Procurement: December 20, 2000

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Several European missile manufacturers (Matra BAe, Alenia, and Aerospatiale-Matra Missiles) have been merged into a new company called MBDA. A company official said that the initials "do not stand for anything". The group will have three subsidiaries, one each in Britain, France, and Italy. The group is already negotiating to bring in German missile companies LFK and BGT.--Stephen V Cole