• Explain some of the options available to you when purchasing defense articles from the United States
• Assist you in preparing requests to the U.S. Government (USG) for defense articles and services
• Explain what we do to respond
• Explain some of the specific points about the offer we will prepare for you
• Cover the actions that you need to take to accept our offer

Security Assistance, defined in its simplest terms, concerns the transfer of military defense articles and/or services from the United States to friendly foreign governments and specific international organizations. The processes used for Security Assistance can oftentimes be quite confusing and cumbersome. The purpose of this guide is to provide you, our foreign customers, with a simplified overview of these processes that may help in your use of these programs. 

Initially, the quantity of information, terms, and acronyms used can be confusing. If you have any questions, we encourage you to contact your Security Assistance Office (SAO), Implementing Agency (IA) Desk Officer or Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) Country Program Director (CPD). (NOTE: U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) representatives are assigned to various U.S. Embassy staffs throughout the world. While these offices are generally named SAOs, they may also be known as the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC), Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group (JUSMAG), some similar title or the representative may be another embassy official who has been assigned SAO responsibilities. For ease of reference in this guide, they will be referred to as SAOs.

Nothing in this guide takes precedence over any U.S. Government (USG) regulations or formal policy guidance. For ready access to these more formal documents, active links are included throughout this guide. 

Throughout this guide we have inserted links that will jump to another portion of the document or take you to a website. These have been shaded to make them easier to find. A GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS has been included and we have provided a list of WEBSITE LINKS that we hope you will find helpful for contacting appropriate organizations or U.S. agencies involved in Security Assistance.

We are continually trying to improve our Security Assistance processes and this guide will be updated regularly to reflect any changes in policy or procedures. We also would welcome your comments and suggestions for improvements to be included in future versions. You will always be able to access and download the most current guide at the DSCA website.