Which organizations are the Foreign Military Sales implementing agencies?

The U.S. Army is the implementing agency with the largest number of cases written.

Two organizations share FMS headquarters responsibilities for the U.S. Army. The Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Defense Exports and Cooperation (DASA-DE&C) has management oversight for Army Security Assistance policy as well as for international armaments cooperation, foreign disclosure, technology transfer, and munitions export licensing. Headquarters, U.S. Army Security Assistance Command (USASAC), located in Huntsville, Alabama (Redstone Arsenal) receives all Army LORs for materiel and OCONUS training, which it then tasks out via DSAMS. USASAC has a branch organization in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania (USASAC-NC), that acts as the Army ILCO and writes/manages cases for follow-on support. Central case managers for the Army are found at USASAC-NC.

The Security Assistance Training Field Activity (SATFA), located at Fort Eustis, Virginia, is the Army organization that writes and manages cases for CONUS and institutional training. SATFA may receive tasks from USASAC-Huntsville or may receive LORs directly.

Another U.S. Army organization connected to FMS training is the Security Assistance Training Management Organization (SATMO) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. SATMO is responsible for selecting, training, and supporting mobile training teams (MTTs) that deploy overseas to support Security Cooperation training requirements. There is no comparable organization in the other two MILDEPs. SATMO works closely with SATFA and with SCOs.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in Washington, DC, is the organization responsible for receiving LORs and writing/managing FMS cases for Army design and construction services. USACE may receive tasks from USASAC-Huntsville or may receive LORs directly.

The Army is decentralized in the preparation and management of LOAs. LOAs involving AMC-provided materiel and services are managed over their life cycles by Country Program Managers at USASAC. The applicable LCMC Security Assistance Management Directorate is responsible for developing the LOA before being offered and implemented by USASAC. USAMMA manages medical LOAs after USASAC implementation. SATFA and USACE independently develop, implement, and manage LOAs for their respective capabilities.

The Navy International Programs Office (NIPO) is the Security Cooperation headquarters element in the U.S. Navy. NIPO handles not only FMS, but also other international programs such as international armaments cooperation and technology transfer. It also acts as the executive agent for Security Cooperation matters related to the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard. Accordingly, NIPO is the action addressee/point of entry for all LORs related to U.S. maritime articles and services. Case managers for the Navy are often in the SYSCOMS and Program Executive Offices (PEOs). The Navy ILCO is the Naval Supply Systems Command Weapons Systems Support (NAVSUP WSS-N52), located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NIPO tasks NAVSUP WSS-N52 to write cases for follow-on support.

The Naval Education and Training Security Assistance Field Activity (NETSAFA) in Pensacola, Florida, is the agency that has oversight for FMS maritime training. Almost every LOA for the sale of a major maritime system will include a training line prepared by NETSAFA. However, unlike its counterparts in the Army and Air Force, NETSAFA is not authorized to receive LORs directly. Instead, LORs for maritime training must go to NIPO who will, in turn, task them to NETSAFA via DSAMS.

NIPO, NAVSUP WSS-N52, and NETSAFA also work closely with counterpart offices in the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard to access resources to meet FMS maritime requirements.

Detailed management of the Department of the Navy SA/SC programs occurs at the systems commands and at the Naval Education and Training Security Assistance Field Activity (NETSAFA), which is located in Pensacola, FL. Within each system’s command and in NETSAFA, an SA/SC coordination office oversees and monitors the command’s SA/SC business. However, the program management office or training activity that manages the U.S. Navy acquisition or school will be tasked with the execution of the FMS requirement for its product. Follow-on support FMS cases are managed at Navy Supply Command Weapon Systems Support–N52 located both in Mechanicsburg, PA, and Philadelphia, PA.

The Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs (SAF/IA) is the Air Force headquarters element for Security Cooperation. In addition to headquarters functions performed by Army DASA DE&C and NIPO, SAF/IA also has extensive political and military responsibilities. SAF/IA receives LORs for major system programs but generally tasks the Air Force Security Assistance and Cooperation (AFSAC) Directorate at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, to prepare the case. AFSAC is also the Air Force ILCO in that it receives LORs and writes, signs, and manages cases for follow-on support.

The Air Force Security Assistance Training (AFSAT) squadron at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, receives LORs and writes, signs, and manages cases for Air Force training. Air Force training via FMS may be included as a line on an LOA for a system sale or may be provided via a separate FMS case typically a blanket order case.

Air Force directs the management of its FMS business on a line-by-line basis. SAF/IA or AFSAC, as applicable, assigns line management responsibility to the major command having cognizance over the article or service being provided and a Security Assistance Program Manager (SAPM) to oversee the development and execution of major FMS system acquisition LOAs

In addition to the three MILDEPs, there are eight defense agencies that receive LORs and write/manage cases for their products and services. These additional IAs are responsible for approximately 5 percent of the total FMS and BPC cases executed by the DOD.