This document outlines the United States Munitions List (USML), a regulation that controls the export and temporary import of defense articles and services. The USML categorizes various military items, ranging from firearms and armaments to spacecraft and directed energy weapons, detailing their control parameters and specific provisions.
Category I—Firearms and Related Articles
This category encompasses firearms, including those using caseless ammunition, fully automatic firearms up to .50 caliber, and those specially designed for integrated fire control, automatic tracking, or firing. It also covers fully automatic shotguns, silencers, mufflers, sound suppressors, and specific parts and components like barrels, receivers, and bolts. Specialized magazines with capacities exceeding 50 rounds, conversion parts for semi-automatic to fully automatic firearms, and accessories for automatic stabilization or targeting are also included. Technical data and defense services directly related to these articles are controlled, as are commodities, software, and technology subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) used in conjunction with these defense articles.
Category II—Guns and Armament
Category II pertains to guns and armament exceeding .50 caliber, including cannons, howitzers, mortars, recoilless rifles, and grenade launchers. It also covers developmental guns and armament funded by the Department of Defense. This category specifies that integrated guns and armament within their carriers are controlled by the carrier’s category, while self-propelled units are in Category VII. Non-automatic and semi-automatic rifles, black powder guns, and certain shotguns controlled by the Commerce Control List (CCL) are excluded. Flamethrowers with an effective range of 20 meters or more, kinetic energy weapon systems, and signature reduction devices for these weapons are also listed. Various parts, components, and accessories for these armaments, including barrels, firing mechanisms, and ammunition handling systems, are detailed, along with associated technical data and defense services.
Category III—Ammunition and Ordnance
This category covers a wide range of ammunition, including projectiles with specific characteristics, preassembled linked ammunition, shotgun ammunition with controlled projectiles, caseless ammunition, and ammunition with non-metallic cases. It also includes ammunition employing pyrotechnic materials or tracer elements, electromagnetic armament projectiles, and developmental ammunition funded by the Department of Defense. Ammunition handling equipment, such as belting and linking equipment, and fuze setting devices are included. Specific parts and components for ammunition are detailed, including projectiles, shotgun projectiles, and cartridge cases. Technical data and defense services related to this category are also controlled.
Category IV—Launch Vehicles, Guided Missiles, Ballistic Missiles, Rockets, Torpedoes, Bombs, and Mines
Category IV encompasses rockets, space launch vehicles (SLVs), missiles, bombs, torpedoes, depth charges, mines, and grenades. It specifies control parameters based on payload capacity and range for rockets, SLVs, and missiles. Man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) and anti-tank missiles are explicitly listed. Launchers for these systems, associated handling and detonation equipment, and rocket, SLV, and missile power plants are also covered. Non-nuclear warheads, various flight control and guidance systems, seeker systems, and thrust vector control systems are included. Technical data and defense services related to these articles are controlled, along with commodities, software, and technology subject to the EAR.
Category V—Explosives and Energetic Materials, Propellants, Incendiary Agents, and Their Constituents
This category lists a comprehensive range of explosives, propellants, pyrotechnics, fuels, oxidizers, binders, additives, and precursors. It includes specific chemical compounds with their CAS numbers and, where applicable, their classification under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). The category also details performance criteria for propellants, such as theoretical specific impulse and burning rate. Metal fuels, high energy density fuels, and pyrotechnic mixtures are described. Oxidizers like ammonium perchlorate and hydrazine nitrate are listed. Various binders, including polymers and nitrated compounds, are included. Additives such as ferrocene derivatives and organo-metallic coupling agents are specified. Developmental explosives, propellants, and related materials funded by the Department of Defense are also covered.
Category VI—Surface Vessels of War and Special Naval Equipment
Category VI covers warships, combatant vessels, and Coast Guard cutters, as well as foreign-origin vessels with equivalent military functions. It includes high-speed air cushion vessels, vessels integrated with nuclear propulsion, and those armed or designed for delivering munitions. Vessels incorporating other controlled “mission systems” are also listed. Developmental vessels funded by the Department of Defense are included. Naval nuclear propulsion plants and prototypes, along with associated construction and maintenance facilities, are specified. Various vessel and naval equipment, including hulls, superstructures, energy management systems, and autonomous unmanned vessel control systems, are detailed. Technical data and defense services are controlled.
Category VII—Ground Vehicles
This category pertains to armored combat ground vehicles, such as tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. It also covers other ground vehicles and trailers that are armed or designed as firing or launch platforms for munitions exceeding .50 caliber. Ground vehicles equipped with controlled “mission systems” are included. Armored support vehicles designed for personnel or materiel transport in combat support roles are listed. Various ground vehicle parts, components, and accessories are detailed, including armored hulls, active protection systems, composite armor, and fire control computers. Technical data and defense services are controlled.
Category VIII—Aircraft and Related Articles
Category VIII lists aircraft, including manned, unmanned, and remotely piloted types, with specific controls based on range. It covers bombers, fighters, attack helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) incorporating defense articles, and aircraft designed for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, or command, control, and communications functions. Aircraft capable of in-flight refueling, target drones, and aircraft designed for airlift with specific payload and range capabilities are included. Developmental aircraft funded by the Department of Defense are also covered. Various parts, components, and systems for aircraft are detailed, such as rotorcraft gearboxes, wing folding systems, and bomb racks. Technical data and defense services are controlled.
