“Right after I graduated, I interned with the Arms Control Association. It was terrific.”
U.S. Arms Export Agreements Notified to Congress, 1997
From January 1 to August 31, 1997, the Clinton administration notified Congress of $3.88 billion worth of proposed government-to-government arms transfer agreements. Under the Arms Export Control Act, Congress must be notified of any proposed sale of "major defense equipment," as defined on the U.S. Munitions List, worth $14 million or more; other defense articles and services that are not defined as "major defense equipment" that total $50 million or more; and construction or design services amounting to or surpassing $200 million. Once notified, congress has 30 calendar days (15 in the case of NATO members, Australia, Japan and New Zealand) to block a sale by voting a joint rsolution of disapproval, although it has never successfully exercised this authority. The United States conducts government-to-government transfers through the Defense Department's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
The Arms Control Association maintains a register of all U.S. FMS government-to-government transfer agreements notified to Congress by the Pentagon since January 1990. The register does not necessarily reflect finalized transactions and may include offers that never result in actual deliveries.
For more information contact Wade Boese
| Country | Total Value | Weapons/Services of Note |
| Saudi Arabia | $1.428 billion | <>Maintenance and construction services in support of 5 E-3 Airborne Warning and Control Systems. <>7 KE-3 aeriel refueling tankers. <>1 KE-3 Tactical Air Surveillance aircraft. <>130 90mm Turret Weapons Systems for integration into Light Armored Vehicles including chassis modification / upgrade, 130 M240 machine guns, 130 M2 .50 caliber machine guns and 169,490 rounds of 90mm ammunition. <>Communication equipment including: 465 AN / VRC-90, 355 AN / VRC-92 and 404 AN / VRC-119 radios, 42 RT-1702C receiver transmitter, high frequency radios. |
| Taiwain | $654 million | <>54 HARPOON missiles. <>1,786 TOW 2A anti-armor guided missiles (including 27 Lot Acceptance missiles) and 114 TOW launchers. <>100 M1045A2 High Mobility Mult-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles. <>21 AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters with spare and repair parts. |
| Japan | $400 million | <>Modifications and upgrade of 13 E-2C Update Group II Mission Suite retrofit kits, including AN / APS-145 Radars (Catagory XII) for existing E-2C aircraft. |
| South Korea | $307 million | <>1,065 STINGER RMP missiles less reprogrammable modules, 213 weapon rounds, 213 gripstock control group guided missile launchers, Interrogator Friend or Foe, and support equipment. |
| Bahrain | $303 million | <>20 F-16A / B aircraft with Mid-Life Update (MLU) modification kits or 10 F-16C / D aircraft. |
| Israel | $230 million | <>15 UH-60L Blachawk helicopters, 30 GE turbine engines and 4 spare engines. <>98,745 M107 high explosive 155mm projectiles. |
| Thailand | $140 million | <>107 excess M60A3 ttanks with 105mm guns and Tank Thermal Sight capability. <>107 .50 caliber and 7.62mm machine guns. <>37,500 M16A2 rifles, 4,700 M4 carbines and 2,600 M203 grenade launchers. |
| United Arab Emirates | $117 million | <>24 RGM-84G-4 HARPOON missiles with containers. <>72 RIM-7M (F1 Build) SEASPARROW missiles with 1 training missile. |
| Italy | $116 million | <>233 AIM-120B Advanced Medium Range Air-toAir Missiles. |
| France | $85 million | <>4 Electronic Suppport Measure Systems for incorporation into E-3F AWACs fleet |
| Turkey | $75 million | <>300 rounds of 40mm high explosives and 24,000 rounds of 20mm ammunition |
| Australia | $27 million | 29excess SH-2F / G LAMPS MK 1 helicopters |
| TOTAL | $3.882 billion |
Sources: Department of Defense, ACA