DTSA Export Control Directorate

Team discussion while standing near a white board

The Export Control Directorate (ECD) is a consolidation of the former Licensing and Technology Directorates. ECD is organized into five divisions, four of which are Integrated Product Team (IPT) Divisions covering the following licensing and technical areas:

  • Semiconductors, Cyber, Land, and Sea;
  • Manned Aircraft;
  • Sensors and Electronics; and
  • Missiles, UAV’s and Space;

and a fifth division to manage Regulations, Interagency, and Outreach activities. The Division works draft regulations from the Departments of State and Commerce, commodity jurisdiction requests, commodity classification requests, voluntary disclosures, regulatory regime changes, and outreach activities for the Directorate.

Regulations, Interagency, and Outreach Division

ECD is the DoD entry and exit point for all DoD actions related to the U.S. national security review of Department of State licensing related to direct commercial sales of defense articles and defense services, and Department of Commerce export licensing of dual use items. In addition, ECD is DTSA’s principle source of technical insight, advice, and analysis on international transfers of defense-related items and other matters of national security interest.

ECD represents DoD’s strategic technology experts. ECD coordinates DoD’s reviews of commodity jurisdiction (CJ) requests to determine the proper jurisdiction for controlled technology, proposed changes to the International Traffic in Arms (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to assist the regulatory departments in the control of exports of articles, services, and items on their respective export control lists. ECD represents the DoD at interagency export licensing conflict resolution forums and also coordinates the DoD’s reviews of voluntary and directed disclosures for purposes of determining harm to U.S. national security.

The ECD staff consists of senior engineers, scientists, subject matter experts and licensing analysts who contribute to maintaining and promoting the U.S. military’s advantages on the battlefield. In addition, the knowledge and expertise residing in ECD influences and helps shape DoD’s technology security policies.

In 2019, 44,676 munitions and dual use export licenses were processed; an increase from previous years.

Our Core Competencies are:

  • Knowledge of domestic and foreign defense-related technology and capability
  • Ability to apply engineering and scientific knowledge to the U.S. Government’s (U.S.G.) policy and regulatory framework for technology security
  • Skill at communicating complex technical subjects to a broad audience
  • Ability to integrate input from DoD and other U.S.G. stakeholders to develop viable technical solutions for managing technology transfer risks
  • Analysis of risks to U.S. technologies, integrating technical expertise, intelligence reporting, and U.S. defense policies and objectives.
  • Regulatory expertise to ensure the protection of technologies critical to maintaining U.S. technological edge, both on and off the battlefield.