Foreign-owned military aircraft and naval vessels, and the Foreign Military Sales program.
22 C.F.R. § 126.6
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01(a) A license from the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls is not required if:
(1) The article or technical data to be exported was sold, leased, or loaned by the Department of Defense to a foreign country or international organization pursuant to the Arms Export Control Act or the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, and
(2) The article or technical data is delivered to representatives of such a country or organization in the United States; and
(3) The article or technical data is to be exported from the United States on a military aircraft or naval vessel of that government or organization or via the Defense Transportation Service (DTS).
(b) Foreign military aircraft and naval vessels. A license is not required for the entry into the United States of military aircraft or naval vessels of any foreign state if no overhaul, repair, or modification of the aircraft or naval vessel is to be performed. However, Department of State approval for overflight (pursuant to the 49 U.S.C. 40103) and naval visits must be obtained from the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Office of International Security Operations.
(c) Foreign Military Sales Program. A license from the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls is not required if the defense article or technical data or a defense service to be transferred was sold, leased or loaned by the Department of Defense to a foreign country or international organization under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Program of the Arms Export Control Act pursuant to an Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) authorizing such transfer which meets the criteria stated below:
(1) Transfers of the defense articles, technical data or defense services using this exemption may take place only during the period which the FMS Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) and implementing USG FMS contracts and subcontracts are in effect and serve as authorization for the transfers hereunder in lieu of a license. After the USG FMS contracts and subcontracts have expired and the LOA no longer serves as such authorization, any further provision of defense articles, technical data or defense services shall not be covered by this section and shall instead be subject to other authorization requirements of this subchapter; and
(2) The defense article, technical data or defense service to be transferred are specifically identified in an executed LOA, in furtherance of the Foreign Military Sales Program signed by an authorized Department of Defense Representative and an authorized representative of the foreign government, and
(3) The transfer of the defense article and related technical data is effected during the duration of the relevant Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA), similarly a defense service is to be provided only during the duration of the USG FMS contract or subcontract and not to exceed the specified duration of the LOA, and
(4) The U.S. person responsible for the transfer maintains records of all transfers in accordance with part 122 of this subchapter, and
(5) For transfers of defense articles and technical data,
(i) The transfer is made by the relevant foreign diplomatic mission of the purchasing country or its authorized freight forwarder, provided that the freight forwarder is registered with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls pursuant to part 122 of this subchapter, and
(ii) At the time of shipment, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is provided the Electronic Export Information, Internal Transaction Number and any other documents required by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in carrying out its responsibilities. The invoices for the shipment must be annotated: “This shipment is authorized for export pursuant to 22 CFR 126.6(c), under FMS Case [insert case identification]. The U.S. Government point of contact is ____, telephone number ____,” and
(iii) Any classified hardware and related technical data involved in the transfer must have the requisite U.S. Government security clearance and transportation plan and be shipped in accordance with the Department of Defense National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual. The exporter shall provide an electronic copy of the transportation plan via the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's electronic system(s), unless electronic reporting of such information is unavailable, in which case U.S. Customs and Border Protection will issue instructions, or
(6) For transfers of defense services:
(i) A contract or subcontract between the U.S. person(s) responsible for providing the defense service and the USG exists that:
(A) Specifically defines the scope of the defense service to be transferred;
(B) Identifies the FMS case identifier,
(C) Identifies the foreign recipients of the defense service
(D) Identifies any other U.S. or foreign parties that may be involved and their roles/responsibilities, to the extent known when the contract is executed,
(E) Provides a specified period of duration in which the defense service may be performed, and
(ii) The U.S. person(s) identified in the contract maintain a registration with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls for the entire time that the defense service is being provided. In any instance when the U.S. registered person(s) identified in the contract employs a subcontractor, the subcontractor may only use this exemption when registered with DDTC, and when such subcontract meets the above stated requirements, and
(iii) In instances when the defense service involves the transfer of classified technical data, the U.S. person transferring the defense service must have the appropriate USG security clearance and a transportation plan, if appropriate, in compliance with the Department of Defense National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual.
Source: eCFRURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-22.xmlFetched: 7/26/2026