ORANGE COUNTY

Loral Gets Sidewinder Contract: Loral Aeronutronic has won a $21-million follow-on contract to produce 950 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles for the Air Force, Navy and five allies. The company, which makes missile and other military electronic gear in Newport Beach, will build the AIM-9M version of the Sidewinder for the U.S. military and for Israel, Australia, the Netherlands, Turkey and New Zealand. Joseph Tedino, spokesman for New York-based parent company Loral Corp., said the contract was expected and would have no effect on the Newport Beach division’s previously announced plans to lay off nearly 600 employees by June. The company has been hurt by Pentagon budget cuts. Loral has built more than 12,000 AIM-9M Sidewinders since 1982. The current order is expected to be completed in June, 1993.