Sales of arms and defense gear by the U.S. government reached a record $80.9 billion in fiscal 2023, representing a jump of nearly 56% from the previous year, according to the State Department. The three-year rolling average for Foreign Military Sales exports rose to $55.9 billion for fiscal years 2021 to 2023, up 21.9% from the previous year. Notable examples of government-to-government FMS sales include deals with Poland, Germany, Australia, Canada, and others.
The total includes $62.25 billion in arms sales funded by U.S. ally and partner nations, $3.97 billion through the Title 22 Foreign Military Financing program, and $14.68 billion funded through other Department of State and Department of Defense programs. Mira Resnick, who oversees the State Department office that manages foreign military sales, stated that they have been prioritizing FMS customers that align with the national defense strategy and national security strategy, and have been applying lessons learned from Ukraine globally.
The amount of arms sold by U.S. weapons manufacturers directly to foreign customers also increased, rising to $157.5 billion. The three-year rolling average for these direct commercial sales authorizations was $124.9 billion for fiscal 2021-23, a 16.5% increase from the previous year. Some major DCS authorizations in fiscal 2023 include agreements with Italy, India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Norway, and Ukraine.
While there have been concerns about the slow pace of deliveries to Taiwan, Resnick noted that the congressional notification of sales is just the beginning of the process, and negotiations between the U.S. government and Taiwan take a very long time.
