Executive Order No. 14383. Establishing an America First Arms Transfer Strategy

• Executive Order No.: 14383
• Published date: 11 February 2026
• Date: 06 February 2026
• FR Document: 2026-02814
• Pages: 6497-6500
• Citation: 91 FR 6497
• Issuer: Executive Office of the President
• Section: Presidential Documents

Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 28 (Wednesday, February 11, 2026)

[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 11, 2026)]
                [Presidential Documents]
                [Pages 6497-6500]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2026-02814] Presidential Documents
                Federal Register / Vol. 91 , No. 28 / Wednesday, February 11, 2026 /
                Presidential Documents
                [[Page 6497]]
                 Executive Order 14383 of February 6, 2026
                
                Establishing an America First Arms Transfer
                 Strategy
                 By the authority vested in me as President by the
                 Constitution and the laws of the United States of
                 America, it is hereby ordered:
                 Section 1. Purpose. American-manufactured military
                 equipment is the best in the world, resulting in
                 American dominance across international defense
                 exports. It is critical that the United States fully
                 use this comparative advantage in arms transfers as
                 both a tool of foreign policy and a tool to expand
                 domestic production and transfer.
                 To maintain our military dominance and technological
                 superiority, the time has come to establish, implement,
                 and execute an America First Arms Transfer Strategy. As
                 the first strategy of its kind, it will ensure that
                 future arms sales prioritize American interests by
                 using foreign purchases and capital to build American
                 production and capacity. This strategy will advance a
                 technologically superior, ready, and resilient national
                 security industrial enterprise. It will strengthen the
                 United States defense industrial base to ensure it has
                 the capacity to support our military and our allies and
                 partners, especially as we increase burden-sharing.
                 Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States
                 to intentionally use arms transfers as a tool of
                 American foreign policy and to expand strategically
                 relevant industrial production capacity in the United
                 States by:
                 (a) establishing an America First Arms Transfer
                 Strategy that provides clear direction and
                 implementation guidance to arms transfer stakeholders;
                 and
                 (b) streamlining processes across executive
                 departments and agencies (agencies) to strengthen
                 effectiveness and create efficiencies in our defense
                 sales enterprise.
                 Sec. 3. An America First Arms Transfer Strategy. (a) An
                 America First Arms Transfer Strategy shall accomplish
                 the following objectives:
                (i) The United States will use arms sales and transfers to increase
                production and build production capacity for weapons and platforms the
                Secretary of War determines to be the most operationally relevant for
                executing the National Security Strategy (NSS);
                (ii) The United States will use foreign purchases and capital to support
                domestic reindustrialization, expand production capacity, and improve the
                resilience of the United States defense industrial base. Arms sales and
                transfers will support Department of War (DoW) efforts to promote
                innovation and competition by incentivizing new entrants and nontraditional
                defense companies to contribute to the defense industrial base;
                (iii) The United States will use arms sales and transfers to reinforce DoW
                acquisition and sustainment activities, including by building critical
                supply chain resilience and avoiding adding to backlogs on priority
                components and end-items that impact United States or ally and partner
                readiness;
                (iv) Consistent with Executive Order 14268 of April 9, 2025 (Reforming
                Foreign Defense Sales to Improve Speed and Accountability), the United
                States will prioritize arms sales and transfers to partners that have
                invested in their own self-defense and capabilities, have a critical role
                or geography in United States plans and operations, or contribute to our
                economic security.
                [[Page 6498]]
                 (b) Within 120 days of the date of this order, the
                 Secretary of War, in coordination with the Secretary of
                 State and the Secretary of Commerce, shall submit to
                 the President, through the Assistant to the President
                 for National Security Affairs, a sales catalog of
                 prioritized platforms and systems that the United
                 States shall encourage our allies and partners to
                 acquire. The sales catalog shall be based on criteria
                 identified in the America First Arms Transfer Strategy.
                 (c) Within 120 days of the date of this order, the
                 Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the
                 Secretary of State and the Secretary of War, shall
                 provide recommendations to enhance advocacy efforts
                 encouraging foreign procurement of defense articles
                 produced in America for the purpose of supporting an
                 America First Arms Transfer Strategy.
                 (d) Within 120 days of the date of this order, the
                 Secretary of State and the Secretary of War, in
                 coordination with the Secretary of Commerce, shall
                 identify Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Direct
                 Commercial Sales opportunities that will support the
                 strategic objectives of the America First Arms Transfer
                 Strategy and the growth of the United States defense
                 industrial base.
                 (e) Within 60 days of the date of this order, the
                 Secretary of State and the Secretary of War, in
                 coordination with the Secretary of Commerce, shall
                 develop an industry engagement plan and submit it to
                 the President, through the Assistant to the President
                 for National Security Affairs, to enable the United
                 States Government to fully coordinate with American
                 stakeholders while executing the America First Arms
                 Transfer Strategy.
