A criminal investigation of an L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. (LLL) unit that supplied defective parts for military radios has expanded to include at least several other programs involving the unit, government officials familiar with the case said.

It is too early to tell how widespread the problems stemming from the unit's alleged quality-control lapses may be. Several federal agencies recently warned managers of weapons programs throughout the Pentagon about the parts problem and the broader investigation, which includes the Pentagon's most advanced artillery shells.

Government officials say expansion of the investigation, which is led by the Los Angeles U.S. attorney's office, means L-3, a New York defense contractor, could be subject to greater penalties if found guilty of wrongdoing.

L-3 has blocked public release of a list of programs for which the unit, Interstate Electronics Corp., supplied parts, saying it is proprietary information, according to the Defense Contract Management Agency, the Pentagon office responsible for overseeing contracts and sometimes for tracking suspect parts. A spokesman for Interstate Electronics said, "We have provided all information that we have to government representatives."

-Wall Street Journal Staff Reporters Andy Pasztor and Jonathan Karp contributed to this article. Dow Jones Newswires 04-26-05 0526ET Copyright (C) 2005 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.