Introduction

Mission of RSAT

The Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfers (RSAT) advances U.S. foreign policy and national security interests through its management of U.S. bilateral security relations with, as well as government-to-government arms transfers to, foreign countries. RSAT focuses on:

• Managing and monitoring bilateral political-military relations, alerting Department leadership to policy developments and pitfalls, as well as managing regular high-level bilateral dialogues on political-military issues.
  
  
• Advising the Secretary, the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security (T), and the Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs (PM) on matters relating to arms transfers, security assistance programs, and other Political-Military issues.
  
  
• Developing policy initiatives and evaluating proposals on regional security issues, as well as the transfer of defense goods, services, and technologies controlled for regional stability and national security reasons.

The responsibilities of the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfers (RSAT), are based on  • 622 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA) and  • 2 of the Arms Export Control Act, as amended (ACEA) which state the President delegates authority to the Secretary of State for:

• The continuous supervision and general direction of economic assistance, military assistance, military education and training, and sales and export programs.
  
  
• Determining whether there shall be a security assistance program, or a sale or export for a country and the value thereof.
  
  
• Insuring such programs are effectively integrated both at home and abroad.

From this authority, the Secretary has created PM/RSAT to assist in carrying out this legal responsibility to best serve foreign policy.