DEFENCE secretary Geoff Hoon was a popular man when he visited a Bolton factory on Friday.

The government decision he announced last year to arm the RAF's 232 Eurofighters with the £1 bn Meteor missile system has helped safeguard the future of the Matra BAe Dynamics sDevelopment is to take place at the firm's Stevenage plant and Lostock is likely to be involved in assembly, integration and testing from 2006/7 until 2112 at the earliest.

Bolton West Labour MP Ruth Kelly, who won the seat from the Conservatives at the last election, invited Mr Hoon to see the Lostock factory for himself.

The Minister was in a relaxed mood as he was guided round the hi-tech operation by Guy Griffiths, Matra BAe Dynamics' Programmes Director, Terry Standing, Lostock General Manager and Steve Prescott, Head of ASRAAM Manufacturing Development.

Mr Hoon was shown work on the ASRAAM missile which is due to replace the American Sidewinder on RAF planes later this year.

Mr Standing said: "ASRAAM represents one of a new generation of high tech weapons coming into production here at Lostock over the next few years.

"We welcome the recognition given here today both by our constituency MP and the Secretary of State for Defence to our UK manufacturing capability."

After his tour, during which he chatted to management and staff, Mr Hoon said the "state of the art" facility showed industry at its very best and reflected the standards the government demanded as a customer.

"In Bolton we have some of the best equipment and some of the best-trained people we could possibly want," he said.

The decision in favour of Meteor came after years of uncertainty -- Michael Portillo, Defence Secretary in the last Conservative government, was under pressure to make a decision when he visited Lostock just before the 1997 election.

Lobbying reached a crescendo last year but Mr Hoon and the government ignored the claims of the American Raytheon company -- backed by a letter from President Bill Clinton to Prime Minister Tony Blair -- and decided instead on the European Meteor option put forward by a European consortium which includes Matra BAe Dynamics.

Mr Hoon said yesterday that the "enormous pressure" had concentrated his mind and in the end it was felt the Meteor, manufactured to high standards, would give British pilots "the edge."

"I am confident that we took the right decision -- the right decision in the best interests of the armed forces," he said.

Mr Hoon revealed that his recent trip to Malaysia with British defence contractors looked likely to lead to an order for Jernas -- a variation of the Rapier missile -- which might lead to more work for the Lostock site.

He added: "Ruth Kelly has been a first class member of Parliament and I am delighted to be here to support her."

The Lostock operation, which is now concentrated in modern premises near Lostock Lane, employs about 420 people.

Although the name is Matra BAe Dynamics at the moment there is likely to be another set of initials before long.

Consolidation of Europe's defence industries means Lostock will be part of a major company employing 9,500 missile workers in Britain, France and Italy.

The company -- likely to be called MBDA -- will be 37.5 per cent owned each by BAe Systems and European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) and 25 per cent by Italy's Finmeccanica.