What is the AFMC FMS Enterprise?

The Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Enterprise is a collection of United States Government (USG) organizations involved with executing FMS agreements with United States Air Force (USAF) International Partners. Here’s a list of the organizations:
 

• AFMC International Affairs (AFMC/IA) Directorate
• Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) and its Execution and selected Staff Directorates
• Air Force Security Assistance and Cooperation (AFSAC) Directorate
• Security Assistance/Cooperation and FMS activities within the Air Force Sustainment Center (AFSC), Air Force Test Center (AFTC), Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center (AFIMSC), and Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC).

Offices AFMC works with within the DoD Security Assistance/Cooperation and FMS area include:
 

• Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment
• Office of the Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition
• Office of the Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs
• Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA)

What is the Arms Export Control Act (AECA)?

The Arms Export Control Act (AECA) is the formal legislation behind the USG FMS program. It was established in 1976 and gives the President of the United States (POTUS) the authority to control the import and export of defense articles and defense services. The legislation authorizes the following:
 

• Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOAs), aka FMS cases
• Government-to-government agreements
• Including the sale of defense articles, services, and training
  • From Department of Defense (DoD) stock
  • Through new procurements under DoD managed contracts 

What is a Letter of Request (LOR)?

A Letter of Request (LOR) is a document submitted from a Partner Nation to the USG requesting permission to purchase a particular defense article and/or service. An authorized representative of a Partner Nation must submit LORs in writing via an email, memo, or signed meeting minutes to an authorized representative of the USG. The LOR must be considered complete and actionable per the electronic Security Assistance Management Manual (eSAMM) Chapter 5, C5.1.2 & C5.1.3).

What is a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA)?

A Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) is a formal country-to-country agreement developed by the Air Force Security Assistance and Cooperation (AFSAC) Directorate in response to a complete and actionable LOR from a Partner Nation. Once a Partner Nation signs an LOA and provides initial funding, the AFSAC Directorate works with the Partner Nation and appropriate AFMC FMS Enterprise Organizations to execute the case.