The Iraqi government is considering a multimillion-dollar purchase of Lockheed Martin F-16s as it moves toward strengthening its military and rebuilding its anemic air force to prepare for an eventual withdrawal of U.S. forces.

Air Force Lt. Col. Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said Friday that the Iraqi government has asked the Defense Department to supply information on the pricing and availability of 36 F-16s "to enhance Iraqi security forces' future defense capabilities."

The sale would require approval by the Pentagon, Congress and the State Department and could face resistance from lawmakers concerned about turning over sophisticated military technology to the Iraqi government.

Lt. Col. Ryder said the Pentagon received the request Aug. 27. He cautioned that foreign governments sometimes require preliminary information on pricing and availability for planning purposes and don't always follow through with a purchase.

A U.S-Iraqi deal would be a boost to Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth, Texas, plant, which has built thousands of F-16 Fighting Falcons since the first one flew in 1976.

Twenty-five nations including the United States have bought more than 4,400 models of the multi-role fighter.

The single-engine warplane, which sells for about $50 million, is a highly maneuverable fighter that would enable Iraq to provide air support for its still-emerging ground forces.

Under Saddam Hussein, Iraq once had a formidable air force composed mostly of Soviet aircraft. But it was largely demolished in the 1991 Persian Gulf War and offered no resistance to U.S. air power during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.