[ETH] Message to the US

[Naio90]

The Secretary for Equipment Procurement of the ethiopian Ministry of Defence would send a private message to the Pentagon's corresponding office in order to request authorization to locally produce 100x REO M35 light trucks to be used in operations linked to the potential territorial swap agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Ethiopia is a historic operator of said light logistic vehicle and being able to produce it locally for this specific event would contribute to a more efifcient potential transition.

Odinson

 

[Odinson]

Private​

The State Department would feed this up the chain of command to the Secretary of State. Secretary Fitzgerald could find no issue to issue a Limited Production License to Ethiopia for the trucks. However, just to be sure, the request was forwarded to the Pentagon as well. The Department of Defense gave the green light and informed Secretary Fitzgerald that there was no issue with approving the request. Secretary Fitzgerald drafted a secure message back to the Ethiopian Secretary for Equipment Procurement and informed him that the United States was issuing Ethiopia a limited production license for 100 REO M35 light trucks. The usual fees associated with military acquisitions from foreign nations were waved after approval was granted from the White House.

Naio90

 

[Odinson]

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OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE​

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ENCRYPTED MESSAGE​

TO: Abraham Belay, Minister of Defense of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia ( Naio90 )

FROM: Stewart C. Hall, Deputy Secretary of Defense of the United States of America

Minister Belay,

The United States Navy and Coast Guard have recently created a new frigate/cutter, called the Celestial-class, for use by both services. It includes a 32-cell VLS as well as state-of-the-art radar and sonar. The Department of Defense and the Department of State have whitelisted a handful of countries for potential export of the frigate, and Ethiopia is one of them. This vessel is capable of a wide variety of missions as either an escort or an independent operator due to its armaments and its extended range. At this time, the frigate is under a special license from the Federal Government and is going for $1.235-billion each.

Some notable advantages of the Celestial-class for Ethiopia is the extended range of 11,200 miles. This range would allow one of the frigates to, for example, to patrol the entirety of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and even the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. We believe that these highly-capable frigates are the perfect size and have the perfect amount of armaments and capabilities for the new Ethiopian Navy.

If your government is interested in procuring one or more, please feel free to contact me as soon as possible.​

Very Respectfully,

Stewart C. Hall
Deputy Secretary of Defense
​

​

 

[Naio90]

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia የኢትዮጵያ ፌዴራላዊ ዴሞክራሲያዊ ሪፐብሊክ Message from the Ministry of Defence _________________________________________________________________________​

Status: Private To: Stewart C. Hall, Deputy Secretary of Defense of the United States of America Odinson Re: Bilateral relations​

Deputy Secretary Hall, Thank you for your message and offer. We have relayed the details and specifications of the Celestial-Class Frigate to our Procurement and Strategic Planning Departments to analyze its capabilities and convenience for our needs and priorities. Considering the outcome of such inquiries, we can formally inform you that such a vessel would indeed fit into our reformed navy's needs, specially in the area of long range maritime patrol in the Red Sea and anty-piracy operations. As stressed by Prime Minister Ahmed, the Armed Forces of Ethiopia will undergo a major reform, in order to change its doctrine and structure to fit modern standards and challenges, focused on primary territorial defence, rather than any potential offensive capability. This includes the acquisition of significant amounts of equipment from international providers, in which we aim to have the United States as one of the primary manufacturers. Specifically on the Celestial-Class Frigate, we could envison the acquisition of up to 4 vessels to serve as our main EEZ patrol and anti-piracy unit. However, we are concerned about the rather high price-tag under our current circumstances. Respectfully,​ Abraham Belay Minister of Defense Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Addis Ababa​

 

[Odinson]

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OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE​

---

ENCRYPTED MESSAGE​

TO: Abraham Belay, Minister of Defense of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia ( Naio90 )

FROM: Stewart C. Hall, Deputy Secretary of Defense of the United States of America

Minister Belay,

The Department of Defense is excited to hear that the Ethiopian Government is not only taking its national defense seriously, but also organizing its armed forces to fight piracy in the Red Sea. This is an exceptionally important mission, and the Department of Defense may offer to work with your armed forces in the future. I have no doubt that the Celestial-class would be an excellent platform to perform these missions on. We would, of course, also recommend the purchase of a helicopter to go with each one of these frigates, as they have the aviation facilities on board to support such a craft.

In order to ease the financial burden on your government, we could offer your government a Limited Production License for four Celestial-class frigates. This would mean that your government would immediately submit $1.2-billion ($300-million per ship), and in turn your government would have a LPL to produce four of the Celestial-class within the remainder of the year 2002. As a sign of good faith, because Ethiopia is just establishing its Navy, I have been given permission from the White House to offer a LPL for the four helicopters at production cost (we would issue an LPL for said helicopters for a total cost of $4.00, one-dollar per helicopter).

