By Andrea Shalal-Esa PARIS (Reuters) - U.S. arms makers see rising foreign demand for fighter jets, missile defense systems and other weapons as countries modernize their forces and U.S. officials, facing tighter budgets, encourage allies to invest more in intelligence gathering and aerial refueling equipment. U.S. Air Force arms sales doubled from 2005 to 2011 and will likely remain strong in coming years, a senior Air Force official said at the Paris air show on Monday.

LE BOURGET, France - Air France-KLM ordered 25 Airbus A350 jets on Wednesday, saying the wide-body plane that flew for the first time last week will be central to its plan to expand long-haul flights after years of struggling against discount carriers in Europe. Airbus also announced that SriLankan Airlines, the country's national carrier, would buy four A350s and six slightly smaller A330 jets. That deal is worth around $2.8 billion at list prices.

By Alwyn Scott and Maria Sheahan PARIS (Reuters) - Orders at the Paris Airshow surpassed $100 billion on Wednesday, as planemakers Boeing and Airbus cashed in on demand for fuel-efficient jets and growth in both budget carriers and emerging markets. Ryanair, Europe's biggest low-cost airline, finalized an order for 175 Boeing 737-800 aircraft worth around $15.6 billion at list prices on day three of the aerospace industry's showcase event, the largest single order ever placed by a European airline with the U.S. group.

DALLAS - FedEx Corp.'s fourth-quarter profit fell 45 per cent as international customers traded down to less-expensive delivery options. Excluding charges, the results still beat Wall Street expectations. But the company's forecast for the next 12 months was shy of Wall Street forecasts and shares fell in premarket trading. The world's second-largest package delivery company said Wednesday that it earned $303 million, or 95 cents per share, in the fourth quarter ended May 31. That's down from $550 million, or $1.73 per share, a year ago.