THE INDUSTRIAL BASE
TEAM TRAINING
Indian Army soldiers together with members from Program Manager Towed Artillery Systems New Equipment Training team conduct maintenance training in India on M777A2 Lightweight Towed 155 mm howitzers following the delivery of the howitzers in May 2019. (Photo by Indian Army)
formally begins when a foreign government submits a letter of request (LOR) to obtain product pricing and availability infor- mation in support of a specific materiel objective.
Upon receipt of the letter, the corresponding U.S. Embassy’s Office of Defense Cooperation, the State Department’s Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfers, DSCA, the applica- ble implementing agency and the program office for the queried systems work together to gather the requested information.
Te gathered information may be provided to the request- ing government only after the appropriate agencies assess the letter of request as supportable and when “the President [of the United States] finds that furnishing the defense articles … will strengthen the security of the United States and promote world peace,” according to the Arms Export and Control Act.
If requested by the foreign government, a letter of offer and accep- tance (LOA) may be issued from the U.S. government approving the continuation of the FMS case. All foreign military sales cases have underlying economic and political factors. An LOR can be denied for a number of reasons. However, if an LOA is issued, it begins a series of exchanges between the U.S. and the foreign customer. Quantities, prices and additional required items are negotiated and included in the final contract between the two governments.
Depending on the complexity of the requested systems and the parties involved, there may be variations in the FMS process.
However, once a letter of offer and acceptance is issued, all U.S. government parties diligently work to provide the requested capa- bility to the foreign government.
ALLIANCES AND PARTNERSHIPS Alliances and partnerships are an integral part of the United States’ success. Even before declaring independence in 1776, the U.S. sought to establish both with governments that shared its objectives. When operating abroad, alliances and partnerships can provide U.S. forces a unique perspective of an area of opera- tions; they can enhance capabilities while reducing burdens; and they can signal a higher level of commitment against an adversary.
Te United States Conventional Arms Transfer Policy, updated in the National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM-10) in April 2018, highlights the crossroads between FMS, allies, partners and U.S. objectives. “Te security of the United States and the defense of our interests require a strong military, capa- ble allies and partners, and a dynamic defense industrial base. … Strategic conventional arms transfers lie at the intersection of these interests and play a critical role in achieving our national, economic security, and foreign policy objectives.”
Troughout the FMS process, there are numerous interactions at various levels between the U.S. and the foreign government that assist in strengthening alliances and partnerships. Upon initiating an FMS case, and during contract negotiations, senior represen- tatives from both governments interact daily. As contracts are
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