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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 153352 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
CONFIDENTIAL REL NATO 
 
SIPDIS 
EMBASSIES ALSO FOR AID 
COMMERCE AND ECON SECTIONS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/04/2017 
TAGS: MARR MOPS AMGT AFIN BCXP ECON PGOV ZK
SUBJECT: ESTABLISHING A NORTHERN GROUND LINE OF 
COMMUNICATION TO SUPPLY OEF 
 
Classified By: John Gastright, reasons 1.4.(g) 
 
 ¶1. (U) This is an information cable for addressee posts 
and offers a basis for internal embassy discussion 
before a Request for Information (RFI) is released to 
the private sector. 
 
¶2.  (C//REL NATO) SUMMARY:  US forces in Afghanistan are 
eighty-five percent dependent on supplies moved through 
Pakistan. As the Distribution Process Owner, responsible 
for moving supplies from factory to foxhole, DOD's US 
Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) is beginning an effort 
to reestablish northern ground routes into Afghanistan to 
provide alternative additional capacity.  Today, all 
supplies are moved by commercial vendors under contracts 
let by the US Army,s Surface Deployment and Distribution 
Command (SDDC), the Army Component of USTRANSCOM. 
Department of Defense advises that the traffic and transit 
face for shipments will be commercial, with no/no 
anticipated U.S. military presence. 
 
The Acquisition Process is as follows:  In early 
November 2007, USTRANSCOM plans to issue a Request 
for Information (RFI) to the worldwide commercial 
transportation industry to challenge it to develop 
alternative routing proposals and cost estimates. 
USTRANSCOM Staff will review RFI responses, select 
proposals that have merit, and then move to the Request 
for Proposal (RFP) stage, offering contracts for 
commercial vendors.  RFI and RFP proposals will be 
advertised in the US Commerce Daily.  As the RFI 
process goes forward, USTRANSCOM welcomes comments 
from embassies in the region, including Commercial 
Attaches and USAID Business Development sections. 
Points of Contact are listed in paragraph 7. 
This cable is an effort to better coordinate with 
embassies in the region; no outreach to 
local vendors is desired at this time. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
¶3. (C//REL NATO)  BACKGROUND:   The USTRANSCOM RFI will 
cover all types of supply except arms/ammunition, which 
are moved by air into Afghanistan, and fuel products, which 
are procured by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) under 
separate contracts.  DLA has set the standard for the 
current USTRANSCOM effort by reducing the amount of fuel 
procured in Pakistan from close to one hundred percent to 
around 70% over the past two years, with alternative 
procurement taking place in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan by 
commercial vendors, who then move fuel through 
Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, into Afghanistan 
by road and rail.  Note: until 2005 USTRANSCOM moved 
various types of supplies including food and construction 
materials using rail-links out of US depots in Europe into 
Afghanistan over routes that moved through Uzbekistan, 
Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, and Poland. 
 
USTRANSCOM recognizes that any ground route will cross 
multiple borders through areas with limited 
infrastructure.  USTRANSCOM's desired end state is a 
commercially run line of communication from northern 
Europe to Bahgram Airbase, Afghanistan (near Kabul) to 
transport all types of supplies, with the exception of 
 
STATE 00153352  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
arms, ammunition and fuel.  END BACKGROUND. 
 
¶4.  (C//REL NATO) COMMERCIAL SHIPPING NEEDS: 
Department of Defense wishes to emphasize that the transit 
face will be commercial, with no/no anticipated U.S. military 
presence.  Maximum use of local commercial firms is desired. 
Once the RFI has been released, post may encourage local 
firms 
to compete for this contract or to team with larger 
commercial 
firms, if they lack sufficient capacity.  USTRANSCOM intent 
is 
to ship a constant amount of cargo over such a route. 
Firms that can procure materials locally are desirable 
considering transportation costs.  Trans-loading 
operations are understood to be required in any route. 
This will provide additional capacity and alternatives in 
the event of a disruption of existing routes.  Both the UK 
and German militaries have shown interest in shipping 
supplies along such a route once it is established. 
 
 
¶5. (C//REL NATO) Department encourages posts to discuss 
this future RFI within embassy sections (including 
Commercial and Economic, USAID Business Development, 
Office of Defense Cooperation, Management and Political 
sections) in order to consider potential challenges of 
implementing the Northern GLOC and in order to consider 
potential in-country or regional capabilities  to handle 
such commercial shipments.  If post is aware of local or 
regional companies which might want to respond to the RFI, 
talking points below are provided and can be shared 
after/after the RFI is released in early November.   While 
USTRANSCOM and the Department will try to notify posts of 
the date of release, Department suggests post check the 
www.fedbizopps.gov website over the next few weeks. 
 
¶6.  (U)  Below are points relevant to upcoming RFI.  Post 
may wish to share these points, as needed, with host 
governments and/or potential local vendors after the 
formal RFI has been released to the USG website. 
 
-  The United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) 
is conducting a market survey on industry capabilities and 
potential sources for intertheater surface transportation 
of military cargo to/from Northern Europe to/from various 
destinations in Afghanistan via Central Asia. 
-  This market research is to solicit ideas and opinions 
from experts in the field pertaining to the potential 
follow-on competition and to determine the level of 
interested. 
-  This is not/not a call for offers. 
-  This is only a request for expression of interest which 
will provide information on industry capabilities and 
potential sources. 
-  Vendor will need to be able to provide time definite 
delivery, security, in-transit visibility and end-to-end 
management of containerized and break-bulk cargo. 
-  Cargo could include dry containers and refrigerated 
(reefers). 
-  Interested Vendors are encouraged to completely answer 
all questions as outlined in the RFI. 
-  If asked, USTRANSCOM is looking for end-to-end 
capability, not a vendor who is only interested in one leg 
of a possible route.  Teaming or prime/sub-contractor 
arrangements are acceptable. 
-  Complete text of RFI will be posted on 
www.fedbizopps.gov.   To locate the RFI, look under vendor 
 
STATE 00153352  003 OF 003 
 
 
for DOD, then go to ODA, then to USTRANSCOM. 
 
 
¶7.  Requests for additional information about USTRANSCOM and 
northern supply routes for OEF should be directed to the 
following points of contact. 
-- USTRANSCOM Acquisitions - Charles Burton: Unclassified 
Email Charles.Burton-at-ustranscom.mil 
-- USTRANSCOM - Kathy Johnson-Casares (FSO on detail to DOD): 
Unclassified Email  Kathy.Johnson-Casares-at-ustranscom.mil; 
 
SIPDIS 
TEL 618-550-6189 
-- State/PM Bureau - Tim Sears: Unclassified Email 
SearsTA-at-@state.gov; TEL 202-736-7742 
-- State/SCA/RA - Anne Cummings: Unclassified Email 
CummingsAC-at-state.gov; TEL 202-647-1136 
 
¶8. As always, Department appreciates the effort our posts do 
to support Operation Enduring Freedom. 
RICE