Establishing an America First Arms Transfer Strategy
The order directs the Departments of War, State, and Commerce to develop and implement an America First Arms Transfer Strategy — including a prioritized sales catalog, an industry engagement plan, and streamlined export processes — to use foreign arms purchases as a tool for rebuilding U.S. defense industrial capacity.
It also creates a new interagency task force to oversee the strategy, requires publication of quarterly performance metrics on arms sales, and immediately amends a 2013 executive order to shift key congressional notification responsibilities to the Secretary of War.
What this order does
What it orders
The order directs the Secretary of War, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Commerce to build out an America First Arms Transfer Strategy aimed at using foreign arms purchases to expand domestic defense production capacity. Within 120 days, they must deliver a prioritized sales catalog of platforms the U.S. will encourage allies to buy, identify Foreign Military Sales and Direct Commercial Sales opportunities, and provide recommendations to boost advocacy for American-made defense articles abroad. Within 60 days, they must submit an industry engagement plan. The order also requires developing clearer criteria for End Use Monitoring and improving the Third-Party Transfer approval process.
The order establishes the Promoting American Military Sales Task Force within 30 days, chaired by the National Security Advisor, to oversee implementation and convene quarterly. Within 120 days, agencies must begin publishing quarterly performance metrics on sales case development and export license adjudication. It immediately amends Executive Order 13637 to reassign congressional notification functions for certain arms transfers from the Secretary of State to the Secretary of War, with a coordination requirement retained.
Who it affects
U.S. defense contractors and nontraditional defense companies seeking export opportunities; allied and partner nations purchasing American military equipment; the Departments of War, State, and Commerce as the primary implementing agencies; and Congress, whose arms transfer notifications will now be routed differently.
Why it matters
Defense manufacturers may gain expanded foreign sales pipelines and clearer guidance on which platforms the government will actively promote abroad. Allied governments will face a more structured U.S. sales process tied explicitly to burden-sharing expectations. Congressional arms transfer notifications shift in routing, which affects how lawmakers receive and review proposed deals.
What must happen and when
How the order is supposed to work
All major deliverables flow through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs before reaching the President. The Task Force, chaired by the NSA or a designee and composed of Under Secretaries from each department, serves as the central coordination body with quarterly review meetings. Deadlines are tiered: 30 days for the Task Force, 60 days for the engagement plan and TPT review, 90 days for End Use Monitoring reforms, and 120 days for the sales catalog and performance metrics. The amendment to EO 13637 takes effect immediately and requires the Secretary of War to consult with State before notifying Congress.
Actions and deadlines
- Establish the Promoting American Military Sales Task Force with defined membership and charter
- Develop an industry engagement plan and submit it to the President through the NSA
- Review Third-Party Transfer processes and submit a reduction plan to the President through the NSA
- Develop clear criteria for Enhanced End Use Monitoring and establish an End Use Monitoring coordination group
- Develop a process to provide allies and partners advance notice of upcoming FMS contracting actions and deadlines
- Submit a sales catalog of prioritized platforms and systems for allied procurement to the President through the NSA
- Provide recommendations to enhance advocacy for foreign procurement of American defense articles
- Identify FMS and Direct Commercial Sales opportunities supporting the strategy and the defense industrial base
- Begin publishing aggregate quarterly performance metrics on FMS case development and export license adjudication
Agencies directed to act
Authority and reach
What this order changes
Amends Executive Order 13637