WASHINGTON The successful hit-to-kill intercept by the U.S. Navy’s ballistic missile defense system marks the first step in what is being billed as a meticulous process to deploy a sea-based anti-missile shield. The intercept of an Aries ballistic missile target came in the fourth of a nine-test series.

PARIS Eutelsat has voiced concern that higher satellite prices and continued U.S. export controls could complicate plans to expand and modernize its global satcom network, and put pressure on future earnings and revenues. The Paris-based telecom satellite operator has enjoyed a long period of steady growth, with its pretax earnings margin running a generous 70%-plus per year.

WASHINGTON The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Frontier Systems logged the “first flight” of their unusual A160 Hummingbird unmanned helicopter that is built to fly much longer and farther than conventional rotorcraft.

CAPE CANAVERAL A Chinese decision to procure at least two Israeli-built communications spacecraft, and as many as eight other Israeli satcoms downstream, marks a major penetration of the Asian satcom market by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) versus European competitors.

NEW YORK Letters to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative late last year from General Electric and Pratt & Whitney’s parent, United Technologies Corp., have again raised the issue of whether the U.S. should classify as unfair the U.K.’s launch aid practices.

The World Trade Organization ruled Jan. 28 that the Canadian government violated trade rules when it offered a $1.1-billion loan through Bombardier for the sale of regional jets to Air Wisconsin. “It is with regret that Bombardier notes that on the subject of matching [loans], the WTO panel’s decision differs with the arguments of Canada, the European Union and the United States”...