The total volume of weapon orders received by the United States from foreign partners has reached $900 billion, though allies are currently forced to wait several years for the delivery of prepaid goods. Operative Information Center-OMM reports that this was highlighted in a joint article by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth published in USA Today.
The article notes that the United States currently accounts for 43% of global arms sales. The existing portfolio includes more than 16,000 orders for 190 countries and regions, with a total valuation exceeding $900 billion. According to the officials, the US administration is compelled to reform the military procurement system as previous strategies have proven inefficient in the face of modern demands.
"Record demand, excess capacity, and long delivery times will undermine US national security and defense trade. Instead of strengthening the US, these long lead times force our allies to turn to other suppliers who claim to deliver faster, even if they offer lower-quality products," the article states. Rubio and Hegseth emphasized that at the insistence of US President Donald Trump, the defense industry is already transforming equipment delivery methods, utilizing new capital sources, and introducing flexibility into supply chains.
The authors assert that the new strategy will strengthen these efforts, reduce order backlogs and waiting times, and lower costs while ensuring hundreds of billions of dollars in investment into the US defense industrial base. This shift in policy comes as the US seeks to maintain its competitive edge in the global arms market, which is a cornerstone of its strategic influence and economic stability. By streamlining the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process, the administration aims to ensure that partners in Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific receive critical defense capabilities without the bureaucratic delays that have historically hindered bilateral security cooperation.
