FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * LITTMAN JOEL   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol CPI INTERNATIONAL, INC. [CPII] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) CFO, Treasurer and Secretary (Last) (First) (Middle) 811 HANSEN WAY 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 12/05/2008 (Street) PALO ALTO, CA 94303 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share 12/05/2008   A(1)(2)(3)   6,000 A $ 0 34,655 D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$ 10

12/05/2008

A(4)(5)(6)

18,000

(5)(6)

12/05/2018

Common Stock

18,000

$ 0

18,000

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
LITTMAN JOEL 811 HANSEN WAY PALO ALTO, CA 94303			CFO, Treasurer and Secretary

Signatures

/s/ Amanda Mogin, Attorney in Fact		12/09/2008
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Represents restricted common stock granted under the issuer's 2006 Equity and Performance Incentive Plan.
(2)	Grant subject to time vesting and performance vesting. For time vesting, 25% vests on the third day following the issuance of issuer's press release reporting first quarter financial results in February of each of 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, but no later than the end of February in each year.
(3)	Performance vesting occurs upon the achievement of specified price thresholds by the issuer's common stock: 50% of the restricted common stock granted is subject to a $13.50 stock price threshold and 50% is subject to a $16.00 stock price threshold. In order for vesting to occur, the average closing share price of the issuer's common stock for 20 consecutive trading days must be at or above the applicable threshold amount at any time starting the 20th day following the date of grant and ending in February 2019. If the threshold is achieved, the corresponding performance vesting will occur on the third day after the issuance of the issuer's next press release publicly reporting quarterly or annual financial results.
(4)	Represents options to purchase common stock granted under the issuer's 2006 Equity and Performance Incentive Plan.
(5)	Grant subject to time vesting and performance vesting. For time vesting, 25% vests on each of the first four anniversaries of the date of grant.
(6)	Performance vesting occurs upon the achievement of specified price thresholds by the issuer's common stock: 50% of the options granted are subject to a $13.50 stock price threshold and 50% are subject to a $16.00 stock price threshold. In order for vesting to occur, the average closing share price of the issuer's common stock for 20 consecutive trading days must be at or above the applicable threshold amount at any time starting the 20th day following the date of grant and ending on the 10th anniversary of the date of grant. If the threshold is achieved, the corresponding performance vesting will occur as soon as the threshold is achieved.

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