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-military contacts.

The seal of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency

Security Cooperation (SC) is founded on a tradition of cooperation between the United States and other sovereign nations with similar values and interests in order to meet common defense goals. It consists of a group of programs authorized by the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, and the Arms Export Control Act, as amended, and related statutes by which the DoD or commercial contractor provide defense articles and services in furtherance of national policies and objectives.

History

Founded in 1971,[1] the Defense Security Assistance Agency was renamed the Defense Security Cooperation Agency effective October 1, 1998.[2]

Foreign military sales (FMS)

Foreign military sales (FMS) and International Military Education and Training (IMET) are two key programs included within Security Cooperation. IMET is conducted solely on a grant basis. FMS can be conducted through direct payments of foreign states or United States Foreign Military Financing (FMF).

Foreign Military Sales division is the core activity of DSCA, and yearly sales are between US$30 and US$40 billion.[3] FMS is a U.S. government to foreign government agreement, and DSCA acts as agent for procurement mostly for American defense company and aerospace companies or for DoD stocks. FMS is managed and operated by DoD on a no-profit and no-loss basis. Countries participating in the program pay for defense articles and services at prices which recoup costs incurred by the United States. This includes a fee ($15,000, or 3.8% of item and service cost, whichever is greater) to cover the cost of administering the program.

Regional centers

DSCA has five regional centers. They are:

References
  1. Tirman, John (1997). Spoils of War: The Human Cost of America's Arms Trade. New York: Free Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-0684827261.
  2. United States Department of Defense, 20 May 1998, SUBJECT: Department of Defense Reform Initiative Directive # 40 - Redesignation of the Defense Security Assistance Agency as the Defense Security Cooperation Agency Archived 2014-10-11 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "In 2009, according to DSCA, $36 billion". Archived from the original on 2010-08-27. Retrieved 2010-09-22.
  4. Africa Center for Strategic Studies Archived December 8, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  5. "Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies". Archived from the original on 2010-09-24. Retrieved 2010-09-22.
  6. "Welcome to the Marshall Center". Archived from the original on 2010-09-11. Retrieved 2010-09-22.
  7. "William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies". Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2019-07-21.
  8. "Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies". Archived from the original on 2009-07-28. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.