VZCZCXRO9519
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHEG #1029/01 1421037
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211037Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9297
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 001029 
 
SIPDIS 
 
OSD FOR AGUIRRE 
CENTCOM FOR AMMONS 
NSC FOR PASCUAL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PARM PREL MASS EG
SUBJECT: TIMELINE FOR SUPPLYING COUNTER-TUNNELING EQUIPMENT 
TO THE GOE 
 
¶1. Summary: In order to improve Egyptian efforts on the Gaza 
border to interdict smuggling through underground tunnels, 
the USG is supplying the GOE with counter-tunneling equipment 
out of military aid funds.  The program is divided into three 
phases to provide a command and control underground 
seismic-acoustic counter-tunneling detection system with the 
capability of detecting tunnels along ground parallel to the 
Egypt-Gaza border.  In addition to the underground system, 
the USG will provide additional equipment to assist the GOE 
in identifying and destroying the tunnels.  The GOE will 
receive training on the system and additional equipment in 
Egypt, and there is a site survey planned on the Rafah border 
for June.  Training for Phase I is tentatively expected to be 
completed in November 2008, and installation on the Gaza 
border should begin in late November 2008.  We expect the GOE 
to be able to begin using the system on the Gaza border in 
January 2009.  End summary. 
 
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Phase I 
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¶2.  Phase I of the program consists of providing a command 
and control seismic-acoustic counter-tunneling detection 
system with the capability of detecting tunnels along 3.6 
kilometers of ground parallel to the Egypt-Gaza border.  In 
coordination with the GOE, we will determine the most 
appropriate location on the border for the initial 
installation.  Phase I began on March 6, 2008 when the GOE 
signed a Letter of Agreement (LOA), and is expected to extend 
until January 1, 2009 when the counter-tunneling equipment is 
expected to be fully operational on the border.  In 
additional to the counter-tunneling detection system which 
consists of sensors buried under the ground, during Phase I 
we will also supply the Egyptians with the following 
equipment: 2 "unmanned ground vehicles," which are tethered 
robots to be inserted into the tunnels; 10 hand-held thermal 
imaging cameras to be used by Egyptian Border Guard Forces 
(BGF) to identify tunnels at short-range; 2 "over-watch" 
thermal imaging cameras that operate like binoculars to 
identify the tunnels at longer range; 1 electro-magnetic 
instrument to identify tunnels and 1 drill rig to destroy 
tunnels.  During Phase I, we will also provide training in 
Egypt for Egyptian BGF personnel, and will transport and 
deploy the counter-tunneling system to the Rafah border. 
 
¶3. On March 6, the GOE signed an LOA to begin the program. 
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) began the transfer 
of funds to procure the equipment for Phase I on April 1. 
The procurement process of the equipment listed in para 2 
will continue until August 1.  After August 1, USACE would 
set up the system for training in Egypt away from the border. 
 
¶4. From October 13 to November 7, USACE plans to train 
Egyptian Border Guard Forces in Egypt on how to use the 
equipment.  Starting November 24 following the completion of 
training, the USACE plans to begin installing the 
seismic-acoustic system on the Rafah border.  Installation of 
the system will take approximately one month and the GOE is 
expected to be able to begin using the system on or about 
January 1, 2009 with U.S. technical assistance available to 
assist in the "User Test Phase."  The GOE would have full 
operational control of the system on or about February 1, 
2009 without the day-to-day U.S. technical assistance. 
 
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Phase II 
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¶5. Phase II would commence on or about January 1, 2009, 
assuming GOE concurrence to move forward.  Phase II will be 
virtually identical to Phase I and would aim to lay down a 
counter-tunneling system to detect tunnels along an 
additional 3.6 kilometers of ground parallel to the 
Egypt-Gaza border.  All training will have been completed in 
Phase I, so Phase II would entail procuring the equipment, 
shipping it to the border, and installing it.  The same 
equipment would be supplied, as is outlined in para 2, 
although the quantities of hand-held thermal imaging cameras 
and long-range thermal imaging cameras would be increased to 
20 and 5 respectively.  These increases are simply due to 
small budgetary differences between the phases.  Equipment 
procurement would continue until July 2009.  Installation 
would take place between July and August 2009, and then the 
Egyptians would begin to use the equipment in a "User Test" 
 
CAIRO 00001029  002 OF 002 
 
 
arrangement between September and October 2009 with the same 
Technical Assistance package as Phase I.  We would expect the 
GOE to have full operational control of the equipment in 
November 2009. 
 
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Phase III 
--------- 
 
¶6. Phase III would aim to supply the counter-tunneling system 
to detect tunnels along an additional 2.4 kilometers of 
ground parallel to the Egypt-Gaza border.  The equipment 
would be the same as in para 2, except there would be 1 
unmanned ground vehicle, 20 hand-held thermal imaging devices 
and 3 longer range thermal imaging devices.  Phase III would 
begin with GOE approval; equipment procurement would take 3 
months, installation on the Gaza border another 3 months, 
assessment and testing 2 months.  We expect that the GOE 
would have full operational control of the equipment from 
Phase III in the fall of 2010. 
SCOBEY