The Eurofighter is a joint project between Britain’s BAE Systems, Italy’s Finmeccanica, which rose 1.3% and EADS, Europe’s largest aerospace group, which gained 0.6%. Other defense groups were higher also. Thales, the French defense electronics group, is also in negotiation to supply to the Middle East and gained 1.4%

Oil prices advanced Friday after hitting the bottom at $70 a barrel a day earlier on a wave of good news in the Middle East and an Alaskan oil field. Late Friday morning in Europe, light, sweet crude oil for September delivery rose 68 cents to $70.74 a barrel in electronic trading on the NYME. At London''s ICE Futures exchange, Brent crude for October was up 53 cents to $72.11 a barrel.

The U.S. Dollar traded mixed against other major currencies in European trading on Friday morning. Gold fell. Dealers in London fixed a recommended price of $614.75 at mid-morning, down from $624.80 Thursday. The euro traded at $1.2819, down from $1.2827 Thursday. The British pound bought $1.8840, down from $1.8841. The dollar purchased 115.60 Japanese yen, down from 115.90.