Defense Trade

and Arms Transfers

The mission of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) is wide-ranging, 

encompassing Defense Trade and Arms Transfers, Institutional Capacity Building, 

International Military Training and Education, Humanitarian Assistance, and Security 

Cooperation Workforce Development. Since its inception in 1971, DSCA has been 

relied upon to lead the U.S. Security Cooperation enterprise to help solve complex 

U.S. defense and foreign policy challenges.

MISSION

SETS

Defense trade and arms transfers primarily defined DSCA’s 

inception and remain a critical function. Over the years, this mission 

set has transformed and expanded as a defense and foreign policy 

tool of first resort, integrating Department of State and Department 

of Defense (DoD) programs, and informed by Congressional 

legislation and oversight.

 

DSCA defines defense trade and arms transfers as the transfer of

defense articles and services via sale, lease, or grant, in furtherance 

of national security and foreign policy objectives. This includes the 

Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, as well as programs such as 

State Department’s Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and Excess 

Defense Articles (EDA) and DoD’s training and equipping and 

institutional capacity-building activities, all designed to enable U.S. 

allies and partner nations to develop and sustain capabilities to 

respond to shared challenges.

The Arms Export Control Act of 1976 provides current legal 

authority and general rules for conducting FMS, commercial sales 

of defense articles, defense services, and training. FMS sales to 

allies and partner nations averaged about $2 billion per year 

throughout the 1960s. In Fiscal Year 2022, the United States sold 

or transferred as grant $51.9 billion in defense articles and 

services, with a three-year rolling average of $45.8 billion.

Defense trade and arms transfers, as well as related programs, 

have grown larger and more complex in the aftermath of World 

War II, aligned to emerging threats and policies. However, the 

overall rationale remains the same: the development and 

execution of effective and enduring U.S. Security Cooperation 

programs and partnerships that enable the United States and its 

allies and partner nations to respond to shared challenges.
Institutional Capacity Building (ICB) programs, overseen by DSCA, 

encompass U.S. Security Cooperation activities that directly 

support U.S. ally and partner nation efforts to improve security 

sector governance and core management competencies necessary 

to effectively and responsibly achieve shared security objectives. 

ICB has become an increasingly important aspect of the U.S. 

approach to Security Cooperation, posturing U.S. allies and partner 

nations to be successful in fulfilling a mutually-agreed upon 

security role through the strengthening of their policy and strategy; 

legal authorities and frameworks; processes and management 

systems; resourcing systems; doctrine, or operational concepts; 

and command and control of their forces.

Applying a full-spectrum approach is a strategic advantage for 

DoD. This approach builds effective alliances and partnerships to 

achieve shared results, while promoting American values and 

respect for international norms. These include the core values of 

respect for human rights, the rule of law and law of armed conflict, 

democratic principles, civilian control of the military and 

civil-military relations, civilian harm mitigation, and anti-corruption. 

ICB, as a tool of U.S. Security Cooperation, is core to enabling 

preparedness, deterring threats, and prevailing in the renewed era 

of strategic competition.

International military training and education programs are an important 

element of U.S. Security Cooperation relationships, strengthening our 

alliances and attracting new partners. DoD has offered both 

skill-focused training and graduate-level education to international 

military students for more than 50 years. This function was one of the 

original tasks overseen by DSCA at its inception and remains a core 

component of the Agency’s work today.

Of the 78,000 international military students trained annually by the 

United States, approximately 24,000 received that training in the 

United States. Conducted at U.S. military institutions, these programs 

also enable cultural exchanges with local communities and exposure to 

U.S. history while those students attend courses.

DSCA’s work in international military training and education supports 

and builds intellectual interoperability between the United States and 

its allies and partner nations. These programs are foundational to 

creating and maintaining long-term relationships with personnel who 

often become leaders that provide access and influence at the highest 

levels of their nation’s military decision-making. 

International Military

Training and Education

Institutional

Capacity Building
Humanitarian Assistance (HA) programs support U.S. military 

forces by promoting peace and stability in regions of tension 

and by providing aid and relief in the aftermath of natural or 

manmade disasters. DoD conducts HA to relieve or reduce 

endemic conditions such as human suffering, disease, hunger, 

privation, and the adverse effects of unexploded explosive 

ordnance, particularly in regions where humanitarian needs 

may pose major challenges to stability, prosperity, and respect 

for universal human values. 

DSCA’s Humanitarian Assistance, Disaster Relief, and Mine 

Action team provides oversight and executes program 

management over DoD HA activities. These programs are 

funded by the Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid 

(OHDACA) appropriation, first created in 1996. OHDACA 

funding enables five HA activities that equip, train, and provide 

essential services to U.S. allies and partner nations in need.

The Humanitarian Assistance, Humanitarian Mine Action, Excess 

Property, and Humanitarian Assistance Transportation programs 

build the capacity of U.S. allied and partner nation governments 

to provide essential humanitarian services. Foreign Disaster 

Relief activities support the broader U.S. government’s 

immediate response to international disasters by providing 

DoD-unique capabilities that deliver life-saving assistance. 

Ultimately, OHDACA-funded activities aim to save lives, avert 

crises, and strengthen U.S. Security Cooperation relationships 

with U.S. allies and partner nations.

The DoD HA programs are a unique U.S. Security Cooperation 

tool enabling Geographic Combatant Commanders to engage 

with allied and partner nation civilian authorities, and build allied 

and partner nation capacity to provide essential humanitarian 

services to their populations, which strengthen DoD alliances 

with allied and partner nation governments and populations.

Humanitarian Assistance

and Disaster Relief
Defense Security Cooperation University/

Workforce Development 

703.697.9709 www.DSCA.mil

To meet the current and future global U.S. Security Cooperation 

mission, the Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU), founded 

in September 2019, delivers the education, training, research and 

workforce analysis required to develop an agile, certified, and 

experienced U.S. Security Cooperation workforce. Additionally, DSCU 

implements Institutional Capacity Building, Security Cooperation 

education, and related programs and initiatives with U.S. allies and 

partner nations.

DSCU is DoD’s center of intellectual life for U.S. Security Cooperation 

and aspires to be the indispensable institution for Security Cooperation

knowledge and practice. DSCU is comprised of its headquarters in

the National Capital Region (NCR), which consists of the Strategic 

Workforce Programs Directorate, (focused on the Security Cooperation 

Workforce Development Program and Security Cooperation 

Organization/Officer (SCO) Management Program), the ICB Directorate 

(focused on the planning, resourcing and Congressional notification of 

all ICB activities), the College of Security Cooperation Studies (focused 

on higher-level Security Cooperation education as well as functional 

and regional studies) and the Research, Analysis and Lessons Learned 

Institute (RALLI), which advances the study of Security Cooperation 

through applied research and critical inquiry. Also in the NCR is 

DSCU’s International Military Training and Education Division that 

develops and manages programs and implements policies for Title 

10 and 22-supported training and education activities.

DSCU also has two implementation divisions which encompass

the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) in 

Newport, Rhode Island and the Institute for Security Governance 

(ISG) in Monterey, California, as well as DSCU’s main school house 

in Dayton, Ohio, the School of Security Cooperation Studies 

(SSCS). SSCS supports DSCA’s mission of training, educating, and

providing for the long-term development of the Security 

Cooperation workforce.

The DSCU team of teams works across functional areas to create 

synergies that benefit students, strategic partners, and other 

external stakeholders. An agile mindset and desire to innovate in 

response to the real-world challenges and requirements of those 

the university serves characterizes DSCU’s approach to the mission 

and its constant collaboration with the rest of DSCA.