WASHINGTON The National Reconnaissance Office’s choice of Boeing to develop and build its next generation of imagery spacecraft is a stunning blow to incumbent contractor Lockheed Martin, which has led work on classified U.S. imagery satellites uninterrupted since the Corona project was initiated in 1958.

PARIS The European aerospace/defense industry efforts to forge a unified restructuring policy may be complicated by a U.S. initiative to examine the feasibility of major transatlantic partnerships. The U.S. under secretary of defense for acquisition and technology, Jacques S. Gansler, is conducting exploratory talks with senior European aerospace executives that could lead to more flexible rules for building potential U.S.-Europe mergers.

WASHINGTON A senior advisory panel to the Defense Dept, is recommending that the Pentagon maintain competition within the Joint Strike Fighter program during production rather than having only one contractor build all 3,000 strike aircraft.

Dallas A report to Congress by the General Aviation Manufacturers Assn, indicates that five years after product liability reform was enacted in the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994, the law is having a positive effect on the light airplane industry in terms of growth and stability.