On February 6, 2026, US President Donald Trump signed a new executive order establishing the “America First Arms Transfer Strategy,” the first comprehensive US strategy for international arms sales. It marks a profound shift in the philosophy of US arms exports, directly linking sales to strengthening the domestic defense industry and advancing US national interests.
The new policy is based on three main pillars:
1. Strengthening the US Defense Industry
The strategy seeks to use arms export markets as a lever to reindustrialize the US, increase production capacity, and strengthen critical supply chains. As it is characteristically stated, the US must remain the “Arsenal of Freedom”, leveraging over $300 billion in annual defense sales to strengthen the relevant industry.
2. Promoting Specific Weapons Systems
The executive order calls for the creation of a “priority list” of systems that the United States will actively promote to foreign customers. The goal is to align exports with the needs of the National Security Strategy so that sales enhance the operational readiness of the U.S. armed forces.
3. Prioritizing Specific Allies
The US will give priority to countries that:
- invest significantly in their own defense (burden-sharing)
- have critical geographical or strategic importance
- contribute to US economic security
It is emphasized that, although countries are not named, the logic is aligned with Trump’s pressure on allies – particularly in NATO – to increase defense spending.
The America First Arms Transfer Strategy is one of the most significant reshapings of US arms export policy in decades.
It directly links international sales to domestic industrial strength, seeks to accelerate deliveries to strategic allies, and bolsters American influence in an environment of growing global threats.
