The ABCs of military aid by Frida Berrigan

by Frida Berrigan, Senior Research Associate, Arms Trade Resource Center [1]

The United States provides a range of military aid to countries around the world that it deems of strategic importance. This is done through a variety of programs:

Foreign Military Financing: Congress appropriates grants to finance foreign nations’ purchases of American-made weapons, services and training.

Between 1950 and 2005, the U.S. government has provided over $121 billion in FMF to militaries around the world.

Economic Support Fund: These grants are designed to promote “economic and political foreign policy interests of the United States” by “providing assistance to allies,” with the aim of “mitigating the root causes of terrorism.” While U.S. law makes clear that ESF is not intended for military expenditure, the grants are frequently used as de facto military aid, with foreign governments using the funds to free up their own resources for military programs.

In 2004, $3.2 billion in ESF was distributed, with more than one-third of the total going to countries in the Near East, primarily Israel and Egypt.

International Military Education and Training: IMET grants are given to foreign governments to pay for military training provided by U.S. military officials and with U.S. weapons.

In 2004, $91 million was allocated to train 11,000 solider/students from more than 100 countries.

Joint Combined Exchange and Training: Through this Pentagon program, U.S. soldiers train military personnel in allied countries. According to a March 2005 Chicago Tribune article, JCET training is under way in 12 African, three European countries and the Philippines. Additionally, U.S. Marine Corps counterterrorism training is being carried out in seven African countries, Georgia and Ukraine. Funds for JCET training are allocated through the Special Operations Forces budget, but do not receive their own budget line, making it difficult to track exactly how much is being resourced for these activities.

The U.S. government also provides military aid in the form of Counter-Narcotics Assistance (CNA).