Tech Security | Foreign Disclosure

Prior to international involvement in a program, there are two basic technology security and foreign disclosure (TSFD) security requirements - access and protection – to consider and resolve as a first order of business. This is the case whether the transaction is related to cooperative research and development; information or personnel exchange; and/or foreign sales (either Foreign Military Sales of Direct Commercial Sales) and whether the issue involves foreign government or international organization representatives. These requirements evolve from law, Executive Orders, as well as DoD Directives and Instructions.

DoD Directive 5111.21, Arms Transfer and Technology Release Senior Steering Group and Technology Security and Foreign Disclosure Office, signed on October 14, 2014 establishes policy, assigns responsibilities and describes authorities for the Arms Transfer and Technology Release Senior Steering Group (ATTR SSG) co-chaired by Director, International Cooperation, OUSD(A&S) and Director, DTSA, OUSD(Policy). It also establishes the Technology Security and Foreign Disclosure Office (TSFDO), which oversees DoD’s pre-vetting of technology transfers in anticipation of partner requirements, thus greatly reducing the decision time on technology releases.

Early consideration of TSFD requirements – the pre-vetting alluded to above – and advanced export control planning in international programs help enable a U.S. program to achieve maximum potential benefit from international involvement, while avoiding negative impacts on cost, schedule and performance. This is highlighted in Section 11.2.1.3 of the Defense Acquisition Guidebook. The Pre-Systems Acquisition project developer or systems acquisition engineering through deployment program manager should consider technology release requirements in the initial planning of a project/program with international involvement.

Director, PPA is the A&S Special Member of the National Disclosure Policy Committee (NDPC) and is A&S’s Principal Disclosure Authority, with responsibility for decisions to disclose classified and controlled unclassified military information. PPA serves as the A&S foreign disclosure office.