NEW RUSSIAN AVIATION CONGLOMERATE.

By virtue of a presidential decree, 12 Russian civil and military aviation industry leaders have pooled efforts to pursue improved design, production, and marketing of advanced Russian aircraft and arms. The new group — called MAPO — includes the MiG Design Bureau and the Kamov Helicopter Design Bureau. It will deal chiefly with the production and sale of MiG-29 jet fighters, MiG-AT trainers, and Ka-50 Black Shark helicopters. The group’s employees total over 100,000. (Interfax, May 27)

Moscow to Aid with Cuban Economic Reform.