U.S. announces $55.4 billion in weapons sales in FY-19

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced $55.4 billion in weapons sales in fiscal year 2019, as U.S. arms exports remain strong despite the Trump administration's controversial decision this year to buck congressional opposition and continue selling weapons to Saudi Arabia.

DSCA announced the $55.4 billion figure in a release today. The total is slightly down from the $55.6 billion in arms deals announced in FY-18. The U.S. government has averaged $51 billion in sales annually over the last three fiscal years, according to DSCA.

The FY-19 sales included $48.25 billion funded by foreign nations, while $3.67 billion worth of sales were funded by the State Department and $3.47 billion funded through Defense Department accounts.

Potential sales announced in FY-19 included a $2.6 billion MH-60R Seahawk helicopter sale to India, a $6.5 billion F-35 deal with Poland, and an $8 billion sale of F-16s to Taiwan.

But the Trump administration also courted controversy by using an "emergency" provision in the law to bypass lawmaker opposition and sell weapons to Saudi Arabia. Both chambers of Congress passed bills to block the sales, but the Senate lacked a veto-proof majority.

Meanwhile, DSCA said a 2018 review led to the agency reducing the FMS contract administration surcharge from 1.2 percent to 1.0 percent, "which will reduce the overall cost of FMS procurements" going forward, according to DSCA’s release.

In 2020, DSCA said it plans to make policy changes "regarding the development of FMS payment schedules and calculation of termination liability," the release adds.