Defense officials in Jordan and Bahrain have requested U.S. government permission to buy advanced air-to-air missiles.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, a branch of the U.S. Department of Defense that oversees transfer of military materiel to U.S. allies, issued releases this week that the U.S. Congress had been notified of the proposals. The deals, however, are not completed.

Officials in Amman say Jordan is seeking to buy 85 AIM-120C-7 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles and six 120C captive air training missiles, while Bahrain said it wanted to purchase 25 AIM-120C-7 missiles. Along with associated equipment, parts and logistical support, the Jordanian deal would be worth $131 million and the Bahraini agreement $74 million, DSCA said.

The Defense Department release said the proposed sales would "enhance the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States" while improving the security of countries that are important forces "for political stability and peace in the Middle East."

DSCA said the missiles will help Jordan meet threats from air-to-air weapons and would serve as a deterrent to regional threats while strengthening Jordanian homeland defense. A release on the proposed Bahraini deal gave similar rationale.

Neither agreement would alter the basic military balance in the region, the DSCA releases said.

The agreements would require a series of trips to both countries by up to six U.S. government representatives and four representatives from Raytheon Corp., which would be the prime contractor. The twice-a-year trips would last about a week to allow for program management reviews.

Raytheon manufactures the AMRAAMs at its facilities in Tucson.

Both the Jordanian and Bahraini air forces use Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters, which can be armed with AIM-120C-7 missiles, along with other types of aircraft.

Deliveries of AIM-120C missiles began in 1996 and Raytheon started development of the AIM-120C-7 version two years later. By 2003 improvements in homing and range had been introduced and tested, and the weapons were put on both U.S. and international markets.

Raytheon said about three dozen countries have deployed the missiles. The company said in May that more than 16,000 AMRAAMs have been produced.

The AIM-120C-7 has a diameter of 7 inches and a wingspan of 17.5 inches. The 356-pound missile carries a 45-pound warhead and is guided by active radar, Raytheon product specifications state. The range of the AMRAAMs in unreleased but it can be used in beyond-visual-range situations, Raytheon said.