Department of Defense Unveils Comprehensive Recommendations to Strengthen Foreign Military Sales

June 13, 2023 | Today, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III approved a tasking memo from the Department of Defense (DoD) Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Tiger Team that highlights six key FMS pressure points and directs implementation of recommendations to improve and accelerate the Department’s institutional processes to execute FMS cases. The efforts of the Tiger Team and the Department’s commitment to improving the FMS system advance the direction of the 2022 National Defense Strategy to break down barriers to working with allies and partners.

The Tiger Team conducted a thorough analysis of representative case studies, examining all phases of the FMS process. They illuminated best practices to benchmark and identified systemic challenges endemic in the DoD’s FMS ecosystem. Additionally, they solicited and incorporated feedback from allies, partner nations, and U.S. industry to enhance the efficiency of DoD’s implementation of the FMS process.

Secretary Austin has instructed FMS-implementing agencies to undertake several crucial initiatives:

 Improve the Department’s understanding of ally and partner requirements by reorganizing, training, and equipping for security cooperation. This includes establishing a Defense Security Cooperation Service on par with the Defense Attaché Service to expedite discussions and reduce delays in the FMS case lifecycle.

Enable efficient reviews for the release of technology by reviewing and updating relevant policies, empowering accountable officials, and improving the technology review and release process. The Department will also collaborate with interagency efforts focused on technology review and release.

Provide allies and partner nations with relevant priority capabilities. The Department will develop a methodology to facilitate Non-Programs of Record, enabling greater support for allies’ and partners’ national security needs.

Accelerate acquisition and contracting support for FMS by establishing contract award standards and metrics, along with process maps to monitor prioritization and award timelines for allies and partner nations.

Expand Defense Industrial Base (DIB) capacity to reduce production timelines. The Department will incorporate ally and partner requirements into ongoing efforts to expand DIB production capacity. This includes comprehensive studies to incentivize DIB investment, building surge capability, and utilizing multi-year contracts and the Special Defense Acquisition Fund.

Ensure broad U.S. Government support for the FMS process by working closely with the Department of State, Congress, and other stakeholders to identify opportunities for improvement.

To facilitate the implementation of these recommendations and ensure the elevation of emergent FMS issues to senior leadership, the Department has established an FMS Continuous Process Improvement Board (CPIB). This enduring governance structure, reporting directly to the Secretary of Defense, will provide accountability, measure impact, and continually pursue areas for process improvement.

Foreign Military Sales (FMS) is a vital tool of U.S. foreign policy and national security, strengthening the United States’ unparalleled network of allies and partners. Under the FMS program, the U.S. Government utilizes the DoD’s acquisition system to procure defense articles and services on behalf of U.S. allies and partner nations. The program is administered by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) and authorized by the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), overseen by the Department of State.

The establishment of the FMS Tiger Team in August 2022 demonstrates Secretary Austin’s commitment to addressing historical inefficiencies in the transfer of defense articles and services to foreign allies and partners. Led by Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Dr. Radha Plumb and Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Sasha Baker, the team comprises senior representatives from across the Department of Defense. Together, they are working diligently to strengthen the FMS system and fortify alliances and partnerships worldwide.