Can We Accelerate Foreign Military Sales? Arm Our Allies Faster? (From Warrior Maven)

In 2023, sales of American-made military equipment to US allies and partners significantly increased – to $80.9 billion – through the highly successful Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process, a 55.9% increase compared to the $51.9 billion of 2022. This dramatic upswing is the result of continued threats emanating from Russia and China, as well as the war in Ukraine. But not all foreign military sales move so quickly. Most “friends and family” arms deals forged during White House meetings with foreign leaders slow to a crawl when vital weapons exports begin undergoing bureaucratic review. I have written more on this subject here.