{"id":21266,"date":"2020-08-03T16:27:23","date_gmt":"2020-08-03T16:27:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/08\/03\/us-weapon-sales-boss-talks-china-arms-exports-and-his-agencys-future\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:55:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:55:54","slug":"us-weapon-sales-boss-talks-china-arms-exports-and-his-agencys-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/interviews\/2020\/08\/03\/us-weapon-sales-boss-talks-china-arms-exports-and-his-agencys-future\/","title":{"rendered":"US weapon sales boss talks China, arms exports and his agency\u2019s future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 After years of working various jobs related to security cooperation, Lt. Gen. Charles Hooper took over the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency<\/a> in August 2017. It was an appointment that coincided with a major push by the Trump administration to increase weapon sales as an economic driver. Three years later, as he gets ready to retire, Hooper sat down with Defense News for an exclusive exit interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This interview was edited for length and clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You came in as DSCA director in 2017, when the Trump administration was making a concerted push to increase arms sales abroad. Has that push been successful? <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Certainly I think the answer to that question is: \u201cYes, absolutely.\u201d When I assumed responsibility at DSCA, we saw a convergence of three authorities that helped to create conditions that would help us to move forward and to elevate security cooperation. The first one was the fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, which [gave me] responsibilities in the Department of Defense to reform security cooperation, in ways that would make it more efficient and effective. The second one was the revision and the updating of the administration\u2019s arms transfer policies<\/a>. And the third was the National Defense Strategy with which has three lines of effort, the second of which was strengthen alliances and attract new partners<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So those three authorities created by convergence \u2014 what I call a perfect storm of authorities \u2014 and conditions to allow us to elevate and push for security cooperation and foreign military sales. And I made it my mission to take advantage of those conditions to move it forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You have talked often about the need to both trim time and cost for partners and allies buying American systems. What are some highlights for you? <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2018, we lowered the admin surcharge rate<\/a> from 3.5 to 3.2 percent. And since the new rates have gone into effect, our partners have saved $250 million on FMS cases. Next, we reduced the transportation rates<\/a> in 2018. And since that reduction has gone into effect, since Aug. 15, 2018, our partners saved about $15 million. Then this year, we reduced the FMS contract administration surcharge from 1.2 percent to 1 percent. Although we don\u2019t have enough data as of yet to determine actual savings, we estimate that our allies and partners will save about 17 percent on contract administration over the life of each FMS case, which averages about seven or eight years. That perfect storm of authorities allowed us to move forward with many of the initiatives that we\u2019ve been able to accomplish over my tenure as DSCA director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then the Defense Security Cooperation University<\/a>. I\u2019m very proud of that, and we were able to bring that online in less than two years: The establishment of a civilian career field for security cooperation specialists, so that we are able to train and educate a cadre of people specifically focused on security cooperation, and foreign military sales through their mid-career and all the way to their capstone years.<\/p>\n\n\n\t