The States Parties hereby agree upon procedures and provisions governing the categorisation of combat helicopters and recategorisation of multi-purpose attack helicopters as provided for in Article VIII of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe of November 19, 1990, hereinafter referred to as the Treaty.

SECTION I. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CATEGORISATION OF COMBAT HELICOPTERS

1. Combat helicopters shall be categorised as specialised attack, multi-purpose attack or combat support helicopters and shall be listed as such in the Protocol on Existing Types.

2. All models or versions of a specialised attack helicopter type shall be categorised as specialised attack helicopters.

3. Notwithstanding the provisions in paragraph 2 of this Section and as a unique exception to that paragraph, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics may hold an aggregate total not to exceed 100 Mi-24R and Mi-24K helicopters equipped for reconnaissance, spotting, or chemical/biological /radiological sampling which shall not be subject to the limitations on attack helicopters in Articles IV and VI of the Treaty. Such helicopters shall be subject to exchange of information in accordance with the Protocol on Information Exchange and to internal inspection in accordance with Section VI, paragraph 30 of the Protocol on Inspection. Mi-24R and Mi-24K helicopters in excess of this limit shall be categorised as specialised attack helicopters regardless of how they are equipped and shall count against the limitations on attack helicopters in Articles IV and VI of the Treaty.

4. Each State Party that holds both combat support and multi-purpose attack models or versions of a helicopter type shall categorise as attack helicopters all helicopters which have any of the features listed in Section III, paragraph 1 of this Protocol and shall have the right to categorise as combat support helicopters any helicopters that have none of the features listed in Section III, paragraph 1 of this Protocol.

5. Each State Party that holds only combat support models or versions of a helicopter type included on both the Multi-Purpose Attack Helicopter and the Combat Support Helicopter lists in the Protocol on Existing Types shall have the right to categorise such helicopters as combat support helicopters.

SECTION II. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RECATEGORISATION

1. Only combat helicopters that are categorised as multi- purpose attack helicopters in accordance with the categorisation requirements set forth in this Protocol shall be eligible for recategorisation as combat support helicopters.

2. Each State Party shall have the right to recategorise individual multi-purpose attack helicopters that have any of the features set forth in Section III, paragraph 1 of this Protocol only by conversion and certification. Each State Party shall have the right to recategorise individual multi-purpose attack helicopters that do not have any of the features set forth in Section III, paragraph 1 of this Protocol by certification alone.

3. Each State Party shall use whatever technological means it deems necessary to implement the conversion procedures set forth in Section III of this Protocol.

4. Each combat helicopter subject to the recategorisation procedure shall bear the original manufacturer's serial number permanently stamped in a main airframe structural member.

SECTION III. PROCEDURES FOR CONVERSION

1. Multi-purpose attack helicopters being converted shall be rendered incapable of further employment of guided weapons by the removal of the following components:

(A) provisions specifically for the attachment of guided weapons, such as special hardpoints or launching devices. Any such special hardpoints which are integral to the helicopter, as well as any special elements of general purpose hardpoints which are designed for use only by guided weapons, shall be rendered incapable of further employment with guided weapons; and

(B) all integrated fire control and aiming systems for guided weapons, including wiring.

2. A State Party shall provide to all other States Parties the following information, either at least 42 days in advance of the conversion of the first helicopter of a type or at entry into force of the Treaty in the event that a State Party declares both multi-purpose attack helicopters and combat support helicopters of the same type:

(A) a basic block diagram portraying all major components

of guided weapon integrated fire control and aiming systems as well as components of equipment designed for the attachment of guided weapons, the basic function of the components described in paragraph 1 of this Section, and the functional connections of such components to each other;

(B) a general description of the conversion process, including a list of components to be removed; and

(C) a photograph of each component to be removed, illustrating its position in the helicopter prior to its removal, and a photograph of the same position after the corresponding component has been removed.

SECTION IV. PROCEDURES FOR CERTIFICATION

1. Each State Party that is recategorising multi-purpose attack helicopters shall comply with the following certification procedures, in order to ensure that such helicopters do not possess any of the features listed in Section III, paragraph 1 of this Protocol.

2. Each State Party shall notify all other States Parties of each certification in accordance with Section IX, paragraph 3 of the Protocol on Inspection.

3. Each State Party shall have the right to inspect the certification of helicopters in accordance with Section IX of the Protocol on Inspection.

4. The process of recategorisation shall be deemed complete when the certification procedures set forth in this Section have been completed regardless of whether any State Party exercises the certification inspection rights described in paragraph 3 of this Section and Section IX of the Protocol on Inspection, provided that within 30 days of receipt of the notification of completion of the certification and recategorisation provided pursuant to paragraph 5 of this Section no State Party has notified all other States Parties that it considers that there is an ambiguity relating to the certification and recategorisation process. In the event of such an ambiguity being raised, such recategorisation shall not be deemed complete until the matter relating to the ambiguity is resolved.

5. The State Party conducting the certification shall notify all other States Parties in accordance with Section IX of the Protocol on Inspection of completion of the certification and recategorisation.

6. Certification shall be conducted within the area of application. States Parties belonging to the same group of States Parties shall have the right to share locations for certification.

SECTION V. PROCEDURES FOR INFORMATION EXCHANGE AND VERIFICATION

All combat helicopters within the area of application shall be subject to information exchange in accordance with the provisions of the Protocol on Information Exchange and verification, including inspection, in accordance with the Protocol on Inspection.

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