Reference

U.S. Munitions List — All 21 Categories

The USML (22 CFR Part 121) defines the defense articles subject to ITAR export controls. Each category covers a domain of military hardware, technology, and services. Select a category below to see controlled items, EAR cross-references, and licensing requirements.

21 USML categories
22 CFR Part 121 citations
EAR/ECCN crossover for each category
I

Category I

Firearms

USML Category I covers firearms with a bore of .

M16/M4 assault rifles and variantsMilitary service pistolsCombat shotguns with folding stocks or breaching configurations
II

Category II

Guns & Armament

USML Category II covers large-caliber weapons systems — artillery, mortars, recoilless rifles, crew-served weapons, and associated fire-delivery systems with a bore greater than .

HowitzersMortars of 60 mm, 81 mm, and 120 mm calibersRecoilless rifles designed for anti-armor or infantry support
III

Category III

Ammunition

USML Category III covers ammunition and ordnance for weapons controlled in Categories I and II — including military cartridges, shells, propellants, explosives, and their components designed for use in military weapons.

Armor-piercing, tracer, incendiary, and explosive small-arms ammunitionArtillery shells and projectilesMortar rounds and illuminating projectiles
IV

Category IV

Missiles & Rockets

USML Category IV is one of the most tightly controlled categories, covering complete guided and unguided military rockets, missiles, torpedoes, bombs, mines, and related propulsion systems and subsystems.

Ballistic missiles and intercontinental ballistic missileCruise missiles and anti-ship missilesAnti-tank guided missiles
V

Category V

Explosives & Energetics

USML Category V covers explosives formulated for military applications, solid and liquid propellants for military rockets and missiles, pyrotechnic compositions, incendiary agents, and specific chemical precursors used in their manufacture.

Military high explosivesComposite solid rocket propellantsThermite and thermate incendiary compositions
VI

Category VI

Naval Vessels

USML Category VI covers naval warships, combat vessels, and specially designed naval equipment not captured by the submersible vessel category (Category XX).

Destroyers, frigates, cruisers, and corvettesAmphibious assault ships and landing craftNaval patrol and fast attack boats with military armament
VII

Category VII

Tanks & Vehicles

USML Category VII covers ground combat vehicles designed or modified for military use — including main battle tanks, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and wheeled combat vehicles.

Main battle tanksArmored personnel carriersMine-resistant ambush-protected
VIII

Category VIII

Military Aircraft

USML Category VIII is one of the broadest and most commercially significant ITAR categories, covering military aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) designed or modified for military use, and the engines, avionics, subsystems, and components that are specially designed for these platforms.

Fighter aircraftMilitary transport aircraftAttack and multi-role helicopters
IX

Category IX

Training Equipment

USML Category IX covers military training systems and equipment specifically designed to train personnel in the use and operation of defense articles controlled elsewhere in the USML.

Full-flight simulators for military aircraftWeapons system trainers for guided missile systemsTank and armored vehicle crew simulation systems
X

Category X

Protective Equipment

USML Category X covers personal protective equipment and collective protection systems designed specifically for military environments, including body armor meeting military specifications, nuclear-biological-chemical (NBC) protective gear, and deployable shelters engineered for military operations.

Military-specification body armor systemsMilitary ballistic helmetsCBRN
XI

Category XI

Military Electronics

USML Category XI is a broad category capturing electronic systems and equipment specifically designed for military applications — including electronic warfare systems, military communications and information systems, intelligence-gathering equipment, and countermeasure devices.

Jamming systems and electronic countermeasureMilitary communications encryption devicesElectronic intelligence
XII

Category XII

Optics & Fire Control

USML Category XII is commercially significant and frequently litigated — it covers fire control systems, targeting and sighting equipment, military night-vision devices, laser rangefinders, infrared imaging systems, and guidance and control components designed for military weapons systems.