Category IX—Military Training Equipment and Training
This category encompasses training equipment, including ground, surface, submersible, and airborne targets that mimic specific defense articles or are instrumented for performance measurement. It also includes devices for maintenance and disposal training, air combat maneuvering instrumentation, and flight simulators for fighter aircraft and attack helicopters. Radar and anti-submarine warfare trainers, missile launch trainers, and simulators for intelligence purposes are listed. Technical data and defense services related to military training are controlled.
Category X—Personal Protective Equipment
Category X covers personal protective equipment, including body armor providing specific protection levels, and personal protective clothing or equipment designed to reduce detection by sensors. Integrated helmets with optical sights or slewing devices, and helmets and helmet shells with specific protection levels are included. Goggles, spectacles, and filters for optical sights are detailed. Developmental personal protective equipment funded by the Department of Defense is also covered. Parts, components, and materials for this equipment, such as ceramic or composite plates and specialized lenses, are specified. Technical data and defense services are controlled.
Category XI—Military Electronics
This category lists various electronic equipment and systems, including underwater sonar and non-acoustic detection systems, radar systems with specific capabilities (e.g., SAR, ISAR, ballistic tracking), and electronic warfare systems. Command, control, and communications (C3) systems, including those with encryption, cryptographic devices, and secure communication capabilities, are included. Developmental electronic equipment funded by the Department of Defense is also covered. Various electronic components, such as ASICs, PLDs, and transmit/receive modules, are detailed. Technical data and defense services are controlled.
Category XII—Fire Control, Laser, Imaging, and Guidance Equipment
Category XII covers fire control, aiming, detection, guidance, and tracking systems. It includes laser target designators, rangefinders, and targeting systems, as well as imaging systems such as binoculars, weapon sights, and infrared cameras. Guidance and navigation systems, including inertial navigation systems and GNSS receiving equipment, are specified. Parts, components, and accessories for these systems, such as lasers, image intensifier tubes, and accelerometers, are detailed. Developmental laser and guidance systems funded by the Department of Defense are also included. Technical data and defense services are controlled.
Category XIII—Materials and Miscellaneous Articles
This category includes information security and assurance systems, cryptographic devices, and cryptanalytic systems. It also covers materials such as ablative materials for spacecraft and carbon/carbon billets. Armor and armor materials, including spaced, transparent, and composite armor, are detailed. Developmental armor funded by the Department of Defense is also included. Concealment and deception equipment, such as radar-absorbing materials, and energy conversion devices like fuel cells and thermal batteries are specified. Technical data and defense services are controlled.
Category XIV—Toxicological Agents, Including Chemical Agents, Biological Agents, and Associated Equipment
Category XIV lists chemical agents, including nerve agents, vesicant agents, and incapacitating agents, with references to CWC schedules. Biological agents and genetically modified biological agents with enhanced persistence or resistance are covered. Chemical agent binary precursors and key precursors are also specified. Defoliants, such as Agent Orange, are included. Parts, components, and associated equipment for the dissemination, detection, and protection against these agents are detailed. Developmental countermeasures and sorbents funded by the Department of Defense are also covered. Technical data and defense services are controlled.
Category XV—Spacecraft and Related Articles
This category covers spacecraft, including satellites and space vehicles, with specific capabilities such as autonomous detection and tracking, signals intelligence, and anti-spacecraft functions. Space-to-ground weapons systems and spacecraft with advanced electro-optical or radar remote sensing capabilities are included. Ground control systems and training simulators for spacecraft are also specified. Various spacecraft parts, components, and systems are detailed, including antenna systems, space-qualified optics, and atomic clocks. Developmental payloads funded by the Department of Defense are covered. Technical data and defense services are controlled.
Category XVI—Nuclear Weapons Related Articles
Category XVI specifically addresses modeling or simulation tools that simulate environments generated by nuclear detonations and their effects. It also includes parts, components, and associated equipment for these simulation tools. Technical data and defense services related to these articles are controlled.
Category XVII—Classified Articles, Technical Data, and Defense Services Not Otherwise Enumerated
This category serves as a catch-all for any articles, technical data, and defense services that are classified in the interest of national security and not otherwise enumerated on the USML.
Category XVIII—Directed Energy Weapons
Category XVIII covers directed energy weapons, including systems that degrade, destroy, or disable targets using non-acoustic techniques such as lasers, particle beams, and high-power radio-frequency transmitters. It also includes systems designed to detect, identify, or provide defense against these weapons. Components, parts, and accessories for directed energy weapons are detailed. Developmental directed energy weapons funded by the Department of Defense are also covered. Technical data and defense services are controlled.
Category XIX—Gas Turbine Engines and Associated Equipment
This category includes turbofan, turbojet, turboshaft, and turboprop engines with specified thrust or power capabilities. It also covers gas turbine engines specially designed for unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles, and target drones. Specific engine models are listed. Digital engine control systems are included. Various parts, components, and accessories for these engines are detailed, including hot section parts and specialized compressors. Technical data and defense services are controlled.
Category XX—Submersible Vessels and Related Articles
Category XX covers submersible and semi-submersible vessels designed for military use, including submarines, mine countermeasure vehicles, and anti-submarine warfare vehicles. It also includes vessels armed for delivering munitions, swimmer delivery vehicles, and those integrated with nuclear propulsion systems. Developmental vessels funded by the Department of Defense are included. Engines, electric motors, and propulsion plants for submarines are specified. Parts, components, and associated equipment for these vessels are detailed. Technical data and defense services are controlled.
Category XXI—Articles, Technical Data, and Defense Services Not Otherwise Enumerated
This category is a residual category for any articles not otherwise enumerated on the USML. It also covers technical data and defense services related to these articles.
