Stage 06
Partner Acceptance in Foreign Military Sales
Three elements, all before : signed , at , administrative info. Miss any one and the case doesn't implement.
What Happens
Signing and returning the LOA
To officially accept the case, the international partner must fill in the “purchaser provided information” at the bottom of the cover page, sign the case by the , and send signed copies to the and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service Accounting in Indianapolis (DFAS–SCA). The international partner must also send the (as reflected on the ) to DFAS–SCA. Payment must be in U.S. dollars and may be paid via check or wire transfer. Distribution instructions are found in the following the .
Each international partner establishes their own process for review and acceptance. From a U.S. perspective, receipt of a signed from the international partner coupled with receipt of the (which is typically substantial) indicates that the individual who signed to accept the case is an authorized country representative of that respective government.
The initial deposit
Key Players at This Stage
Partner nation
- Foreign Liaison Officer (FLO)Partner nation military, embedded at a U.S. Implementing Agency (AFSAC, USASAC, NAVSUP WSS, or a SYSCOM)
Embassy — Security Cooperation Organization
- Embassy SCO Chief (ODC / OSC)U.S. Embassy Security Cooperation Organization, under the Senior Defense Official / Defense Attaché (SDO/DATT)
DSCA
- DSCA Country Finance DirectorDefense Security Cooperation Agency — Office of Business Operations, Financial Policy & Regional Execution Directorate (OBO/FPRE)
Case manager
- Air Force: AFSAC Command Country ManagerAir Force Security Assistance & Cooperation Directorate (AFSAC), AFLCMC/WF
- Army: USASAC Country Program ManagerU.S. Army Security Assistance Command (USASAC), Regional Operations Directorate
- Navy: NAVSUP WSS Case ManagerNaval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support (NAVSUP WSS)
Program office
- Weapon System Program OfficeMilitary Department program management office for the weapon system
Common Pitfalls
- Partner returns a signed but the is delayed by partner-side treasury — case technically not accepted
- Signatory named in the has rotated out; partner signature requires an revision
- Admin info is incomplete (no code) — case implements on paper but no shipments can be staged
- Partner interprets the cancellation clause as a free option; U.S. side must clarify costs incurred are still owed
What Practitioners Watch For
Acceptance is an expression of agreement to the contract offer. In order for the acceptance to be effective, it must be clear, timely, and in the same terms as the offer. This contract principle is key to the process. Even though an international partner submitted an for an , the international partner is under no obligation to accept the offered by the . Acceptance of the is accomplished by an authorized country representative signing the prior to the , forwarding the specified and returning the proper number of signed copies. Payment of the is a condition of acceptance. Implementation of the case cannot take place without receipt of the . Additionally, in the acceptance process, the international partner informs the of the applicable mark for code, code, purchaser procuring agency code, and the name/address of their paying office. This information is entered by the international partner on the bottom of the first page of the .
References
SAMM
- SAMM C5.6.13.1
- SAMM C5.6.13.3
- SAMM C5.6.13.2
- SAMM C6.1.3.1
- SAMM C9.11.7.1 — Follow-Up Process.
- SAMM C6 — C6 - Foreign Military Sales Case Implementation and Execution
- SAMM C6.1.3 — Delayed Case Implementation.
- SAMM C6.8.1 — Purchaser-Requested Case Cancellations.
- SAMM C5.6.13 — Letter of Offer and Acceptance Implementation.
Public authorities
- Letter of Offer and Acceptance Standard Terms and Conditions — LOA Standard Terms
- DSCA Policy Memo 22-41 — DSCA 22-41
OED — Offer Expiration Date
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
LOA — Letter of Offer and Acceptance
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
Initial Deposit
Funds that are required to cover outlays and/or deliveries that are anticipated to occur before the receipt of the first quarterly payment. These funds must accompany the accepted Letter of Offer and Acceptance.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
Implementing Agency (IA)
The military department or defense agency responsible for the execution of military assistance programs. With respect to FMS, the military department or defense agency assigned responsibility by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency to prepare an LOA and to implement an FMS case. The implementing agency is responsible for the overall management of the actions that will result in delivery of the materials or services set forth in the LOA that was accepted by a foreign country or international organization.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
Security Cooperation
Activities undertaken by the DoD to encourage and enable international partners to work with the United States to achieve strategic objectives. It includes all DoD interactions with foreign defense and security establishments, including all DoD-administered security assistance programs, that: build defense and security relationships that promote specific U.S. security interests, including all international armaments cooperation activities and security assistance activities; develop allied and friendly military capabilities for self-defense and multinational operations; and provide U.S. forces with peacetime and contingency access to host nations.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
Payment Schedule
List of dollar amounts and when they are due from the foreign customer. The payment schedule is included in the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) presented to the customer. After acceptance of the LOA, the payment schedule generally serves as the basis for billing to the customer. Changes in the estimated costs of an Foreign Military Sales case may require changes in the accompanying payment schedule.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
DFAS-IN — Defense Finance and Accounting Service - Indianapolis
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
SCO — Security Cooperation Organization
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
DSCA — Defense Security Cooperation Agency
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
Glossary entry →Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) →
Acceptance Date
The date on which an authorized representative of the foreign partner signed the LOA document.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
FMS — Foreign Military Sale
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
DSAMS — Defense Security Assistance Management System
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
Glossary entry →Defense Security Assistance Management Systems (DSAMS) →
Security Cooperation Organization (SCO)
A Department of Defense element that is part of the United States Diplomatic mission located in a foreign country to carry out security assistance and security cooperation management functions under the supervision and coordination authority of the senior defense official/defense attaché.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
Freight Forwarder
A commercial import/export company registered with the Department of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls and under contract to the Foreign Military Sales customer which arranges transportation of materiel from a point specified in the Letter of Offer and Acceptance to the final destination.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
LOR — Letter of Request
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
Offer Expiration Date (OED) (Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA))
The date on an offered LOA that indicates the last date on which the purchaser may accept the offer. The OED is normally 85 days from Military Department Approval in the Defense Security Assistance Management System, except for countries that have been approved for a longer OED.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026