They always visualized that we'd end up selling the aerospace division.
The aerospace division has been particularly weak this year.
The company's aerospace division then experienced the fierce competition for new Government contracts that other companies in the military industry felt.
Together, the offers for the missiles and aerospace divisions amounted to $450 million.
It gives student teams technologies that are being used in the company's aerospace division and asks them to come up with other possible applications.
By selling some assets, including the profitable aerospace division, the company has reduced its debt to $3.6 billion.
For Hercules, corporate policy prohibits the aerospace division from working in the nuclear field.
Carlyle and Northrop together bid $150 million for the aerospace division.
In 2003, the aerospace division was sold to Cobham plc.
But earlier this month, Hughes announced that its aerospace division would borrow $4.4 billion and give the cash to the satellite operations.