Last revised: November 17, 2008
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Arms/Technology Transfer White Paper approved 9/27/99

The goal of this White Paper was to identify U.S processes regulating arms transfers, technology transfer, and disclosures of classified information in need of improvement, and to make recommendations for bringing these procedures up to date.

The following recommendations were included: (a) establish an office to act as a central point for industry for both FMS and FMS/DCS to provide insight into the licensing/disclosure processes (b) establish guidelines for transferring controlled unclassified technologies, (c) identify rational implementation procedures for foreign visits that are easily understood by personnel at all levels, and (d) review the U.S. munitions list to identify items and technologies that should no longer be controlled.

One of the first actions taken was to breathe life into the Arms Transfer Policy Review Group (ATPRG) which was established in an 18 November 1999 memorandum  signed by the Deputy Secretary of Defense.  The purpose of the group is to resolve those major arms transfer cases in which a precedent-setting release or significant regional concern comes into play.

The DoD has been reviewing the defense export license review process with the goal of expediting the approval of arms export licenses. On 4 October 1999, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a memorandum implementing new export license review timeframes.  He further requested that the military services and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) develop a comprehensive overhaul of the export control process to dramatically speed the time it takes to approve export licenses beginning the first quarter of 2000.  In order to accelerate the process, DTRA will take the lead in reviewing and crafting draft DoD recommendations on license applications that are used by the State Department in the export license approval/denial process. Through a plan designed by senior DoD officials and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Technology Security Directorate, DoD has cut the export application time review by 50% from an average of 31 to 45 days down to 15-17 days. 

1. Process Transparency White Paper approved 1/26/99

• March 1999 DepSecDef policy memo --Customer Participation in Contract Negotiations

• May 1999 USD(P) & USD(A&T) policy memo --Cooperating with Industry

2. Pricing, Finance, and U.S. Cost Recovery White Paper approved 1/26/99

• February 1999 DSCA policy memo --Approved Release of Logistics Support Charge (LSC) and Contract Administration Services (CAS)

• September 1999, DSCA policy memo --Increased LOA Transparency

•  June 2000, DSCA policy memo--Firm Fixed Price (FFP) and Not To Exceed (NTE) Letter of Offer and Acceptance

3. Arms/Technology Transfer White Paper approved 9/27/99

• 18 November 1998 DepSecDef policy memo--General, Disclosure, Licensing, and the Arms Transfer Policy Review Group (ATPRG)

• DoD Plan to Cut the Export Application Time

• 4 October 1999 DepSecDef memo --Implements New Export License Review Timeframes

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