Category IV
Launch Vehicles, Guided Missiles, Ballistic Missiles, Rockets, Torpedoes, Bombs, and Mines
Paragraphs marked SME are Significant Military Equipment.
| Paragraph | Text |
|---|---|
| (a) | Rockets, space launch vehicles (SLVs), missiles, bombs, torpedoes, depth charges, mines, and grenades, as follows: SME |
| (1) | Rockets, SLVs, and missiles capable of delivering at least a 500-kg payload to a range of at least 300 km (MT); |
| (2) | Rockets, SLVs, and missiles capable of delivering less than a 500-kg payload to a range of at least 300 km (MT); |
| (3) | Man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS); |
| (4) | Anti-tank missiles and rockets; |
| (5) | Rockets, SLVs, and missiles not meeting the criteria of paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(4) of this category; |
| (6) | Bombs; |
| (7) | Torpedoes; |
| (8) | Depth charges; |
| (9) | Anti-personnel, anti-vehicle, or anti-armor land mines (e.g., area denial devices); |
| (10) | Anti-helicopter mines; |
| (11) | Naval mines; or |
| (12) | Fragmentation and high explosive hand grenades. |
| (b) | Launchers for rockets, SLVs, and missiles, as follows: SME |
| (1) | Fixed launch sites and mobile launcher mechanisms for any system enumerated in paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this category (MT); or |
| (2) | Fixed launch sites and mobile launcher mechanisms for any system enumerated in paragraphs (a)(3) through (a)(5) of this category (e.g., launch tables, TOW missile, MANPADS). |
| (c) | Equipment specially designed for the handling, control, activation, monitoring, detection, protection, discharge, or detonation of any of the following: |
| (1) | A commodity enumerated in paragraphs (a) or (b) of this category (MT for those systems enumerated in paragraph (a)(1) or (2) or (b)(1) of this category); or |
| (2) | Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). |
| (d) | Rocket, SLV, and missile power plants, as follows: SME |
| (1) | Except as enumerated in paragraph (d)(2) or (d)(3) of this category, individual rocket stages for the articles enumerated in paragraph (a)(1), (a)(2), or (a)(5) of this category (MT for those stages usable in systems enumerated in paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this category); |
| (2) | Solid propellant rocket motors, hybrid or gel rocket motors, or liquid propellant rocket engines having a total impulse capacity equal to or greater than 1.1 × 10 6 N·s (MT); |
| (3) | Solid propellant rocket motors, hybrid or gel rocket motors, or liquid propellant rocket engines having a total impulse capacity equal to or greater than 8.41 × 10 5 N·s, but less than 1.1 × 10 6 N·s (MT); |
| (4) | Combined cycle, pulsejet, ramjet, or scramjet engines (MT); |
| (5) | Air-breathing engines that operate above Mach 4 not enumerated in paragraph (d)(4) of this category; |
| (6) | Pressure gain combustion-based propulsion systems not enumerated in paragraphs (d)(4) and (d)(5) of this category; or |
| (7) | Rocket, SLV, and missile engines and motors, not otherwise enumerated in paragraphs (d)(1) through (d)(6) of this category or USML Category XIX. |
| (e) | -(f) [Reserved] |
| (g) | Non-nuclear warheads for rockets, bombs, and missiles (e.g., explosive, kinetic, EMP, thermobaric, shape charge, and fuel air explosive (FAE)). SME |
| (h) | Systems, subsystems, parts, components, accessories, attachments, or associated equipment, as follows: |
| (1) | Flight control and guidance systems (including guidance sets) specially designed for articles enumerated in paragraph (a) of this category (MT for those articles enumerated in paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this category); |
| (2) | Seeker systems specially designed for articles enumerated in paragraph (a) of this category (e.g., radiofrequency, infrared) (MT for articles enumerated in paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this category); |
| (3) | Kinetic kill vehicles and specially designed parts and components therefor; |
| (4) | Missile or rocket thrust vector control systems (MT for those thrust vector control systems usable in articles enumerated in paragraph (a)(1) of this category); |
| (5) | MANPADS grip stocks and specially designed parts and components therefor; |
| (6) | Rocket or missile nozzles and nozzle throats, and specially designed parts and components therefor (MT for those nozzles and nozzle throats usable in systems enumerated in paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this category); |
| (7) | Rocket or missile nose tips, nose fairings, or aerospikes, and specially designed parts and components therefor (MT for those articles enumerated in paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this category); |
| (8) | Re-entry vehicle or warhead heat shields (MT for those re-entry vehicles and heat shields usable in systems enumerated in paragraph (a)(1) of this category); |
| (9) | Missile and rocket safing, arming, fuzing, and firing (SAFF) components (to include target detection and proximity sensing devices), and specially designed parts therefor (MT for those SAFF components usable in systems enumerated in paragraph (a)(1) of this category); |
| (10) | Self-destruct systems specially designed for articles enumerated in paragraph (a) of this category (MT for those articles enumerated in paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this category); |
| (11) | Separation mechanisms, staging mechanisms, and interstages useable for articles enumerated in paragraph (a) of this category, and specially designed parts and components therefor (MT for those separation mechanisms, staging mechanisms, and interstages usable in systems enumerated in paragraph (a)(1) of this category); |
