I/ITSEC 2012: FMS to boost US Army's simulation and training programme office

The US Army's simulation and training programme office experienced a spike in its foreign military sales (FMS) in Fiscal Year 2012 (FY12), and officials told IHS Jane's on 4 December that they expected the burgeoning programme to continue to do well over the next 10 years.

FMS in FY2012 totalled USD420 million, according to John Daniele, acting assistant programme executive officer for customer support at the army's Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO STRI). That represents a 70% increase over the FY11 total of USD280 million.

"Foreign militaries are going through the same fiscal challenges," Daniele told IHS Jane's in an interview. "Budgets are going to go down. Their ability to train live is going to go down. They will have ammunition and fuel constraints. Some have land constraints...so I don't see [FMS] falling off. It's going to stay steady."

The FY12 numbers were bolstered to some extent by FMS going to support Afghan security forces. Though the amount will level off or decrease, sales are expected to continue even when US forces leave, in part because US security assistance measures will kick in, and FMS will play a large role, Daniele said.