CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/—General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD), has been awarded a $10 million contract from the Naval Air Systems Command (Patuxent River, Md.) for the production of 42 M61A2 20mm gun systems for the F/A-18E/F fighter aircraft. This award is part of a planned multi- year procurement with a potential quantity of up to 183 units through 2010.
The F/A-18E/F gun system is composed of a lightweight 20mm M61A2 gun and a fully integrated, linkless ammunition feed magazine. The system has a switchable firing rate of 4,000 or 6,000 shots per minute and serves as the aircraft's last line of defense in close-in aerial engagements.
The program will be managed from the General Dynamics Burlington Technology Center in Vermont. Gun system assembly will be performed at the company's Saco, Maine, facility. Work is expected to be completed by January 2007.
General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, located in Charlotte, N.C., provides a broad range of system solutions for military applications. The company designs, develops and produces high-performance armament systems; a full range of advanced composite-based products; biological and chemical detection systems; and mobile shelter systems. More information about General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.gdatp.com/.
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs approximately 70,800 people worldwide and had 2004 revenue of $19.2 billion. The company is a market leader in mission-critical information systems and technologies; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and business aviation. More information about the company can be found at http://www.generaldynamics.com/.