What is International Military Education and Training (IMET)?

A process, authorized by the Arms Export Control Act, through which eligible foreign governments and international organizations may purchase defense articles, services, and training from the United States Government.

That component of the U.S. Security Assistance program which provides training to selected foreign military and defense associated civilian personnel on a grant basis. Training is provided at U.S. military facilities and with U.S. Armed Forces in the United States and overseas, and through the use of Mobile Training Teams. Training also may be provided by contract technicians, contractors (including instruction at civilian institutions), or by correspondence courses. The IMET Program is authorized by the Foreign Assistance Act.

Activities undertaken by the DoD to encourage and enable international partners to work with the United States to achieve strategic objectives. It includes all DoD interactions with foreign defense and security establishments, including all DoD-administered security assistance programs, that: build defense and security relationships that promote specific U.S. security interests, including all international armaments cooperation activities and security assistance activities; develop allied and friendly military capabilities for self-defense and multinational operations; and provide U.S. forces with peacetime and contingency access to host nations.

A national of a foreign government, with military or civilian status of that government, who is receiving education or training or is touring USG activities under the sponsorship of the security assistance training program.

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.

Training funded under the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program to the following four objectives: proper management of defense resources, improving military justice systems in accordance with internationally recognized human rights, understanding the principle of civilian control of the military, and contributing to the cooperation between police and military forces for counternarcotics law enforcement [sec.541, Foreign Assistance Act].

A team of U.S. DoD personnel on temporary duty in a foreign country for the purpose of educating foreign personnel in resource management. Such teams are normally funded from Expanded International Military Education and Training program funds.

A data system within Security Assistance Network Web used primarily by Security Cooperation Organizations and International Military Student Offices to manage the Security Cooperation training program for the foreign partner. SC-TMS produces International Military Education and Training and Foreign Military Sales management reports, invitational travel orders, and other training management documents.

SAN is a web-based system (also known as SANweb) that hosts various Security Cooperation applications and a library system for sharing documents. SAN also provides administrative functions to monitor and manage user accounts, control access to hosted applications and provides logs for system access and actions performed by the users. The SAN's counterpart, International SAN (ISAN), provides limited access to partner countries. It has only one application, Partner Security Cooperation - Training Management System.

A USG Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA), and any subsequent Amendment or Modification, that is the legal instrument used by the USG to transfer defense articles and defense services under the FMS program. See also "FMS" and "LOA."