A new executive order, dubbed the America First Arms Transfer Strategy, directs US arms sales to prioritize national production interests and allies that invest heavily in their own defenses, aiming to reinforce military dominance and technological superiority.

The order tasks the Departments of War, State, and Commerce with evaluating transfers based on support for critical U.S. weapons systems, strengthening supply chains, and favoring allies with robust defense investments and strategic locations.

Signed by the president, the order reshapes foreign military sales to reward strategically important allies and protect U.S. production capacity for key weapons systems.

Overall, the executive order seeks to cut backlogs, reduce costs, and accelerate deliveries through streamlined procedures and greater transparency.

Within 90 days, the Defense and State departments must define clear criteria for Enhanced End Use Monitoring to track and control sensitive transfers.

The policy prioritizes partners aligned with U.S. strategic and industrial objectives, potentially delaying or lowering priority for those that don’t meet defense investment or regional significance criteria.

Arms sales decisions will be tied to U.S. military planning and geographic priorities, shaping timelines based on strategic alignment rather than on traditional partner requests alone.

While not naming countries, the framework favors partners that meet national-security priorities, possibly extending timelines for those that don’t meet the criteria.

A Promoting American Military Sales Task Force will oversee implementation and publish aggregate quarterly metrics on defense sales execution to improve accountability.

The administration creates a dedicated task force to track major defense sales and report quarterly performance metrics to ensure transparency and oversight.

A framework sets a 120‑day deadline for the defense, state, and commerce secretaries to present a prioritized sales catalog to the president via the national security adviser.

The plan speeds up the foreign military sales process by streamlining end‑use monitoring, third‑party transfers, and congressional notification to curb delays and transparency gaps.