The Trump administration is making steady progress in revamping the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process, though Pentagon officials warn that major shifts will be implemented incrementally. Michael Cadenazzi, the assistant secretary of Defense for industrial base policy, confirmed that key initiatives are „on target,” with the first components of a new strategy that prioritizes United States production interests already delivered.
A new catalog of priorities: Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio will decide which weapons Washington’s allies receive
The new approach, titled the “America First Arms Transfer Strategy,” was triggered by an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in early February. The document stipulates that national production interests must take precedence in any transaction, and nations that invest heavily in their own defense spending will be prioritized for sales. At the heart of this reform is a „sales catalog” of prioritized platforms, drafted under the coordination of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
The plan includes creating a single tracking system for arms sales and identifying production bottlenecks that require government intervention. However, the full overhaul will not be a one-time event but rather an incremental process, with initial changes expected to roll out later this year. The major challenge remains managing the vast volume of moving pieces hitting the defense enterprise all at once.
The European catch-22: Long delivery timelines force allies to seek alternatives outside the US market
While Washington recalibrates its strategies, European allies are beginning to publicly voice their frustration over long production queues. Lt. Gen. Piotr Błazeusz, Poland’s military representative to NATO, described the situation as a „Catch-22.” Although the United States pressures European capitals to increase their defense budgets, when these militaries try to purchase American technology, they are met with delivery timelines stretching to 2029 or 2030, with a high risk of further delays.
This uncertainty is fueling concerns among allies who need urgent equipment to replace stocks or bolster defenses. Consequently, more European buyers are „looking around” the global market for immediate solutions, whether produced within Europe or elsewhere. The challenge for the Trump administration will be to prove that it can streamline deliveries fast enough to keep strategic customers from turning to international competitors.
