DtVStRüDeutsche Verbindungsstelle des Rüstungsbereichs USA/Kanada USA/CAN

Through maintaining regular contact with important defense technology institutions and organizations of the U.S. and Canadian armed forces, the German Liaison Office for Defense Materiel USA/Canada makes an active contribution to the transatlantic cooperation. With its permanent branch offices at important technological institutions of the U.S. armed forces it is able to provide current inputs to the step-by-step implementation of Network-Enabled Operations and to mission-tailored Bundeswehr equipment.

By promoting cooperation and transfer of know-how the German Liaison Office consolidates the standards of performance in technology and science and, thus, the competitiveness of the Bundeswehr technical centers and research organizations as well as installations and institutes in Germany that work on scientific defense research projects. It regularly takes initiatives towards cooperation in the field of research & technology with the aim of concluding Data Exchange Agreements (DEA) and Project Arrangements (PA).

The staff of the German Liaison Office for Defense Materiel USA/Canada cooperate in bi- and multinational project teams. They represent the German armaments organization in ad hoc meetings in the USA and in Canada and provide interdepartmental assistance in armaments industry affairs to German government agencies. The agency provides inputs to the efforts towards standardization of equipment and interoperability of the armed forces.

The German Liaison Office supports Bundeswehr procurement through Foreign Military Sales and represents German procurement interests in international bodies. For that purpose, it concludes procurement contracts with industry in the USA and in Canada and places orders for the repair of defense equipment in the USA. In this context, the German Liaison Office is responsible for government quality assurance with respect to U.S. and Canadian suppliers. 

The agency also coordinates and supports the Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) program from the German side, which can serve to close equipment gaps in the U.S. armed forces with available German products.

Furthermore, the German Liaison Office promotes the preparation and conduct of exchange programs for Bundeswehr research and administration personnel with the U.S. and Canadian armed forces. This is an important factor in building up qualified human resources with international experience. Also, the agency organizes and supports the advanced training scheme "Qualification for Work in International Armaments Cooperation" in the USA.

Section 010 of the German Liaison Office for Defense Materiel USA/Canada is responsible for liaison activities for airborne, space and naval applications, missile technology and general purpose technology and also for project work in the cooperation project “PatriotPhased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target (abbreviation for: Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target) air defense system”. In addition, personnel to be employed in the NATO Seasparrow Project Office, which is responsible for the NSSM air defense system, is provided by this section.

Further tasks involve government quality assurance with respect to suppliers in the USA and Canada as well as liaison activities with the U.S. Government Quality Assurance Authority, the “Defense Contract Management Agency – DCMA”. In addition, the Section coordinates the personnel exchange programs for defense engineers and defense scientists (Engineers and Scientists Exchange Program, ESEP) as well as administrative personnel (Administrative and Professional Personnel Exchange Program, APEP) of both nations.

Besides liaison activities in the technology fields of land applications, reconnaissance, command, control and communications, Section 020 of the German Liaison Office for Defense Materiel USA/Canada deals with project-specific tasks in the evaluation of foreign defense materiel.

In addition, the section supports the cooperation projects “GMRLS (abbreviation for: Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System) guided surface-to-surface missiles” and “MIDSMultifunctional Information Distribution System (abbreviation for: Multifunctional Information Distribution System) tactical radio system”.

The emphasis of the work of Section 030 of the German Liaison Office is on the procurement of defense equipment and spare parts in the framework of Foreign Military Sales (FMSForeign Military Sales) and direct contracts in the U.S. and in Canada. Besides procurement, the German Liaison Office also places orders for repair tasks, carries out market analyses and price comparisons, manages disposal activities, provides interdepartmental support of a general kind and represents German armaments interests in international bodies. 

Furthermore, the German Liaison Office for Defense Materiel USA/Canada conducts procurement activities to satisfy the demand of BAAINBwBundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr and other German agencies in the area of responsibility of the German Federal Ministry of Defense.

