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The US Department of War will conduct a full review to simplify and streamline its foreign military sales, according to US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
Secretary Hegseth confirmed the move, speaking to the media, after the US Department of War recently announced major realignment of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency and the Defense Technology Security Administration.
The transformation is expected to modernise critical acquisition, sustainment, industrial base policy, security cooperation, defence sales and arms transfer functions.
“A lot of the hang-up (in foreign military sales) has been us. We have to look at ourselves first, the way we do business. We have been impossible to deal with, we have been a bad customer,” according to Secretary Hegseth.
“Year after year, we change what we want or what we don’t want. We make small technological changes which make it more difficult for them to produce what they produce on time.
“We have fix our own house first, provide clarity, simplify the system and allow more people to access it. We have to give that steady demand signal, which is what we are doing with munitions.
“Companies are now investing because they know we will be buying into the future.
“There are mazes of requirements that this department has traditionally put on platforms and systems, that are impossible to navigate. By the time people navigate them they are five years behind the actual technology.
“We are now going to companies saying, ‘Tell us what you can do and let’s tailor it accordingly’.”
The change also follows a presidential action to “Establish an America First Arm Transfer Strategy” on 6 February.
Under the order, future arms sales are envisioned to prioritise American interests by using foreign purchases and capital to build American production, capacity and defence industrial base.
In addition, the order calls for a streamlining of processes across executive departments and agencies to strengthen effectiveness and create efficiencies in the US defence sales enterprise
The policy also priorities arms transfers to partners that invest in their own defence capabilities, play key geographic or strategic roles in US operations or contribute to US economic security.
Under the order, and within 120 days, the Secretary of War must submit a prioritised sales catalogue of defence systems the United States will promote to allies and partners.
