Speaking Wednesday at a meeting of the Senate Aerospace Caucus on Capitol Hill, National Security Adviser James Jones said the Obama Administration is moving ahead with a series of initiatives to modernize export controls for the US aerospace industry. In order to reflect the technology trends of today as opposed to the Cold War, functions, responsibilities, and authorities must be streamlined, he said, noting that stringency is not the same as effectiveness. Already, the White House is modifying how exports on the “munitions list” and “commerce list” are approved for foreign sales, establishing criteria so that items may be added or removed from the lists as technology ages. Eventually, with help from Congress, the White House hopes to establish a “single licensing agency”—an independent body with leadership nominated by the President—to oversee and manage the export license process, said Jones. The Aerospace Industries Association sponsored the event.
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.