# USML Categories — United States Munitions List (22 CFR § 121.1)

The USML consists of 21 categories. Items **specifically enumerated** here are ITAR-controlled as defense articles.

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## Category I — Firearms, Close Assault Weapons and Combat Shotguns
Firearms with calibre ≤ 20mm; rifles, carbines, pistols, revolvers, shotguns intended for military use; suppressors; bayonets.

## Category II — Guns and Armament
Guns, howitzers, cannons >20mm; mortars; recoilless rifles; flamethrowers (military); launch tubes.

## Category III — Ammunition/Ordnance
Ammunition for items in Cat I/II; military explosives and propellants; military pyrotechnics; guided projectiles.

## Category IV — Launch Vehicles, Guided Missiles, Ballistic Missiles, Rockets, Torpedoes, Bombs and Mines
All military rockets, missiles, bombs, torpedoes, depth charges, land mines; space launch vehicles used for military purposes; re-entry vehicles.

## Category V — Explosives and Energetic Materials, Propellants, Incendiary Agents and their Precursors
Military explosives and fuels (e.g., PETN, RDX, HMX, TATB); incendiary agents; smoke/obscurant materials specifically designed for military use.

## Category VI — Vessels of War and Special Naval Equipment
Warships (surface and submarine); armed vessels; military SCUBA and underwater breathing devices; naval nuclear reactors.

## Category VII — Tanks and Military Vehicles
Tanks; armoured combat vehicles; military tactical vehicles; mine-clearing vehicles; military bridges.

## Category VIII — Aircraft and Associated Equipment
Military aircraft (manned and unmanned) — fighters, bombers, attack, patrol, transport; military aero-engines; related airframes; certain civil aircraft modified for military use; military life support systems.

## Category IX — Military Training Equipment
Flight simulators; parachutes (military); military survival equipment; training aircraft simulators.

## Category X — Protective Personnel Equipment and Shelters
Body armour (beyond NIJ Level III+); combat helmets; NBC protective suits; military nuclear/biological/chemical detection equipment.

## Category XI — Military Electronics
Military electronic systems: radar (military); jamming equipment; IFF (Identification Friend or Foe); military navigation; electronic warfare (EW); targeting systems; military cryptographic equipment (see also Cat XIII).

## Category XII — Fire Control, Range Finder, Optical and Guidance and Control Equipment
Military targeting optics; laser rangefinders (military); infrared imaging (military); night-vision devices (NVDs); military gyroscopes; fire control computers.

## Category XIII — Auxiliary Military Equipment
Chemical/biological agents (listed); military nuclear materials; depleted uranium; military explosives detection; military training devices; TEMPEST/emissions security equipment; cryptographic items not in Cat XI.

## Category XIV — Toxicological Agents, Including Chemical Agents, Biological Agents, and Associated Equipment
Schedule 1, 2, 3 chemical weapons agents and precursors (CWC Schedules applied to USML); biological agents suitable for weaponisation; medical countermeasures (military).

## Category XV — Spacecraft Systems and Associated Equipment
Military satellites; spacecraft systems for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR); directed energy weapons in space; associated ground control equipment.

## Category XVI — Nuclear Weapons, Design and Testing Related Items
Nuclear weapons; nuclear weapon design and testing software; all items primarily useful for nuclear weapons development.

## Category XVII — Classified Articles, Technical Data and Defense Services Not Otherwise Enumerated
Catch-all for classified items. No exports without prior DDTC authorisation.

## Category XVIII — Directed Energy Weapons
High-energy lasers (military); particle beam weapons; high-power radio frequency (HPM) weapons.

## Category XIX — Gas Turbine Engines and Associated Equipment
Military gas turbine engines for aircraft/vessels/vehicles; hot section components; military engine test equipment.

## Category XX — Submersible Vessels, Oceanographic and Associated Equipment
Military submarines; autonomous underwater vehicles (military); deep-submergence rescue vehicles; military sonar.

## Category XXI — Articles, Technical Data and Defense Services Not Otherwise Enumerated
Catch-all for items not covered by Cat I–XX that are determined to provide critical military/intelligence advantage. Used sparingly via CJ determination.

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## Key Definitions

**Defense article** (22 CFR § 120.31): Any item or technical data designated on the USML.

**Defense service** (22 CFR § 120.32): Furnishing assistance (training, technical data, engineering) to a foreign person for the design, manufacture, production, operation, maintenance, or modification of defense articles.

**Technical data** (22 CFR § 120.33): Information directly related to defense articles in any tangible form — blueprints, drawings, specifications, software source code, test reports.

**Specially designed** (22 CFR § 120.41): The primary test for whether a component or part falls under ITAR. An item is specially designed if it was developed, configured, or adapted to provide a critical performance parameter enabling the military capability of a USML end-item.

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## USML vs CCL Jurisdiction Tips

| Scenario | Likely Jurisdiction |
|----------|-------------------|
| Item specifically listed in USML (Cat I–XXI) | ITAR |
| Item removed from USML via Export Control Reform | EAR (often ECCN 0Yxxx) |
| Commercial item with no military application | EAR / EAR99 |
| Ambiguous — file a Commodity Jurisdiction (CJ) request | DDTC determines |

A **Commodity Jurisdiction (CJ)** determination (22 CFR § 120.4) is the official process to obtain DDTC's ruling on whether an item is on the USML. Submit via DDTC's online portal with item description, specifications, and intended use.