General Dynamics Opens Shipboard Electronics Repair Facility for the U.S. Navy in Newly Renovated Wing in Pittsfield

PITTSFIELD, Mass - The U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs and General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems yesterday celebrated the formal activation of the new Shipboard Electronics Repair Facility in Pittsfield. The repair facility is housed in a newly renovated wing in the northeast corner of the Ordnance Plant 1 building on Plastics Avenue and comprises about 11,000 square feet. It features various workstations and test stations, and employs about 16 repair personnel in addition to more than 24 development engineers. The current repair work is being accomplished under a Navy contract awarded in September 2007 valued at approximately $5.2 million annually.

The Navy Strategic Systems Programs has maintained a long-standing relationship with General Dynamics in Pittsfield for the repair of submarine fire control and guidance system equipment. General Dynamics has supported the fleet for more than 50 years, and in the past 10 years has significantly reduced the amount of time it takes to repair equipment and return it to the fleet.

In 2005, the Navy Strategic Systems Programs decided to consolidate electronic module repairs for submarine fire control, guidance and navigation systems into a single repair facility at General Dynamics in Pittsfield.

Test and repair operations transitioned to General Dynamics in Pittsfield starting in 2005. In May 2007, General Dynamics and the Navy's Strategic Systems Programs began renovating the northeast wing of Ordnance Plant 1 to consolidate all test and repair operations into one new state-of-the-art electronic repair facility.

The first assemblies were tested and repaired in the new facility in February 2008. Test equipment and personnel have gradually transitioned into the new facility to avoid interruption of ongoing repair operations currently supporting the naval fleet.

"We are proud to contribute to the protection of our nation by providing the U.S. Navy with this repair facility, in addition to the guidance system repair work that is already being done at our building on Merrill Road," said Mike Tweed-Kent, vice president and general manager of integrated combat systems for General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems. "In addition to the cost savings that we are providing to the Navy by reducing repair cycle time, we are also benefiting the Pittsfield community by using local businesses to improve our facility."

General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), designs, develops, manufactures, integrates, operates and maintains mission systems for defense, space, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, homeland security and homeland defense customers. Headquartered in Fairfax, Va., the company specializes in ground systems, imagery processing, mission payloads, space vehicles; maritime subsurface, surface and airborne mission systems; and tasking, collection, processing, exploitation, and dissemination programs for national intelligence. More information is available on the Internet at http://www.gd-ais.com.

General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs approximately 84,000 people worldwide and reported 2007 revenues of $27.2 billion. The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies. More information about the company can be found online at http://www.generaldynamics.com.

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