Pubdate: Thu, 27 May 1999
Source: Inside the Pentagon
Page: 1
Address: 1225 Jefferson Davis Hwy #1400, Arlington, VA.
Author: Elaine M. Grossman

SOUTHERN AIR FORCE REPORT DETAILS BLEAK CONDITIONS AT ECUADOR BASE

Site Judged Unready For U.S Force Visits

A military base in Ecuador the United States wants to develop into a
"forward operating location" for U.S. counterdrug forces is in bleak
condition and must undergo extensive repairs and improvements before
it is ready to host U.S. forces even on a temporary basis, according
to a recent assessment authored by an officer in the U.S. Southern
Command's Air Force component.

The May 10 report, reviewed by Inside the Pentagon, pertains to
conditions at an Ecuadorian military base at Manta, on the Pacific
coast of the South American nation. The United States on April 1
signed an interim agreement with Ecuador that will allow U.S. military
forces to use the site on an "expeditionary" basis through the end of
the year (ITP, April 8, p21). Meanwhile, bilateral negotiations are
ongoing on a proposed long-term agreement that would allow continued
U.S. military access at this forward operating location, or FOL.

Problems plaguing Manta range from runways so dilapidated that they
are unusable by military aircraft to lax safety standards and
extremely limited supplies of electricity and water. Rectifying the
most serious problems will require at least six months, at which time
"limited" operations by Navy P-3C maritime patrol aircraft and Air
Force C-130 tactical airlifters can be conducted, the report states.
But it will be two years before a critical platform in the war against
drugs -- the Air Force E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System
aircraft -- can operate out of Manta, according to the assessment.

Manta is one of three FOLs the U.S. Southern Command has pursued in
order to replace the access to the region afforded until recently by
Howard AFB in Panama. With all U.S. bases in Panama closing by the end
of the year, SOUTHCOM has sought to station forces at and operate out
of the Dutch Caribbean islands of Aruba and Curacao, in addition to
Manta. SOUTHCOM also hopes to eventually establish a fourth FOL at
Liberia, Costa Rica.

The Manta location alone, though, was found earlier this year by a
site survey to need such substantial modifications that it may eat up
at least twice the $50 million in funds budgeted for start-up at all
three initial FOLs (ITP, April 8, p1). Each of the two Caribbean
islands was judged by the military site surveyors to require about $50
million in near-term improvements.

On April 16, Defense Secretary William Cohen issued a memo stating the
Pentagon "is fully committed to ensuring that necessary steps are
taken to bring the FOLs to full operational status" (ITP, April 22,
p1).

At Manta, those steps may be a bit more extensive than Cohen imagined.
Among the obstacles documented in the new report are:

"Concrete is severely deteriorating" at the Manta airfield, and debris
that is dangerous for aircraft "is abundant in the first 500-1,000
feet of the runway," according to the report. "Tennis-ball-size bits
of concrete [are] lying about in places."

"An eroded ditch over three feet deep runs just along the runway
edge," reads the assessment. "Overgrown with grass, it is just one
such obscured detriment to airfield operations."

The 1998 El Nino rains wreaked havoc on the airfield, with one end of
the runway underwater for three months last year, the officer reports.
The runway still appears to have water problems; "in one place,"
according to the assessment, "drainage seems to be seeping from under
the runway itself."

"Lighting is substandard" at the airfield, according to the report. At
the same time, "power cables for runway and taxiway edge lighting are
not buried, but run above ground over and along the taxiways. Aircraft
repeatedly run over them."

The "runway was recently painted, but paint is not reflective and
would be of little use at night or during periods of inclement weather."

"Trash abounds on the airfield," the report continues. "For example,
paint cans and lids from the recent painting effort were simply thrown
off to the side of the runway. Safety folks estimate there are at
least three truckloads of trash littering the field, creating a
substantial FOD [foreign object debris] hazard."

The airfield was also found to have few directional signs or markers.
"You have to be familiar with the airfield to know exactly where you
are or where you are going," according to the report. "This could be a
problem for transient crews, especially at night."

"Base power is commercially produced hydroelectricity," the report
states. "During dry periods, electricity is rationed to as little as
two hours each day. The base has an emergency internal power supply,
but it is broken down and cables are deteriorating, so it doesn't
work. If it did, it would not cover added U.S. power needs when our
facilities are constructed." As a result, the United States will have
to build a power facility at the base, the officer concludes.

