What is the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program?

The Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program is a government-to-government initiative that focuses on the transfer of defense articles and services to foreign nations. This program is pivotal in strengthening alliances and partnerships, allowing the U.S. to sell military equipment, weapons systems, and related services to allied countries under specific agreements. The transactions involved in FMS are structured in a way that ensures both the U.S. government's and the recipient country's interests are aligned, providing a framework for implementation, financing, and support for military cooperation.

FMS plays a crucial role in enhancing the military capabilities of partner nations, equipping them to better fulfill their own national security needs, while also promoting stability and security in broader regions. It is not merely a financial transaction, but rather a strategic component of U.S. foreign policy, fostering defense relationships and interoperability among allies.

In contrast, training foreign military personnel, humanitarian aid initiatives, or donating surplus military equipment, while important, do not represent the core functions or objectives of the FMS program. Training focuses on skills development, humanitarian aid addresses the immediate needs of civilian populations, and surplus donations relate to excess resources rather than structured defense sales agreements.