Loral’s Newport Beach, Dallas Units to Become Part of New Missile Group

Loral Aeronutronic, the missile design and production unit of Loral Corp., will become part of a new missile group, the company said Wednesday.

The administrative move to put Loral Aeronutronic in Newport Beach and Loral Vought Systems in Dallas under one corporate umbrella is not related to an expected transfer of up to 500 jobs from the Orange County facility. Officials at Loral’s New York headquarters are still considering when to move Sidewinder missile production now done in Newport Beach to Vought Systems, spokesman Joseph Tedino said, and how many people to transfer. Vought also has plants in El Paso and Camden, Ark.

“It’s still progressing,” Tedino said.

Loral Aeronutronic will continue to manufacture other devices, including the Chapparal ground-to-air missile for the Army, seeker systems for the Harm missile and the Predator, a short-range anti-tank weapon.

As part of the administrative shift, Loral Aeronutronic President James P. Woolnough was appointed senior vice president of business development for Loral Vought Systems. His senior vice president, Shelly Buttrill, was chosen to succeed him in Newport Beach.

Buttrill and newly appointed Loral Vought Systems President Jay A. Musselman will report to Felix W. Fenter, who was appointed to head the new missiles group.