Night-vision devicesThermal imaging sensors and targeting systems for military useMilitary laser rangefinders and designators
XIII

Category XIII

Auxiliary Equipment

USML Category XIII is a broad catch-all for military equipment not captured by more specific categories — including military parachutes, pressure suits, underwater diving systems for military use, demolition equipment, and specialized equipment for nuclear weapons deployment.

Military free-fall parachutes and ram-air deployment systemsHigh-altitude pressure suits and G-suits for military aircrewMilitary combat diving equipment and rebreather systems
XIV

Category XIV

Chemical & Biological

USML Category XIV covers chemical warfare agents (CWAs), biological warfare agents (BWAs), toxins, and the equipment specifically designed for their weaponization, delivery, or defense against them.

Nerve agentsBiological warfare agents and toxinsChemical agent delivery munitions and dispersal systems
XV

Category XV

Spacecraft

USML Category XV covers spacecraft, satellites, and associated systems designed or modified for military or national security applications, as well as ground control systems and components with performance specifications suited to military space operations.

Military reconnaissance and surveillance satellitesMilitary communications satellitesGPS satellite payloads and military signal processing equipment
XVI

Category XVI

Nuclear Weapons

USML Category XVI covers nuclear weapons, nuclear weapon components, special nuclear materials (SNM), and equipment specifically designed for nuclear weapons design, testing, or delivery.

Nuclear weapon designs, test configurations, and weapon physics packagesHighly enriched uraniumNuclear weapon arming, fuzing, and firing
XVII

Category XVII

Classified Articles

USML Category XVII serves as the primary entry for classified defense articles and technical data that are ITAR-controlled but whose classification level prevents their identification in an unclassified regulation.

Classified weapons system design data and engineering specificationsClassified military systems integration informationClassified electronic warfare and intelligence system technical data
XVIII

Category XVIII

Directed Energy

USML Category XVIII covers directed energy weapons (DEWs) — systems that damage or destroy targets through the delivery of concentrated energy rather than kinetic projectiles.

High-energy laserHigh-power microwaveParticle beam weapons designed for military engagement
XIX

Category XIX

Gas Turbine Engines

USML Category XIX covers gas turbine engines and associated components specifically designed for military aircraft, ships, and vehicles — including turbofan, turbojet, turboprop, and turboshaft engines with military performance specifications.

Military aircraft turbofan enginesMilitary helicopter turboshaft enginesTurboprop engines for military transport and surveillance aircraft
XX

Category XX

Submarines & Submersibles

USML Category XX covers military submarines, submersible vehicles, and oceanographic equipment specifically designed for military applications — including combat submarines, mini-submarines, swimmer delivery vehicles (SDVs), and associated propulsion, navigation, sonar, and countermeasure systems.

Nuclear-powered attack and ballistic missile submarinesConventional diesel-electric and air-independent propulsion submarinesSpecial operations forces swimmer delivery vehicles
XXI

Category XXI

Miscellaneous

USML Category XXI is the residual catch-all category that captures defense articles, technical data, and defense services that have a predominant military application but do not fit within any of the more specific categories (I–XX).

Emerging defense technologies under policy review for specific category placementMilitary-specific artificial intelligence and machine learning systems for weaponsDefense articles under commodity jurisdiction review pending USML enumeration

About the USML

What is the U.S. Munitions List?

The U.S. Munitions List (USML) is the list of articles, services, and related technical data that are inherently military in character and thus subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), administered by the Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC). The USML is codified at 22 CFR Part 121.

Any defense article on the USML requires a license or other authorization from DDTC before it can be exported, re-exported, or transferred to a foreign person — including within the United States. Violations of ITAR carry civil penalties of up to $1.3 million per violation and criminal penalties of up to $1 million and 20 years imprisonment per violation.

The USML is periodically revised through rule-making. During Export Control Reform (2013–2018), many items were transitioned from the USML to the Commerce Control List (CCL) under EAR. Items remaining on the USML are those with predominant military utility — the so-called “specially designed” standard.

Disclaimer: The information on this page is provided for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. ITAR compliance decisions must be made with reference to the current version of the USML on the eCFR and with the guidance of qualified export control counsel.

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