"Base water is non-potable and only provides 50 percent of present
demand," the report states. "We will have to build a water plant to
make up for increased U.S. demand and provide water that is potable."

"Cost factors for major construction projects are not readily
available," the report reads. "Labor costs seem to be ridiculously
low; however, that is based on local unskilled labor with a reputation
for poor workmanship."

Currently, firefighting capabilities at the base must be limited to
P-3 operations, and could not handle larger aircraft like the E-3
AWACS. But "even for limited ops, we will be operating at increased
risk in the event of a fire or emergency landing," the officer finds.
"Firefighters have no breathing devices or other gear that would allow
them to assist aircrew members trying to escape a burning aircraft. In
fact, local firefighters admit they have no [intention] of getting
close to a burning aircraft."

Manta's air traffic control tower "is only manned during daylight
hours, although the field is operational 24 hours [a] day. Manning
consists of one individual working 12-hour shifts. . . . All
controllers have only the most rudimentary understanding of English.
Their ability to handle an emergency situation is doubtful."

The air traffic control tower itself is "antiquated," writes the
officer. "Visibility is degraded by dirty/scratched plexiglass and a
shading that was applied to the windows years ago, but is now
deteriorating."

Security at the Manta airfield is plentiful, but has notable gaps,
according to the report. "The airfield is fenced, but the fence does
not encircle the airfield," the report reads. "Roads from various
points on the base spill onto the airfield. These are unmarked and
unguarded." The officer notes that the "easy access to the runway is
not just a people problem. Domestic animals, mostly dogs and cats from
the housing area, freely roam the airfield."

Other wildlife also abounds and poses potentially serious risks to
aircraft. "Bird activity is horrendous," the report observes. Cannons
to scare them off were not operating during the days the officer spent
on base. "There's a garbage dump less than half a mile from the
airfield that adds to some of the attraction" -- for the birds, that
is, reports the officer. But the "greatest draw" for birds is the
refuse left behind by local fishermen. "The catch is cleaned and the
remains are dumped into the ocean to wash up on shore. . . . It is not
unusual to see 100 vultures circling the airfield or alighting on the
runway/taxiway at any given time."

If life on base at Manta sounds dicey, the situation outside the gates
may be downright life-threatening. "Traffic safety is unheard of,
driving techniques are aggressive, and roads are abysmal," the report
states. "Off-base medical care is presently substandard and should be
avoided if at all possible," according to the assessment. One U.S.
military physician visited the downtown Manta emergency room, "and in
the short time there saw a gunshot victim, a stabbing victim, and two
near fatalities from a car accident. He assessed the care they
received as dismal."

The officer notes in the report that "while many border on the
trivial, there are enough minor problems to build a chain of events
that could result in a mishap."

Although there is some pressure on the Navy from SOUTHCOM to begin
implementing the interim agreement soon by initiating flights into
Manta, the Southern Air Forces officer writing the May 10 report
advises otherwise.

It will take about six months to improve the airfield and the office
space for military personnel that will manage U.S. operations at the
base, according to the report. "Therefore, I recommend we suspend any
DOD air activity from Manta until roughly Nov. '99," states the
officer in the report. "U.S. Navy personnel recommend Guayaquil as a
good interim P-3 operating location until Manta is ready," the report
adds, referring to Ecuador's largest city, located south of Manta.

Defense officials say SOUTHCOM Commander-in-Chief Gen. Charles Wilhelm
is pressing the Navy to begin P-3 expeditionary visits to Manta
beginning in June. "If the CINC insists on using Manta [before
November] despite the many problems," according to the report, "I
recommend deployments be limited to one to two days in duration and
only when driven by the highest-priority missions."

The report notes that Curacao and Aruba boast modern and
well-maintained facilities. "Manta, on the other hand, is a more
remote location that is suffering from years of neglect and nature's
abuses. We cannot dismiss that reality with a wave of the hand, and no
amount of money can reduce the time required to get things up to
speed," according to the assessment.

For the time being, Manta should only be used if absolutely necessary,
the report recommends. "Mission requirements will need to outweigh the
substantial risk until we can correct the deficiencies that exist,"
the report states.
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