President Donald J. Trump has signed an Executive Order establishing the America First Arms Transfer Strategy, a policy designed to transform the U.S. defense industrial base into the "Arsenal of Freedom" by linking foreign military sales directly to domestic reindustrialization.

The strategy mandates that all U.S. arms transfers must meet four primary criteria:

1. • Production Capacity: Build capacity for weapons most relevant to the National Security Strategy.

   • Reindustrialization: Use foreign sales to support domestic manufacturing and improve the resiliency of the defense industrial base.

   • Supply Chain Strength: Secure and modernize critical defense supply chains.

   • Strategic Partner Prioritization: Favor allies who invest in their own self-defense and occupy geographically critical roles for U.S. security.

• • Sales Catalog: The Secretaries of War, State, and Commerce will develop a catalog of prioritized platforms to streamline the sales process.

  • Task Force Establishment: The Promoting American Military Sales Task Force will oversee implementation and monitor progress on major defense sales.

  • Bureaucracy Reduction: The order directs agencies to find efficiencies in the Congressional Notification process, Third-Party Transfer process, and End Use Monitoring to eliminate "cumbersome bureaucracy."

  • Transparency: The government will now publish quarterly performance metrics regarding the execution of defense sales.

The administration argues that the previous arms transfer paradigm was "partner-led," resulting in mismatched orders, production backlogs, and years-long delivery delays. By leveraging over $300 billion in annual defense sales, the new strategy aims to:

• • Actively shape the U.S. industrial base rather than letting foreign priorities dictate production.

  • Empower allies to take responsibility for their own regional security by providing them with American-made equipment more rapidly.

  • Prevent delays that historically weakened deterrence for U.S. partners.

The strategy builds on a series of second-term executive actions, including a January 2025 order to modernize acquisitions, an April 2025 order to increase accountability in foreign sales, and a January 2026 order that prohibits defense contractors from prioritizing stock buybacks over production capacity and on-time delivery.

Conclusion:
By treating arms transfers as a tool for domestic economic renewal as much as a diplomatic lever, the Trump Administration aims to revitalize American manufacturing while ensuring the U.S. remains the world’s primary provider of advanced military technology.

Core Objectives of the StrategyOperational Changes and Task ForceStrategic Shift from "Partner-First" to "America First"Context of Recent Actions