President Donald Trump has signed an Executive Order aimed at reforming the process for foreign military sales (FMS), drawing praise from industry leaders. Eric Fanning, President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), reacted positively to the move.
Fanning remarked, “Foreign military sales are an essential tool for the United States to project deterrence, develop a production economy, and support the American defense industrial base. Today’s Executive Order to review the defense sales system is a welcome step as American industry continues to support our nation’s foreign policy objectives, deliver the best capabilities, and create high-paying jobs here at home.”
With foreign military sales reaching unprecedented levels, Fanning emphasized the global demand for such capabilities and expressed anticipation for collaboration with the Trump Administration to enhance the FMS process. He added, "We look forward to updating a decades-old system to one that is transparent and efficient, responds to current global threats, and delivers jobs for the American people. The time for action is now."
The focus is on modernizing the system to ensure it is more transparent and responsive to current threats, which is a critical component of the American economic and defense strategy. The industry hopes these reforms will help maintain and grow the defense industrial base by aligning it more closely with national security objectives.