Section 040 of the German Liaison Office of Defense Materiel USA/Canada is an integral part of the USUnited States-German Rolling Airframe Missile Program Office (RAMPORolling Airframe Missile Program Office) in Arlington, Virginia. The authorized German representative for the RAMRolling Airframe Missile weapon system in the USA acts as Deputy Program Manager and is in charge of the German component of the bilateral project. Section 040 is responsible for the project in all phases from development to in-service use.

The Branch Office of the German Liaison Office for Defense Materiel USA/Canada affiliated to Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command / Air Force Research Laboratory (HQHeadquarters AFMCAir Force Material Command / AFRLAir Force Research Laboratory) is located on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio. This is one of the largest and most important U.S. Air Force Bases and today accommodates the headquarters of the following U.S. Air Force facilities that deal with procurement, research and testing of defense materiel:

• Air Force Materiel Command (AFMCAir Force Material Command)
• Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRLAir Force Research Laboratory)
• Aeronautical System Center (ASCAeronautical System Center) 

The Branch Office of the German Liaison Office for Defense Materiel USA/Canada affiliated to the Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRIProgram Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation) is located in Orlando, Florida. PEO STRIProgram Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation is a materiel procurement agency of the U.S. Army and equips the latter with training, test and simulation systems worldwide.

In Orlando, PEO STRIProgram Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation cooperates with all other U.S. armed services in the so-called Team Orlando which generates synergy effects in research, procurement and equipment of the U.S. armed services.

The Branch Office of the Liaison Office for Defense Materiel USA/Canada at the U.S. Army Armament, Research, Development & Engineering Center (ARDECArmament Research, Development and Engineering Center) is located at the Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey.

This military installation in the north-west of New Jersey, covering an area of 26 sq km, plays a unique role for the U.S. Army. Almost all weapon systems and munitions used in the U.S. Army and the other U.S. armed services have their origin in Picatinny. Furthermore, Picatinny is the home of several other organizations of the U.S. armaments organization.

The Branch Office of the Liaison Office for Defense Materiel USA/Canada affiliated to the Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center (CERDECCommunications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center) is located in Aberdeen, Maryland. CERDECCommunications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center is a U.S. Army agency that develops and integrates electronic devices and systems for the collection, distribution and processing of information. The range extends from radio equipment to satellite communication and the use of commercial means of communication (e.g. smartphones) as well as from the connection of individual soldiers to information and command systems operating across multiple units.

The Branch Office of the Liaison Office for Defense Materiel USA/Canada affiliated to the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATECArmy Test and Evaluation Command) is located in Aberdeen, Maryland. ATECArmy Test and Evaluation Command is the leading organization in the U.S. Army for the testing of weapons and munitions, employing approx. 9,000 service members and civilian employees of the government and of contractors. Within the U.S. DoD, ATECArmy Test and Evaluation Command has the largest number of different test facilities equipped with state-of-the-art technology that are used for testing every kind of military hardware and software under controlled conditions.

• Take Dulles Access Road (Rt. 267) in the direction of Washington D.C.District of Columbia to Exit 13 "Wiehle Avenue".
• Turn right at the traffic light onto Wiehle Avenue and then after about 150 meters turn left at the traffic light onto Sunrise Valley Drive.
• Follow Sunrise Valley Drive for about 500 meters and then turn left into the dead-end street leading to the office building of the German Liaison Office for Defense Materiel USA/Canada (signpost "Campus at Sunrise"). The agency is located at the end of the dead-end street.

• Drive from "Capitol Beltway" (I 495) onto "Dulles Toll Road" (Rt. 267) and leave it at Exit 14.
• After the tollgate, turn left onto Hunter Mill Road and at the next traffic lights turn right onto Sunrise Valley Drive. 
• Follow this road for approx. 1 km and then turn right onto the dead-end-street leading to the office building of the German Liaison Office for Defense Materiel USA/Canada (signpost “Campus at Sunrise”). The agency is located at the end of the dead-end street.