transparency in military forces and activities. 
End summary and background. 
 
¶4. (SBU) For action posts: Posts are requested to inform host 
government officials as appropriate concerning this United 
States Open Skies Treaty mission over the Russian Far East. 
Post may draw on the points in paragraph 5 below, which if 
asked, can be left as a non-paper. Post may use pertinent 
slides from Ref B as a visual aid to describe the mission, 
but should not/not provide copies to host government 
officials.  Reporting on reactions of host government 
officials would be welcome, but is not required. 
 
¶5. (U) Begin points: 
 
-- The U.S. is carrying out an Open Skies Treaty flight in 
the Russian Far East on November 18-20.  The mission is being 
conducted from the Russian airfield Khabarovsk Novyy (ICAO 
code: UHHH), for a distance of 5,900 kilometers. The mission 
will not enter North Korean or Chinese airspace. Part of the 
mission route is adjacent to land or territorial water 
borders for northeast mainland China (20 kilometers) and 
North Korea (60 kilometers).  The mission is not in proximity 
to South Korea itself, but we wanted to make sure Korean 
officials are aware that the flight is taking place in Russia 
to the north of North Korea.  We are informing you of the 
mission as a courtesy; the information requires no action on 
the part of your government. 
 
-- The "Open Skies" regime is a system of territorial 
overflights to build mutual confidence and security, and has 
no direct connection to civil aviation. The Treaty on Open 
Skies establishes a regime of unarmed aerial observation 
flights over the territories of its States Parties. Russia is 
one of 34 States Parties, all of which are in Europe/Eurasia 
except the United States and Canada. The Treaty is designed 
to enhance mutual understanding and confidence by giving all 
participants, regardless of size, a direct role in gathering 
information through aerial imaging of military forces and 
activities of concern to them. Open Skies is one of the most 
wide-ranging international arms control efforts to date to 
promote openness and transparency in military forces and 
activities. 
 
-- The Open Skies Treaty entered into force in January 2002. 
Since then, over 630 missions have been conducted between the 
parties. The United States has conducted over 60 missions 
over Russia to date, mostly in the West. 
 
-- The Treaty does not permit a flight plan to be closer than 
10 kilometers to the border of a non-State Party.  The United 
States aircraft will not image territory beyond Russia's 
border. 
 
-- The United States uses a dedicated OC-135B aircraft for 
implementing the Open Skies Treaty. The OC-135B aircraft will 
operate at altitudes from 35,000 to 36,000 feet and is 
equipped with optical panoramic and framing cameras permitted 
by the Open Skies Treaty. According to the Treaty, optical 
cameras can achieve no better than 30 centimeters ground 
resolution.  The OC-135B is an unarmed aircraft, is not a 
combat platform and is not engaged in combat operations or 
training. 
 
-- This mission will be conducted with United States and 
Russian teams on-board the aircraft. 
 
-- (If asked) The United States aircraft is not an 
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance asset. 
 
-- If asked about participation on this flight Posts should 
indicate that we are not able to invite observers on a Treaty 
mission. 
 
End points. 
 
¶6. (U) For Moscow and USOSCE: Posts should be aware of this 
demarche if asked by counterparts. 
CLINTON