| (12) | Post-boost vehicles (PBV) (MT); |
| (13) | Engine or motor mounts specially designed for articles enumerated in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this category (MT for those articles enumerated in paragraphs (a)(1), (a)(2), and (b)(1) of this category); |
| (14) | Combustion chambers specially designed for articles enumerated in paragraphs (a) and (d) of this category and specially designed parts and components therefor (MT for those articles enumerated in paragraphs (a)(1), (a)(2), (b)(1), and (d)(1) through (d)(5) of this category); |
| (15) | Injectors specially designed for articles controlled in this category (MT for those injectors specially designed which are usable in systems enumerated in paragraph (a)(1) of this category); |
| (16) | Solid rocket motor or liquid engine igniters; |
| (17) | Re-entry vehicles and specially designed parts and components therefor not elsewhere specified in this category (MT); |
| (18) | Specially designed parts and components for articles controlled in paragraph (g) not elsewhere specified in this category; |
| (19) | Penetration aids and specially designed parts and components therefor (e.g., physical or electronic countermeasure suites, re-entry vehicle replicas or decoys, or submunitions); |
| (20) | Rocket motor cases and specially designed parts and components therefor (e.g., flanges, flange seals, end domes) (MT for those rocket motor cases usable in systems enumerated in paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this category and for specially designed parts and components for hybrid rocket motors enumerated in paragraphs (d)(2) and (d)(3) of this category); |
| (21) | Solid rocket motor liners and rocket motor insulation (MT for those solid rocket motor liners usable in systems enumerated in paragraph (a)(1) of this category or specially designed for systems enumerated in paragraph (a)(2) of this category; and rocket motor insulation usable in systems enumerated in paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this category); |
| (22) | Radomes, sensor windows, and antenna windows specially designed for articles enumerated in paragraph (a) of this category (MT for those radomes usable in systems enumerated in paragraph (a)(1) of this category and for any radomes, sensor windows, or antenna windows manufactured as composite structures or laminates specially designed for use in the systems and components enumerated in paragraph (a)(1), (a)(2), (d)(1), (h)(8), (h)(9), (h)(17), or (h)(25) of this category); |
| (23) | Rocket or missile payload fairings; |
| (24) | Rocket or missile launch canisters (MT for those rocket or missile launch canisters designed or modified for systems enumerated in paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this category); |
| (25) | Fuzes specially designed for articles enumerated in paragraph (a) of this category (e.g., proximity, contact, electronic, dispenser proximity, airburst, variable time delay, or multi-option) (MT for those fuzes usable in systems enumerated in paragraph (a)(1) of this category); |
| (26) | Rocket or missile liquid propellant tanks (MT for those rocket or missile liquid propellant tanks usable in systems enumerated in paragraph (a)(1) of this category); |
| (27) | Rocket or missile altimeters specially designed for use in articles enumerated in paragraph (a)(1) of this category (MT); |
| (28) | Pneumatic, hydraulic, mechanical, electro-optical, or electromechanical flight control systems (including fly-by-wire systems) and attitude control equipment specially designed for use in the rockets or missiles enumerated in paragraph (a)(1) of this category (MT for these systems which have been designed or modified for those enumerated in paragraph (a)(1) of this category); |
| (29) | Umbilical and interstage electrical connectors specially designed for use in the rockets or missiles enumerated in paragraph (a)(1) or (a)(2) of this category (MT); or |
| (30) | Any part, component, accessory, attachment, equipment, or system that (MT for those articles designated as such): SME |
| (i) | Is classified; |
| (ii) | Contains classified software directly related to defense articles in this subchapter or 600 series items subject to the EAR; or |
| (i) | Technical data (see § 120.33 of this subchapter) and defense services (see § 120.32 of this subchapter) directly related to the defense articles described in paragraphs (a) through (h) of this category and classified technical data directly related to items controlled in ECCNs 0A604, 0B604, 0D604, 9A604, 9B604, or 9D604 and defense services using the classified technical data. Defense services include the furnishing of assistance (including training) to a foreign person in the integration of a satellite or spacecraft to a launch vehicle, including both planning and onsite support, regardless of the jurisdiction, ownership, or origin of the satellite or spacecraft, or whether technical data is used. It also includes the furnishing of assistance (including training) to a foreign person in the launch failure analysis of a launch vehicle, regardless of the jurisdiction, ownership, or origin of the launch vehicle, or whether technical data is used. (See § 125.4 of this subchapter for exemptions, and § 124.15 of this subchapter for special export controls for spacecraft and spacecraft launches.) (MT for technical data and defense services related to articles designated as such.) |
| (j) | -(w) [Reserved] |
| (x) | Commodities, software, and technical data subject to the EAR used in or with defense articles. |
Source: eCFR, version
2026-08-01, retrieved
2026-08-20T04:08:36+00:00.