FRENCH AND AUSTRALIAN AVIATION RESEARCHERS SHAKE HANDS IN MELBOURNE, 1999-02-15 (photo)

Bruno Revellin-Falcoz (C), executive vice president of Dassault Aviation, France, makes a two-handed handshake with Richard Brabin-Smith of the Australian Department of Defence (L) and Doctor Kee Choon-wong (R) of the University of Sydney's Department of Aeronautical Engineering after signing a research agreement in Melbourne February 15. European Aerospace company Dassault signed a memorandum of understanding with Australia's Defence Science and Technology Organisation and Sydney University to undertake a combined research project to improve advanced modelisation of aerodynamics shape and structural dynamics by developing the use of Hierachical Parallel Genetic Algorthums. The agreement coincides with the opening tomorrow of the six-day Australian Air Show southwest of Melbourne. WB/JIR