Foreign Military Sales in Practice with Defense Trade Solutions

August 27th 2026, 12:00 EDT

Foreign Military Sales (FMS) touch every part of international defense programs — from policy foundations under the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) to hands‑on execution alongside Direct Commercial Sales (DCS). In this one‑hour Defense Trade Solutions (DTS) webinar, we'll demystify how AECA authorities flow through State, DoD, and Commerce; clarify when to pursue FMS, DCS, or a hybrid; and how an FMS Case moves from LOR to LOA. We'll go deep on ITAR compliance in FMS—including what counts as an "export," how to responsibly use §126.6(c) and §126.4 exemptions, the "written validation" pathway, and §123.26 recordkeeping—plus how Third Party Transfers (TPT) are adjudicated and planned. Expect crisp guidance, examples, and templates you can apply immediately to avoid delays, mitigate risk, and keep your program moving.

Agenda:
• AECA & Export Ecosystem Overview
• FMS Process and Moving an LOR to LOA
• FMS vs. DCS vs. Hybrid
• ITAR in FMS Execution
• Third Party Transfers
• Q&A

Speaker: Steven Casazza, President of Defense Trade Solutions

Steven Casazza brings two decades of experience shaping defense trade and export strategies. Today Steven leads Defense Trade Solutions – helping aerospace and defense companies remove friction, navigate complex regulations, and accelerate approvals by translating policy into practical processes – aligning commercial growth with U.S. national security and foreign policy priorities while moving at the speed of business. He previously served as an ITAR Empowered Official, building global trade compliance programs at mid-tier defense firms, operationalizing Technology Security & Foreign Disclosure (TSFD) requirements to secure export policy approvals for critical technologies, and helped establish Foreign Military Sales (FMS) & Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) export policy and export-control reform requirements while supporting the Department of Defense. He is a serving member of the Department of State's Defense Trade Advisory Group and Vice Chair of the National Defense Industrial Association International Division.