According to the announcement made yesterday, the Arabia will get a ``possible upgrade'' of 1,500 AIM-9l missiles and other support equipment and Israel will get 64 AIM-120B advanced medium range air-to-air missiles (AMRAAM), three test missiles, missile containers, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, maintenance and pilot training, software support, publications and technical documentation, US government and contractor technical assistance and other related elements of logistics and programme support.

Of the 143 million dollars total cost, Saudi Arabia will pay 115 million dollars while Israel will contribute 28 million dollars.

The proposed sale to the Saudi Arabia involve a possible upgrade of 1,500 AIM-9l missiles to the newer AIM-9M configuration, and possible sale of five sets of pathfinder/sharpshooter navigation and targetingpods. The upgrade includes removing and replacing the older AIM-9l guidance control units (GCUS) and older rocket motors with the new AIM-9M GCUS and MK 36 MOD 11 rocket motors.

This effort includes support equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, and other related elements of logistics support.

A department press release on the subject says the proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping improve the security of a friendly country which has been and continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in the west Asia.

The upgraded missiles will complement 300 AIM-9m missiles previously purchased. They will be used on the Saudi Arabian F-15s aircraft currently being delivered. The country will have no difficulty absorbing these additional missiles into its inventory. It also says that the proposed sale of this equipment and support toSaudi Arabia and Israel will not affect the basic military balance in the region.

The principal contractors will be Raytheon Systems, Boston, and Lockheed Martin, Orlando, Florida. It says Israel needs these missiles to enhance the air-to-air self defence capability of its F-15 aircraft and provide for an increase in inter-operability with US forces. Israel will have no difficulty absorbing these missiles into its armed forces.

Meanwhile, Washington has expressed ``deep concern'' about the defeat of a US-sponsored resolution in the United Nations that would have censured Cuba's human rights record.

``The people of Cuba continue to live under one of the most repressive regimes in the world,'' said State Department spokesman James Rubin, reacting to Tuesday's vote by the Geneva-based United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

The United States-sponsored resolution criticising the Communist regime in Havana was defeated by 19 votes to 16. Asian and African delegates made up the majority of those votingagainst the resolution. Many countries that voted the resolution down cited the recent visit to the island nation by Pope John Paul II, and perceived improvements in the area of human rights.But Washington insisted that those improvements were illusory, condemning Havana for continued human rights violations and placing restrictions on political activity.