The foreign military sales process, wherein international governments seek armaments and defense support from the U.S., is a complicated and highly bureaucratic system that stretches across multiple major agencies, not just the Department of Defense. Officials blame slow industrial base production, lack of Congressional funding and diffuse procedures at the Pentagon for a certain perceived ineffectiveness in foreign military sales, or FMS, Defense News reported earlier this month.
âFMS is a strategic tool of policy that is too slow and too clunky to be as effective as we want it to be,â said a Congressional aide in confidence to the news outlet.
The DOD has reportedly been working to reconfigure how it approaches these deals for the last two decades at least. But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 put a lot more pressure and emphasis on the issue, and it sent the DOD, the State Department and Congress scrambling to meet incoming orders.
Want to learn how industry can better partner with the government to protect the safety of our allies? Participate in the GovCon International Summit, from Potomac Officers Club, on Oct. 10. This contracting-focused event will gather federal personnel with a direct hand in the FMS process for a day of learning and networking. Donât miss out!
State Department FMS Progress
The State Department attests it has put in place a number of reforms to expedite and strengthen the FMS process. These include revisions to officer curriculum regarding security cooperation and to rulings on aerial drone transfers. The department has also worked to issue regulations that can work for more widespread regions rather than tailored to individual nations.
It takes an estimated 48 hours for the vast majority of FMS cases to be approved by the department. They place the brunt of the blame for lag times and inefficiency at the feet the DOD and the DIB.
DOD FMS Improvement Initiatives
In order to consolidate efforts and streamline its FMS process, the DOD has put in motion a number of remedial measures over the last year, when it set an improvement plan. One step was to install a network of representatives across the globe, stationed in embassies in nations where FMS deals are encouraged and active. These attaches can be there, on the ground, to work alongside partner nations and guide them through the preparation needed to procure from the U.S.
To arm its personnel with the proper knowledge and strategies to be able to facilitate the processes, the DOD has also released a new FMS contracting toolkit. It is additionally considering bringing on a team of civilians to aid the military staff who are currently saddled with FMS transactions.
U.S. Central Command Chief Technology Officer Schuyler Moore will be among the esteemed speakers at the GovCon International Summit. Save a seat now so you can hear her remarks, and those of her colleagues from across the DOD and the international scene.
