U.S. streamlines arms export process, opening new doors for Ukraine

According to Defense Express, this move aims to streamline the bureaucratic procedures surrounding arms sales, which have historically been encumbered by additional restrictions. As noted by Defense Express, "U.S. arms exports have long been extremely bureaucratic, suffering from constraints that continue to be enforced by inertia, even though Russia has consistently violated them."

The U.S. decision to ease these rules is being hailed as a major shift, driven by an order from President Donald Trump. This move has generated optimism among American arms manufacturers, who face a relatively liberal domestic arms market but navigate highly specific export sales processes.

Ukraine, in particular, could benefit from this change, especially in light of its expressed intent to acquire between $30 to $50 billion worth of American weapons. However, as Defense Express notes, "this will require significant effort," as the order signed by Trump on April 9 mandates that the U.S. State Department and the Defense Department create a "list of priority partners" and a list of priority weapons and military equipment within 60 days.

Although the scope of these lists remains unclear, it has been indicated that the Missile Technology Control Regime (Category I) restrictions will be revisited for selected countries, potentially allowing the export of longer-range weapons. "This category includes ballistic and cruise missiles with a warhead of up to 500 kg and a range of at least 300 km," according to Defense Express. These weapons, along with related production equipment, are expected to be more accessible to certain partners.

Additionally, the Missile Technology Control Regime is not a treaty, but rather a “gentleman's agreement,” which Defense Express highlights is increasingly incompatible with Russia's violations. "At the same time, the U.S. needs to sell not only the Tomahawk but also the PrSM for HIMARS and other long-range weapons."

Further simplifying procedures, the U.S. is also revising the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) system. "The vast majority of U.S. arms exports are made through the FMS mechanism, where foreign countries order weapons from the U.S. government, which then places orders with manufacturers," Defense Express explains. Under this new approach, parallel decision-making processes will be introduced, allowing for simultaneous and independent bureaucratic procedures.

Moreover, the U.S. is reviewing its list of weapons available exclusively through the FMS mechanism. This list includes a wide range of items, from fighter jets to electronic warfare equipment. As Defense Express reports, "After the list is reduced, American defense companies will be able to more actively use the Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) mechanism, which enables direct contracts between the manufacturer and the buyer." This is expected to be implemented within 120 days.

The U.S. defense industry has already welcomed the decision to liberalize arms exports. As Defense Express states, "The use of DCS mechanisms is much more profitable for manufacturers, as they previously had to sell weapons to the U.S. government on its terms." This shift presents a significant opportunity for both arms manufacturers and foreign buyers, including Ukraine.