                 Sec. 4. Eliminating Inefficiencies in American Arms
                 Transfers. In order to fully implement an America First
                 Arms Transfer Strategy and streamline our defense sales
                 process, the United States Government shall undertake
                 the following actions:
                (i) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of War, in
                coordination with the Secretary of State, shall develop clear criteria for
                determining which weapons, platforms, or capabilities require Enhanced End
                Use Monitoring. Additionally, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of War,
                and the Secretary of Commerce shall establish an End Use Monitoring
                coordination group, consisting of designees from each respective
                department, which will meet to improve the effectiveness and coordination
                of their respective department's end-use monitoring activities. These
                actions will improve information sharing and efficiencies to ensure allies
                and partners are complying with United States requirements and to reduce
                risk of diversion.
                (ii) Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State, in
                coordination with the Secretary of War, shall review Third-Party Transfer
                (TPT) processes and submit a plan to the President through the Assistant to
                the President for National Security Affairs to reduce and potentially
                realign the onerous TPT process, with due consideration to technology
                security risks.
                (iii) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of War, in
                coordination with the Secretary of State, shall develop a process to
                provide advanced notice, as appropriate, to allies and partners of upcoming
                contracting actions and associated deadlines for FMS Letter of Offer and
                Acceptance implementation.
                (iv) The Secretary of State, the Secretary of War, and the Secretary of
                Commerce shall ensure effective coordination when assessing the impacts of
                Direct Commercial Sales to the defense industrial base.
                (v) To streamline Congressional notifications, Executive Order 13637 of
                March 8, 2013 (Administration of Reformed Export Controls) is hereby
                amended by revising section 1(j) and (k) to read as follows:
                 ``(j) Those under sections 36(a) Act (22 U.S.C.
                 2776(a)) to the Secretary of War. The Secretary of War,
                 in the implementation of the delegated functions under
                 sections 36(a), shall consult with the Secretary of
                 State. With
                [[Page 6499]]
                 respect to those functions under sections 36(a)(5) and
                 (6) (22 U.S.C. 2776(a)(5) and (6)), the Secretary of
                 War shall also consult with the Director of the Office
                 of Management and Budget.
                 (k) Those under section 36(b)(1), (c) and (d) of the
                 Act (22 U.S.C. 2776(b)(1), (c), and (d)) to the
                 Secretary of State. To ensure coordination, the
                 Secretary of State shall notify the Secretary of War of
                 the intent to formally notify the Congress of proposed
                 arms transfers.''
                 Sec. 5. Enhancing Accountability and Transparency. (a)
                 Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary
                 of State, the Secretary of War, and the Secretary of
                 Commerce shall establish the Promoting American
                 Military Sales Task Force (Task Force) to coordinate
                 efforts to implement the America First Arms Transfer
                 Strategy and enhance accountability and transparency
                 throughout the arms transfer enterprise. The Task Force
                 shall:
                (i) be chaired by the Assistant to the President for National Security
                Affairs or his designee, and be composed of the Under Secretary of Defense
                for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Under Secretary of State for Arms
                Control and International Security, the Under Secretary of Commerce for
                International Trade;
                (ii) develop a charter to clearly define the specific objectives and
                structure of the Task Force;
                (iii) include as ex officio members the Service Acquisition Executives of
                the military departments and representatives of other non-military
                implementing agencies as appropriate to report on actions taken by the
                military departments and other implementing agencies to accelerate the
                contracting of priority FMS cases and ensure exportability of identified
                priority systems; and
                (iv) convene quarterly, or as required, to review progress implementing the
                America First Arms Transfer Strategy, including whether targeted defense
                sales align with the Strategy's objectives.
                 (b) Within 120 days of the date of this order, and
                 to further the reforms directed in Executive Order
                 14268, and to improve transparency for United States
                 industry and partners and allies, the Secretary of
                 State, the Secretary of War, and the Secretary of
                 Commerce shall begin to publish aggregate quarterly
                 performance metrics on FMS case development and
                 execution, and on the adjudication of Commerce and
                 State export licenses.
                 Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order
                 shall be construed to impair or otherwise effect:
                (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or
                the head thereof; or
                (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
                relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
                 (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with
                 applicable law and subject to the availability of
                 appropriations.
                [[Page 6500]]
                 (c) This order is not intended to, and does not,
                 create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
                 enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
                 the United States, its departments, agencies, or
                 entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any
                 other person.
                 (d) The costs for publication of this order shall
                 be borne by the Department of War.
                
                
                 (Presidential Sig.)
                 THE WHITE HOUSE,
                 February 6, 2026.
                [FR Doc. 2026-02814
                Filed 2-10-26; 11:15 am]
                Billing code 6001-FR-P