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.​

Very Respectfully,

Stewart C. Hall
Deputy Secretary of Defense
​

​

 

[Naio90]

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia የኢትዮጵያ ፌዴራላዊ ዴሞክራሲያዊ ሪፐብሊክ Message from the Ministry of Defence _________________________________________________________________________

Status: Private To: Stewart C. Hall, Deputy Secretary of Defense of the United States of America Odinson Re: Bilateral relations​

Deputy Secretary Hall, Considering the proposed numbers, we would consider to acquire these vessels in batches, starting with a initial deal for 2 Celestial-Class Frigates, following your proposed method of payment and construction. Furthermore, I would like to inquire if we can submit through you a list of military and logistical equipment we are seeking to acquire to give our armed forces basic operational capacities. If that would be the case, I would like to provide you with a detailed list of the equipment we would be interested in acquiring and the quantity. If we would need to discuss this with another US representative, we would appreciate if you could point us towards the correct person. Respectfully,​ Abraham Belay Minister of Defense Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Addis Ababa​

 

[Odinson]

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OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE​

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ENCRYPTED MESSAGE​

TO: Abraham Belay, Minister of Defense of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia ( Naio90 )

FROM: Stewart C. Hall, Deputy Secretary of Defense of the United States of America

Minister Belay,

The procurement of two Celestial-class frigates for now is entirely acceptable and reasonable. Once your government wires $600-million to the Treasury Department, your Limited Production License for two Celestial-class frigates will be active. Please inform my office once this has been done.

In regards to procurement, it is acceptable for you to speak with me. The Secretary of Defense and I have special permission from the State Department and the White House to discuss these matters, and we are well-versed on what would be acceptable exchanges. With that being said, anything that we greenlight for sale has to be greenlit by the White House - but that normally isn't a problem.

It would be perfectly acceptable for you to send me a list of equipment that your government is interested in procuring. Of course, I cannot guarantee that it will all be approved, but there is no harm in trying.​

Very Respectfully,

Stewart C. Hall
Deputy Secretary of Defense
​

​

 

[Naio90]

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia የኢትዮጵያ ፌዴራላዊ ዴሞክራሲያዊ ሪፐብሊክ Message from the Ministry of Defence​ _________________________________________________________________________

Status: Private To: Stewart C. Hall, Deputy Secretary of Defense of the United States of America Odinson Re: Bilateral relations​

Deputy Secretary Hall, Thank you for your swift reply, we understand all possible considerations and precautions the United States may have regarding the equipment included in the annex. As you will see, the listed equipoment is aimed at givig the ethiopian armed forces basic operational capabilities on the ground, air and sea. Regarding the latter we will start with basic units (patrol ships and maritime surveillance aircraft), and in the coming months we will transfer the arrange amount to be able to produce the Celestial-Class Frigate. Regarding the item: "Oshkosh FMVT", we would be interested in obtaining the license to produce a total of 344 locally, since we would be requiring different variants of it (troop transport, fuel tanker etc), and it might be easier to build the exact variants needed here, rather than burdening the US with such details. Please let us know if you have any comments or remarks. Respectfully,​ Abraham Belay Minister of Defense Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Addis Ababa​

The message would have an encrypted and private annex including a list of equipment to be procured:


320x IFV – Bradley M2A2
120x APC – Striker ICV
96x M119 howitzer
86x Oshkosh FMVT*
288x Humvees
72x M270 MLRS
12xM88 Recovery Vehicle
72x Oshkosh HET M1070
144x M1A2 Abrams

24x General Dynamics F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
6x Lockheed C-130H Hercules
12x Northrop T-38 Talon
18x Cessna T-41 Mescalero
6x Beechcraft C-12 Huron
5x Lockheed AN/FPS-117
1x MIM-104B PAC-1 Patriot Missile System

12x Cyclone-class patrol ship
6x P-3C Orion

 

[Naio90]

Odinson

 

[Odinson]

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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO THE FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA​

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ENCRYPTED MESSAGE​

TO: Abraham Belay, Minister of Defense of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia ( Naio90 )​

FROM: Condoleezza Rice, Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Minister Belay,

The Deputy Secretary of Defense has asked that we meet and that I speak to you directly about the various products that your government wishes to procure. There are also a couple of other matters that I have been asked to discuss with you. With your permission, I would like to coordinate a meeting between the two of us, in person, as soon as possible. I appreciate your time and I thank you for your patience.

