While the export of small arms and munitions from U.S. manufacturers to overseas customers in friendly countries is common, ITAR and Department of Commerce regulations usually mean it takes months of paperwork to get cleared– even if the items are already paid for via escrow– before it can ship out of the country.
For more high-tech items, like missiles and tanks, the State Department and Pentagon must get involved, a factor that changes from months to years.
However, as the Russians are pushing into Ukraine at full speed across several avenues of attack, this process has been carved away, with red tape sliced in two.
Case in point, KelTec reportedly was able to get clearance to ship a donated 400-unit lot of SUB2000 folding carbines– worth $200K– to Ukraine in just four days.
This ordinarily takes at least four months.
For those interested, the NSSF has posted a wish list from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and contact info for who to talk to in Washington to get it there with a bare minimum of paperwork.
