The United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper co-authored an article stating that, following President Trump’s instructions, a new arms sales management model has been initiated to accelerate the weapon export process, shorten delivery times, expand production capacity, and ensure the defense capabilities of allies and the United States.
In a column published on Monday (February 16) in “USA Today”, they mentioned that the United States’ weapon systems are the most advanced globally, holding a 43% share of the global arms market, surpassing the second-ranked country’s military sales by three times.
However, the domestic production capacity of weapon equipment in the United States has been saturated for a long time, leading to allies having to wait in long queues for weapon deliveries. Additionally, these production lines are too concentrated to meet all of the needs of the U.S. military. Furthermore, uncertainty or prolonged delivery times have pushed allies to purchase weapons from other countries with faster delivery speeds, even if the quality is lower.
The article stated, “The key to solving this dilemma lies in better coordinating our diplomatic agencies with the defense industrial base. U.S. defense firms prioritize meeting the needs of the U.S. military. The Department of Defense determines what American companies design and produce and how much we pay for it. Large defense contractors mass-produce these systems to meet the needs of their primary clients.”
Both cabinet secretaries pointed out that meanwhile, allies and partners willing to make advance payments must also be patient, often needing to wait for several years until the United States produces enough weapons to meet its own needs as well as theirs.
The article mentioned that, following the “U.S. Prioritized Arms Transfer Strategy” executive order signed by President Trump on February 6, the current weapon delivery model will be changed. The U.S. will now incorporate weapon export capacity considerations from the outset into defense products and services, prioritizing meeting U.S. internal needs and “proactively” selling weapons to foreign governments to enhance U.S. industrial strength.
Key points of the executive order include actively promoting arms sales, expediting approvals, and considering “export feasibility” from the design stage.
The U.S. aims to establish a dual-layer weapon product structure, maintaining the sale of advanced high-end equipment while also producing sufficient, good-quality, low-cost, and quickly producible mid-to-low-range systems.
“A more diverse range of systems benefits our military,” the article said, representing a coordinated cross-departmental effort aimed at expanding the defense industrial base to produce various weapons, maximize deterrence, and win wars when necessary.
To achieve this, the State Department will closely collaborate with the Department of Defense, integrating diplomacy, personnel promotion, and defense industry. Simultaneously, efforts will be made to attract more investment to the U.S. and build new factories, expanding domestic production lines and job opportunities.
“This strategy will make arms transfers a tool to meet this demand, revitalizing U.S. manufacturing and industrial strength while enhancing U.S. overseas competitiveness. By enriching the variety of weapons allies can access and leveraging the U.S. diplomatic corps and military network to promote all U.S. intellectual property and innovation, we will arm U.S. combatants faster and solidify U.S. alliances more quickly.”
“This new strategy will further strengthen these efforts, reduce wait times, and lower costs. It will turn the vision of a free arms factory into reality, allowing U.S. allies to receive reliable weapons usable for deterring threats on time, rather than just empty promises and waiting in line.”
“It will create more business opportunities for U.S. defense enterprises, including newcomers and traditional firms. It will revitalize the U.S. defense industrial base by growing and enhancing production capacity, representing the release of hundreds of billions of dollars in additional investments for domestic production lines, benefiting American workers, and safeguarding national security.”