Guide
How are Excess Defense Articles priced?
are priced under Volume 15, Chapter 7 of the Financial Management Regulation, and Congress has urged wider use of sales, with the flexibility to set the articles' market value. The Comptroller approves pricing exceptions. A grant article costs the recipient nothing itself, but it comes as is, where is: the recipient pays for any support the case adds, such as transportation and refurbishment, and for storage beyond a set period after the case is accepted.
How are Excess Defense Articles priced?
References
SAMM
- SAMM AP8.EDA.2.1 — Pricing.
- SAMM AP8.EDA.2.5.1 — Title Transfer of Excess Defense Article Items.
- SAMM C9.4.7.3.3
Related
Excess Defense Articles (EDA)
Defense articles owned by the USG which are neither procured in anticipation of military assistance or sales requirements, nor procured pursuant to a military assistance or sales order. EDA are items (except construction equipment) that are in excess of the Approved Force Acquisition Objective and Approved Force Retention Stock of all DoD components at the time such articles are dropped from inventory by the supplying agency for delivery to countries or international organizations.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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Security Assistance (SA)
A group of programs authorized by federal statutes by which the United States provides defense articles, military training, and other defense-related services by grant, lease, loan, credit, or cash sales in furtherance of national policies and objectives, and those that are funded and authorized through the Department of State to be administered by Department of Defense/Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which are considered part of security cooperation.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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EDA — Excess Defense Articles
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
OUSD(C) — Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
Implementing Agency (IA)
The military department or defense agency responsible for the execution of military assistance programs. With respect to FMS, the military department or defense agency assigned responsibility by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency to prepare an LOA and to implement an FMS case. The implementing agency is responsible for the overall management of the actions that will result in delivery of the materials or services set forth in the LOA that was accepted by a foreign country or international organization.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA)
The legal instrument used by the USG to transfer itemized defense articles, defense services, and design and construction services to foreign partners.
When used under the authorities provided in the Arms Export Control Act for Foreign Military Sales, the LOA is a binding agreement signed by the USG and the foreign partner to transfer such articles and services.
When used under Building Partnership Capacity (BPC) authorities, the BPC LOA is not signed by the Benefitting Partner.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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LOA — Letter of Offer and Acceptance
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026