The US defense contractor United Defense is the apparent winner in the bidding war to buy the Swedish artillery and ammunition company Bofors. The biggest roadblock is that Bofors is likely to sell hundreds of howitzers to India, and US law would prevent United Defense from carrying through with the sale. Sweden has already sold its Kockums shipyard to the German HDW shipyard and its Hagglunds armored vehicle company to the British armored vehicle company Alvis.--Stephen V Cole