MOSCOW France and Russia are expected to begin discussions on potential cooperative development of a Western European antiballistic missile system that could be based upon the Russian SA-12 surface-to-air missile system. In preparation for potential cooperation, officials from the French company Matra have held initial talks with Russian officials managing the SA-12 program.

ALDERSHOT, ENGLAND Export contracts for Britain's defense industry this year already have exceeded last year's record 5.2 billion pounds ($7.8 billion), a performance likely to assure its continuing place as the second largest arms exporter after the U. S.

LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER, HAMPTON, VA. Initial flight tests of an F-16XL aircraft scheduled to begin this fall at NASA/Langley Research Center will focus on obtaining baseline performance data applicable to future development of advanced high-lift systems for the high speed civil transport program.

WASHINGTON The U. S. Air Force is studying a new "asymmetric" airframe design for the AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missile that would enable it to be fitted with an air-breathing ramjet, which will increase its speed and enable it to make quicker kills in air-to-air combat.