Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c), the sale outside the Department of Defense of any defense article designated or otherwise classified as Prepositioned Material Configured to Unit Sets, as decrement stock, or as Prepositioned War Reserve Stocks for United States Forces is prohibited.

In this section, the term “decrement stock” means such stock as is needed to bring the armed forces from a peacetime level of readiness to a combat level of readiness.

he determines that there is an international crisis affecting the national security of the United States and the sale of such article is in the best interests of the United States; and

he reports to the Congress not later than 60 days after the transfer of such article a plan for the prompt replenishment of the stocks of such article and the planned budget request to begin implementation of that plan.

Nothing in this section shall preclude the sale of stocks which have been designated for replacement, substitution, or elimination or which have been designated for sale to provide funds to procure higher priority stocks.

Nothing in this section shall preclude the transfer or sale of equipment to other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.