The U.S. Army will begin on Nov. 1 the official release of a newly developed system designed to improve its foreign military sales processes.
The launch follows the Friday completion of the initial capability deployment of the process called Foreign Military Sales – Army Case Execution System, or FMS-ACES, the service branch said Tuesday.
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System’s Development and Processes
The Army’s Program Executive Office, in collaboration with several stakeholders, developed FMS-ACES using Agile methodologies. The system is a cloud-based, low-code software platform geared as a replacement for the Army’s 50-year-old, COBOL-based case management system non-compliant with audit systems. It will provide about 160 case officers at the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command with a full, timely and accurate look into the life cycle of FMS cases, according to the service branch.
The Army also noted that in its initial deployment, the new cloud-based system enabled officers to manage case implementation, execution, supply discrepancy reporting and closure. The process improved product tracking, transparency and feedback across the Army Security Assistance Enterprise, the service branch pointed out.
Official Comments on New FMS Process
Kelly Rutherford, FMS-ACES product lead at PEO Enterprise, acknowledged the teamwork behind the system’s development. “Modernization isn’t just about software—it’s about the people driving innovation to support our warfighters,” Rutherford stressed.
PEO Enterprise tasked two vendors April 2024 to develop FMS-ACES prototypes. The system came out on time and within budget for minimum viable capability release into the Army’s Software Acquisition Pathway, the service branch said.
The Army’s initiative is in line with a February announcement from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a 2025 Wash100 Award winner, on Department of Defense plans for reforms on FMS processes for quicker execution and lesser red tape.
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