Foreign Aid & Sri Lanka's Military Expenditure

US Lends Lanka More for Arms

Tamil Guardian, February 1, 2006

The United States has increased its military credits under its Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program: from $496,000 in 2005 to an estimated $1 million in 2006, IPS reported. The credits could be used by Sri Lanka to buy either US weapons or other military equipment.

The US has provided an average of about $500,000 to Sri Lanka every year as military grants under the International Military Education and Training Program (IMET), compared with about $1.4 million annually to neighboring India, IPS also reported.

“Increased FY 2006 FMF funding will be used to help Sri Lanka’s navy meet threats posed by national and regional terrorist groups, and will help to reform and upgrade its military,” US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South Asian Affairs, Donald Camp, said last year.

The FMF program provides grants and loans to help countries purchase U.S.-produced weapons, defense equipment, defense services and military training. FMF funding for Sri Lanka reached a high of $2.5 million in 2004, IPS said.

FMF funds are for purchases made through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, which manages government-to-government sales.

The US State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs sets policy for the FMF program, while the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), within the Defense Department, manages it on a day-to-day basis.

IMET pays for the training or education in the US of foreign military and a limited number of civilian personnel. IMET grants are given to foreign governments, which choose the courses their personnel will attend.

IMET is often considered to be the “traditional” U.S. military training program. Funded though the foreign aid appropriations process, IMET is overseen by the State Department and implemented by the Defense Department.