Improving Army-Industry Cooperation in Defense Sales Abroad

This report summarizes and evaluates recommendations arising from an Army/industry conference sponsored by the U.S. Army Security Affairs Command (USASAC) on 15-16 May 1986. The theme of the conference was cooperation between the Army and industry in security assistance and defense trade. Its objective was to solicit industry views on how cooperation could be improved and to obtain industry recommendations for changes in policies, procedures, regulations, and laws in this area. The conference grew out of a series of visits by USASAC officials in 1985 to industrial firms involved in military exports. On the basis of information obtained during those visits, the conference agenda presented in Appendix B was developed. There were four working groups at the conference A) Recovery of Cost of Sales to Industry and Government; B) Security Assistance Organizations, Military Attache, USASAC, Program Management Office, and Major Subordinate Command Support to Industry; C) Foreign Competition and How the United States Should React to It; and D)Impact of Licensed Production/Coproduction Benefits and Costs. Keywords: foreign military sales; Technology transfer; International arms sales.