The two main ways that the U.S. war industry sells to foreign governments are foreign military sales (FMS) and direct commercial sales (DCS). In FMS, the U.S. government acts as the intermediary between the corporation and the foreign government. DCS are negotiated privately between foreign governments and U.S. corporations, with the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs issuing the export licenses.

The U.S. war industry leads the world in arms sales.

What follows are the major FMS announcements from September 2023.

(FMS are also sprinkled throughout the broader list of September announcements, available here.)

FMS – CONTAINMENT OF CHINA

Boeing, St. Louis, Missouri, total value $474,500,000, for FMS (Japan): the Passive Warning Survivability System for F-15 aircraft.

FlightSafety International, Fort Worth, Texas, $48,000,000, for FMS (Japan): KC-46 aircrew training systems and spares for Miho Airbase in Tottori and Komaki Airbase in Aichi. Some work in Denver, Colorado.

Northrop Grumman, Melbourne, Florida, $150,000,000, for FMS (Japan): long lead parts for five E-2D aircraft. Work in Syracuse (25.06%), Greenlawn (3.33%), Owego (1.79%), Edgewood (1.41%), New York; Rolling Meadows, Illinois (9.52%); Woodland Hills (5.87%) and Menlo Park (5.08%), California; Aire-sur-l'Adour, France (2.02%); Melbourne, Florida (1.35%); Marlboro, Massachusetts (.73%); and various locations within continental U.S. (43.84%). Potez Aéronautique makes the tail structure in Aire-sur-l'Adour.

Hawkeye 360 Inc., Herndon, Virginia, $12,250,000, for commercial radio frequency data and analytics subscription products, analytical support, and training. Work in Herndon, Virginia (91%); and outside the continental U.S. (9%). FMS (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand) funding $6,500,000. State Department Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs funding $5,750,000.

PKL Services, Poway, California, $22,695,609, for FMS (Singapore): an additional 12 months (through 30 Sep 2024) of F-15 maintenance and training at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho.

Lockheed Martin, Moorestown, New Jersey, $26,924,626, for FMS (Australia): Australia Surface Combatant system design, analysis, computer program software development, and integrated logistics support.

Thales, Clarksburg, Maryland, $12,866,740, for FMS (Australia): dome sonars (5) for Lockheed Martin MH-60R helicopters. Work in Valbonne, France.

FMS EUROPE

UAV Communications, Newport News, Virginia, $8,342,946 for FMS (UK): ongoing sustainment, management, development, and network administration of UK MQ-9 drone Operation Centers. Work at RAF Waddington, UK, and Creech AFB, Nevada.

Lockheed Martin, Grand Prairie, Texas, $15,917,096, for FMS (UK): Missile Technology Control Regime spares, non-MTCR spares, launcher adapter group, interactive electronic technical manual, and training on new equipment. Work in Camden, Arkansas, and Grand Prairie and New Boston, Texas.

Lockheed Martin, Fort Worth, Texas, $746,266,081 for FMS (Switzerland): program management, unique requirements, and training re: integrating Switzerland into the F-35 program. Work in Fort Worth, Texas (95%); Orlando, Florida (3%); Greenville, South Carolina (2%).

Northrop Grumman, Huntsville, Alabama, $59,865,254, for FMS (Poland): Integrated Battle Command System production hardware and software.

RTX, Fort Wayne, Indiana, $14,682,090, for FMS (Latvia): the International Field Artillery Tactical Data System.

Lockheed Martin, Liverpool, New York, $52,613,273, for AN/TPS-77 radars (3), training, spares, and interim contractor support. For Lithuania’s Air Force, and paid for with Building Partner Capacity (BPC) funds ($29,364,238) and FMS funds ($23,249,035).

Lockheed Martin, Fort Worth, Texas, $151,360,000, for FMS (Bulgaria): F-16 aircraft (8). Work at Fort Worth, Texas, and Greenville, South Carolina.

FMS MIDDLE EAST

American Rheinmetall Systems, Biddeford, Maine, $15,635,725, for FMS (Egypt): Rheinmetall-Oerlikon Searanger 20MM gun systems (12). Includes spares, and training. Work in Biddeford, Maine (90%), and Egypt (10%).

Booz Allen Hamilton, Mclean, Virginia, $59,749,205, for FMS (Saudi Arabia): support Saudi Land Forces. Work in Riyadh.

VSE Corp., Alexandria, Virginia, $32,000,000, for FMS (Iraq): technical support for maintenance / repair of two 60-meter offshore support vessels, twelve 35-meter patrol boats, and twenty-six 27-foot rigid hull inflatable “Defender” boats. Work mostly in Basra (94%). Some work in Baghdad (less than 1%); Skopje, Macedonia (less than 1%); and Alexandria (4%) and Chesapeake (less than 1%), Virginia.

FMS AFRICA

Northrop Grumman, Rolling Meadows, Illinois, $72,839,416 (FMS portion $17,218,013), for hardware and technical engineering, management and logistics support for AN/APR-39 D(V)2 Radar Warning Receiver/Electronic Warfare Management Systems (38 for U.S. Navy, and 13 for Nigeria); and battery handle assemblies (15 for U.S. Navy, and 12 for Nigeria). These systems are for rotary aircraft (MV-22B, AH-1Z, UH-1Y, CH-53K). Also provides engineering re: processor conversion for Morocco. Work in Rolling Meadows, Illinois (50.27%); Woburn, Massachusetts (9.48%); Lansdale, Pennsylvania (8.5%); San Leandro, California (5.42%); Lewisburg, Tennessee (5.3%); Longmont, Colorado (5%); Verona, Wisconsin (2.5%); Salt Lake City, Utah (1.75%); Newark, Delaware (1.6%); Melbourne, Florida (1.29%); Baltimore, Maryland (1.17%); locations in continental U.S. (7.72%).

FMS – Multiple countries together

General Dynamics, Sterling Heights, Michigan, $56,506,561, for FMS (Poland and Kuwait): technical support of Abrams tanks.

Lockheed Martin, Moorestown, New Jersey, $63,820,154 for FMS (Canada): establish the AEGIS Canadian Surface Combatant land-based test site in New Jersey. Involves FMS to Canadian Navy. Work in Moorestown, New Jersey (93%); Clearwater (3%) and Orlando (3%), Florida; and Owego, New York (1%).

RTX (Collins) and Elbit, Fort Worth, Texas, $25,837,392, for repairs to Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) hardware and equipment. Work in Talladega, Alabama; and Fort Worth, Texas. Involves FMS to Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Greece, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Switzerland, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.

DRS Laurel Technologies, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, $18,251,866, for Launch Control Unit (MK 235 Mods 17 and 18) production, and associated maintenance assistance module, onboard repair part, installation and checkout components kits re: the MK 41 vertical launch system. Some FMS ($13,560,510, 74%) to Australia, Netherlands, and Canada.