The Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program provides grants and loans to help countries purchase weapons and defense equipment produced in the United States as well as acquiring defense services and military training. FMF funds purchases are made through the
Foreign Military Sales
The United States Department of Defense's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program facilitates sales of U.S. arms, defense equipment, defense services, and military training to foreign governments. The purchaser does not deal directly with the defens ...
(FMS) program, which manages government-to-government sales. On a much less frequent basis, FMF also funds purchases made through the
Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) program, which oversees sales between foreign governments and private U.S. companies. FMF does not provide cash grants to other countries; it generally pays for sales of specific goods or services through FMS or DCS.
The State Department's
Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
The Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM) is an agency within the United States Department of State that bridges the Department of State with the Department of Defense. It provides policy in the areas of international security, security assist ...
and the latter's Office of Security Assistance set policy for the FMF program, while the
Defense Security Cooperation Agency
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), as part of the United States Department of Defense (DoD), provides financial and technical assistance, transfer of defense matériel, training and services to allies, and promotes military-to-milit ...
(DSCA), within the
Defense Department, manages it on a day-to-day basis.
Security Assistance Organizations (SAOs), military personnel in
U.S. embassies overseas, play a key role in managing FMF within recipient countries. Some FMF pays for SAO salaries and operational costs. Congress appropriates funds for FMF through the yearly
Foreign Operations Appropriations Act.
FMF exists primarily to fund arms transfers, as military training is normally granted through the
International Military Education and Training (IMET) program. However, FMF does support a good deal of training.
Allocation of Foreign Military Financing
By account, program area and program element
The allocation of FMF by account, program area and program element is:
[United States Department of State](_blank)
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By country
From 2003 to 2007 Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
was the largest beneficiary of FMF, since then it is Afghanistan.[https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2011/tables/11s1296.pdf see also https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2011/tables/11s1298.pdf] Until 2003 it was Israel. Other countries in the Middle East and Greater Middle East (including Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
, Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
, and especially Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
) are among the other major recipients of FMF funds.
The allocation of FMF by country is:
See also
*United States military aid
The United States government first recognized the usefulness of foreign aid as a tool of diplomacy in World War II. It was believed that it would promote liberal capitalist models of development in other countries and that it would enhance nation ...
References
{{reflist
External links
U.S. Department of DefenseU.S. Department of State
* ttp://www.dsca.osd.mil Defense Security Cooperation Agencybr>"Report: U.S. Routinely Sends Arms to Undemocratic Nations"
on Democracy Now!
''Democracy Now!'' is an hour-long American TV, radio, and Internet news program hosted by journalists Amy Goodman (who also acts as the show's executive producer), Juan González, and Nermeen Shaikh. The show, which airs live each weekday at ...
, May 27, 2005 (video, audio, and print transcript).
Military industry
Foreign Military Sales
United States foreign policy
United States military policies
FMF
FMF
United States military aid