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Introduction

Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfers

The Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfers (RSAT) advances U.S. foreign policy and national security interests through its management of bilateral and multi-lateral political-military and regional security relations, as well as sales and transfers of U.S.–origin defense articles and services to foreign governments.

The State-DOD relationship is critical to achieving U.S. policy consensus on political-military issues. RSAT is at the center of this relationship. RSAT is a key link between the Departments of State and Defense, interfacing with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff, and the Combatant Commands on regional security issues. RSAT also serves as the State Department’s principal entry point for bilateral and regional political-military questions from the USG interagency and foreign governments.

RSAT officers bring policy expertise to the entire spectrum of political-military and regional security issues. RSAT officers have responsibility ranging from a handful of countries to entire regions of the world. Typically, RSAT action officers manage many contacts in the Department of State, Department of Defense, the interagency community, and foreign governments.

Political-Military Dialogues

The PM Bureau leads or co-leads more than 30 bilateral/multilateral defense and security dialogues. PM principals lead high-level interagency USG discussions on regional security issues, strengthening mil-mil cooperation, obsolete weapons disposal, and other priority security topics. RSAT officers directly support PM leadership by coordinating, managing and executing all aspects of PM-led political-military dialogues and by staffing and participating in consultations in Washington and overseas.

PM principals regularly discuss political-military issues with State and Defense counterparts, U.S. Ambassadors, senior foreign government officials, and U.S. defense industry executives. PM leadership often reaches out directly to RSAT officers for subject matter expertise and analysis of the current state of play on political-military issues with foreign governments and within the U.S. Government and from the. RSAT officers work closely with State, DOD, intelligence and foreign government officials to stay current on political-military topics to provide policy advice to Department leadership on demand.

Arms Sales

The U.S. Government and private industry collaborate to produce the most advanced, capable, safe and coveted military armaments in the world. The USG shares its armaments with allies and friendly countries to strengthen bilateral ties and U.S. influence while building credible partner-nation defensive capabilities, that contribute to peace and regional stability. To accomplish this, the United States annually exports billions of dollars worth of military equipment via the Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programs. Countries procure weapons directly from the U.S. manufacturer through the DCS program. At the same time, the FMS program creates long-lasting partnerships between the U.S. military and foreign military service through follow-on support, interoperability, maintenance, and training. The Secretary of State exercises statutory authority for final approval of all arms transactions, after which the Department of Defense has responsibility.

PM is the State Department bureau that coordinates approval of all U.S. arms sales, exports, and transfers to foreign entities. RSAT specifically coordinates all aspects of FMS-origin transfers, and advises on regional stability implications of advanced DCS-origin transfers. RSAT’s decisions on arms sales and transfers are guided by the Conventional Arms Transfers Policy.

Foreign Military Sales

RSAT officers provide recommendations to PM leadership on whether to approve the potential sale of military equipment to foreign governments through the FMS program. RSAT officers solicit input from relevant State Department offices concerning the proposed sale’s costs and benefits to U.S. foreign policy and the potential impact on regional security.

Congressional Notifications and Briefings

When potential sales meet a dollar threshold requiring approval from the Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security, RSAT officers work with PM leadership and the Department of Defense to notify Congress, a statutory requirement. RSAT routinely briefs the Congress on arms sales to foreign governments on behalf of the executive branch. During the Congressional notification process for high-dollar sales of military equipment, RSAT officers work with the Department of Defense to analyze the benefits of the sale to U.S. interests and appropriately convey the information to Congress. Additionally, RSAT briefs the Congress at the beginning of each calendar year to forecast potential sales (both FMS and DCS) of military equipment to foreign governments and prepares the annual Javits Report. In other cases, RSAT officers will help prepare principals who will brief Congressional staff or members during testimony or by request.

Direct Commercial Sales

RSAT reviews individual license applications for the export of more advanced systems/capabilities and weighs each request in the context of advancing U.S. foreign policy goals and balancing regional security concerns.

National Disclosure Policy Committee (NDPC)

RSAT is the Department of State’s voting representative on the National Disclosure Policy Committee, which reviews all requests to disclose classified military information to foreign governments. RSAT officers rigorously analyze requests to share classified information or technology to ensure that the request promotes U.S. foreign policy interests, is not destabilizing for the country or region in question, and has potential for fostering interoperability with the U.S military.

Technology Transfer Working Group

End Use Violations and Section 3

Under Section 3 of the Arms Export Control Act, the Department of State must report to Congress when the U.S. Government receives credible information that a recipient of U.S.-origin defense equipment may have retransferred or altered the end use of such equipment without U.S. authorization. RSAT is responsible for such reports, and works closely with other PM offices, the relevant State Department regional bureaus, and technical experts from the Department of Defense to provide the most accurate and timely reporting possible to the Congress.