Boeing Late With Missile System Software

Boeing Co. is late in delivering software that will be used to help determine if the U.S. will proceed with a missile defense program, said Philip Coyle, the Defense Department’s leading testing official. The delay of more than four months places “significant limitations” on the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of the missile system against different attacks, Coyle said. President Clinton is expected to decide this summer whether to deploy the $12-billion-plus system, a scaled-down version of the 1980s “Star Wars” proposal. Boeing has a three-year, $2.2-billion contract to manage the missile defense system. Delivery of the software has been pushed back to March from November. The software will be used to analyze simulated missile attacks. The Seattle-based aerospace company declined to comment on Coyle’s remarks. “Boeing is devoting the necessary resources to meet the schedule,” said Cynthia Taylor, a spokeswoman for the company’s Anaheim-based Space & Communications group. Boeing shares fell $1.19 to close at $43.44 on the New York Stock Exchange.