Foreign Military Sales Arms Transfer Office (State Department)

The sale, lease, loan, or other transfer of defense articles and defense services such as arms, ammunition, and implements of war, including components thereof, and the training, manufacturing licenses, technical assistance, and technical data related thereto, provided by the USG under the authority of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, or the Arms Export Control Act, as amended, or other statutory authority, or directly by commercial firms to foreign countries, foreign private firms, or to international organizations. See also conventional arms transfers.

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.

The primary planning document within the USG that defines U.S. national interests in a foreign country and coordinates performance measurement in that country among USG agencies.

The President's estimate to the Congress of potential or proposed arms transfers during a given calendar year required by Arms Export Control Act (AECA), Section 25(a)(1) (22 USC 2765(a)(1)) .

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.

Any end item that is Significant Military Equipment or Major Defense Equipment or where control over the programming of these items is required. See also "end item."

Recorded information of a scientific or technical nature, regardless of form or characteristic. Examples of technical data packages include research and engineering drawings and associated lists, specifications, standards, process sheets, manuals, technical reports, catalog item identifications, and related information and computer software documentation.

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.

The USG requires recipients of U.S.-origin defense articles, services, training, or technical data to obtain written consent from the Department of State prior to transfer, disposal, or change of end-use of its U.S.-origin articles, services, training, or data. Such approval is required for all transfer, change of end-use or destination not previously authorized in the original acquisition. Included are defense articles and technical data obtained through the USG Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Program or Grants (i.e. Military Assistance Program or Excess Defense Article).