Hughes Aircraft Settles: The defense contractor has...

Hughes Aircraft Settles: The defense contractor has paid $1.29 million to settle claims that it mischarged costs for developing the M-1 tank’s infrared target simulator, the Justice Department said. The settlement includes $732,900 that Hughes had previously paid the Defense Department under the Pentagon’s voluntary disclosure program that encourages defense contractors to report possible civil or criminal fraud. Hughes, a Los Angeles-based subsidiary of General Motors, made the payments to settle government claims that it had mischarged development and marketing expenses of the target simulator to Army contracts that did not provide reimbursement for such costs.