Best regards,

Condoleezza Rice, PhD
United States Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
​

​

​

 

[Naio90]

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia የኢትዮጵያ ፌዴራላዊ ዴሞክራሲያዊ ሪፐብሊክ Message from the Ministry of Defence _________________________________________________________________________​

Status: Private To: Condoleezza Rice, Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Odinson Re: Bilateral relations​

Ambassador Rice, Thank you for your interest in the matter. We can certainly schedule a private meeting to discuss this and other issues of mutual interest at your earliets convenience. We will be expecting you. Respectfully,​ Abraham Belay Minister of Defense Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Addis Ababa​

 

[Odinson]

Private​

Dr. Rice securely went over a few things with the State Department and the Department of Defense before reviewing these matters with her staff and preparing for the meeting. Once she had a good handle on the situation, she would accept the meeting with the Ethiopians and go to the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry as soon as possible. Three Diplomatic Security Service agents travelled with her in the ambassador's motorcade as well as two members of her staff. She brought with her a small briefcase that contained some paperwork and materials that she might need to review with the Ethiopians. Once she arrived at the Foreign Ministry, she, the security, and her staff would present themselves so that Dr. Rice could meet with Minister Ababa.

Naio90

 

[Naio90]

With security and protocol procedures compelted, Ambassador Rice would be led to the ethiopian mininister of defence's office, where he would be waiting.

"Ambassador, a pleasure meeting you personally, please, come in. Can I offer you a coffee?Tea?"

An aide would be waiting to see what refreshment he would need to bring, once done, he would leave and close the door behind him,. The minsiter would be accompanied by 2 advisors from the ministry of defence and a representative from the Minsitry of Foreign Affairs.

Odinson

 

[Odinson]

Ambassador Rice greeted Minister Belay as she walked into his office.

"Some tea with honey would be wonderful," she said with a polite smile. After receiving her tea she would take a small sip and take a seat, if offered one.

"Minister Belay, thank you for seeing me on such short notice. I spoke with Secretary Glass yesterday," she said, referring to the American Secretary of Defense.

"He asked, with permission from the State Department, that I meet with you directly to discuss some things, including the procurement request that you have made. First, I am happy to tell you that almost every item your government has requested to procure has been approved by the State Department, with a few exceptions. The Bradley, for example, is something that your government will need to contact the United Kingdom about procuring, or producing," she said.

"Some of these items will be produced by our government, or American manufacturers, directly. However, your government will be permitted to produce most of them through limited production licenses. I did want to ask, though, why your government has interest in the P-3C Orion, and what its plans are with it?" she asked.

Naio90

 

[Naio90]

"Don't worry, we have always time for our international partners. We are happy to hear that most of the items in our procurement list have been approved, and are eager to get details on the costs for the limited local production licenses and further information on their procurement in general.

Regarding the Bradley, would the US be able to offer an alternative that can be produced in your nation or here via LPL?

As for the P-3C Orion, as far as I was informed it would be filling the role of Maritime Surveillance Aircraft, giving our Navy information on maritime traffic in the area and, most significant, eyes in the sky to detect pirate activity in the horn of Africa."

Odinson

 

[Odinson]

"The P-3C is a product that we do not export to just anyone. However, I think that anti-piracy operations in the Red Sea are critical to the global economy, and we are in full support of your government using them for that purpose. I don't see any issue with a limited export of the P-3C to your government," she said, softly nodding as she spoke.

"In regard to a replacement for the Bradley, the Department of Defense would recommend the LAV-25 which is currently used by the United States Marine Corps. It is amphibious in freshwater bodies, such as rivers and lakes, has a range of 410 miles, and can reach speeds up to 62 miles per hour... Forgive me, that would be a range of 660 kilometers, and a top speed of approximately 100 kilometers per hour," she said, waiting to see what the Ethiopians thought.

Naio90

 

[Naio90]

"Thank you for authorizing the sale of the P-3C Orion, we hope that we can contribute to a safer navigation in the region.

As for the LAV-25, while we do recognize the capabilities and performance of said vehicle, it might not be the best fit for our army. As a primarily desertic country, the use of amphibious vehicles would not be predominant and we could invest the additional cost that such capacity carries into another area of specialization.

Would it be possible for the US perhaps to intercede with the UK as to facilitate the export of the Bradley?"

Odinson

 

[Naio90]

Odinson

 

[Odinson]

Ambassador Rice resisted the urge to look at Minister Belay with a bit of skepticism. "What exactly do you mean by 'intercede with the United Kingdom,' Minister Belay? Do you have some reason to believe that they may not want to export the Bradley to your government? While I can't speak for the United Kingdom, I'm not sure why they would hesitate from doing so, as long as your government was willing to pay the price," she said.

Naio90

 

[Naio90]

"Oh, nevermind, I guess we can contact them directly, or perhaps look at an 3rd option. Please let us know if the rest of the order would be acceptable and, if that is the case, confirm us the exact amount to be transfered to the United States for the production or licenses.

Aside from this order, obviously we look forward to continue equiping our defense forces with US equipment, including the previously discussed frigates. We value having the US as a main international partner and equipment provider."

Odinson