Partner
Foreign Military Sales Liaison Officer (Partner Nation)
Foreign Liaison Officer (FLO)
A partner-nation officer physically embedded at a U.S. , serving as the partner's in-person representative on their active cases.
What They Do
International partner countries may maintain liaison officers to review program and requisition status with the desk officers. These liaison officers may, in some instances, initiate or modify requisitions on behalf of their government. Country purchasing office representatives or foreign embassy personnel from Washington, D.C., often conduct the required liaison with the . However, for a growing number of countries, a for at AFSAC, Foreign Representative () for at NAVSUP-WSS-N52, or Liaison Officer () for U.S. Army at USASAC-NC is located at the .
Active Pipeline Stages
Where this role is most involved across the FMS pipeline:
Who They Work With
The most frequent counterparts across an FMS case:
Cross-Service Terminology
The Air Force calls this seat a ; the Navy, a Foreign Representative (); the Army, a Liaison Officer ().
References
SAMM
- SAMM C4.4.13 — Foreign Liaison Officer Support.
Public authorities
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
FMS — Foreign Military Sale
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
LOA — Letter of Offer and Acceptance
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
ILCO — International Logistics Control Office
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
Glossary entry →International Logistics Control Office (ILCO) →
Foreign Liaison Officer (FLO)
An official representative, either military or civilian, of a foreign government or international organization stationed in the United States normally for the purpose of managing or monitoring security assistance programs.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
Security Assistance (SA)
A group of programs authorized by federal statutes by which the United States provides defense articles, military training, and other defense-related services by grant, lease, loan, credit, or cash sales in furtherance of national policies and objectives, and those that are funded and authorized through the Department of State to be administered by Department of Defense/Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which are considered part of security cooperation.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
SAFR — Security Assistance Foreign Representative
SALO — Security Assistance Liaison Officer