Pentagon Proposes Measures to Accelerate Foreign Military Sales, May Affect TaiwanTaiwan News
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In response to growing demand for U.S. military equipment, the U.S. Department of Defense on Tuesday (June 14) put forward a series of proposals aimed at streamlining the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
At the heart of the set of recommendations is addressing the issue of a faster, more efficient FMS system, a key issue given the urgency of arming Ukraine against Russian invasion and arming Taiwan against China’s recent military escalation in the Pacific.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin highlighted six major FMS problems identified by the special “Tiger Team”. These include enhancing understanding of partner needs, conducting effective reviews of technology releases, supporting allies and partners with relevant prioritized capabilities, accelerating acquisition and contracting support, expanding defense industrial base capabilities, and securing broad U.S. Government support.
In enhancing its understanding of partner needs, it also recommends changes to the way the Pentagon organizes, trains, and prepares for security cooperation, including establishing a Defense Security Cooperation Branch to ensure personnel are equipped to engage with allies and partners.
The US State Department also released a roadmap for FMS reform last month. These include new approaches to strategic planning, improvements to FMS adjudication, and forward-looking support for FMS implementation and future cases.
