ARMS Act

The ARMS Act (Accelerate Revenue for Manufacturing and Sales Act) is a short bill introduced in the House of Representatives that would amend the Arms Export Control Act to modify the authorities surrounding the Special Defense Acquisition Fund (SDAF). The bill’s findings emphasize the importance of a robust U.S. defense industrial base, growing international demand for U.S. defense products, and the goal of delivering defense articles to allies more quickly. The core substantive change is a targeted revision to Section 51(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act: the bill would replace the phrase “sales made under … the actual value” with simply “sales.” In effect, this appears to broaden or simplify the language governing SDAF-related sales, potentially expanding the fund’s flexibility or applicability in supporting accelerated defense sales and pre-approved contracting for high-demand items. The bill does not provide new funding; rather, it changes statutory language to shape how SDAF transactions are defined and used. The overarching aim is to increase the speed, predictability, and scale of U.S. defense article deliveries to foreign partners, thereby strengthening interoperability and coalition readiness while supporting the U.S. defense industrial base. If enacted, the change could enable faster contracting and revenue flows related to SDAF activities, but would still operate within the broader framework of export controls and accountability established by the Arms Export Control Act.