Foreign Military Sales |
Direct Commercial Sales |
The Office of International Acquisition and Navy International Programs Office will negotiate with manufacturers on behalf of the purchasing nation. |
Purchasing nation negotiates directly with manufacturer. |
By using the FMS system, the purchasing nation benefits from the acquisition experience and political goodwill of the USG. The total Package Approach (TPA) utilized in the FMS system requires the USG to ensure that all facets of operational requirements are addressed from initial acquisition, training and spare parts through to long-term supportability and logistics. The USG assumes contracting risk and is responsible for ensuring the manufacturer meets cost, schedule, and performance requirements. |
U.S. Government (USG)
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Any required notifications to Congress are jointly sponsored by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) and the Department of State (DoS). | Congress must be notified of a decision to issue an export license if the sale includes equipment and/or services totaling $50 million or if significant defense equipment is valued at $14 million
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FMS financial transactions are governed by public-domain
statutes and regulation and have mandatory financial management reviews,
ensuring complete transparency. |
DCS sales are less transparent due to lack of reporting requirements. |