Diversified across Combat Systems (Abrams tank, Stryker, ammunition), Marine Systems (Virginia + Columbia-class submarines), Mission Systems, Tech Services, and Gulfstream business jets. $47.7B FY2024 revenue. $90.6B backlog. Submarine volume surge with Columbia-class SSBN ramp + AUKUS Pillar I support.
Key Milestones
Electric Boat Company founded Oct 7 1899 in Groton CT; builds USS Holland 1900 — first US Navy submarine.
John Jay Hopkins reorganizes Electric Boat as General Dynamics Corp Apr 1952 acquiring Canadair, Convair, Stromberg-Carlson; pioneers nuclear-powered submarines and Atlas/Titan ICBMs.
USS Nautilus (SSN-571) first nuclear submarine commissioned; built by Electric Boat. 'Underway on nuclear power' message launches submarine nuclear propulsion era.
F-16 Fighting Falcon program launches; GD Fort Worth wins LWF (Lightweight Fighter) competition over Northrop YF-17. Most-produced 4th-gen fighter ever — 4,600+ built across 25+ operators.
Sells F-16 line + Fort Worth division to Lockheed for $1.5B as part of post-Cold War divestiture; GD refocuses on subs, tanks (M1 Abrams), shipbuilding, IT services.
Virginia-class submarine program launched as collaborative GD/HII build under Electric Boat design lead
Acquires Gulfstream Aerospace for $5.3B; entry into business jets builds ~1/3 of GD revenue and supports military VIP/special-mission platforms (C-37, JSTARS replacement).
Wins V-22 Osprey full-rate production launcher; M1A2 SEPv2 Abrams upgrade enters Army service.
Wins Columbia-class SSBN R&D contract worth $5.1B; replaces Ohio-class strategic deterrent fleet
Stryker Dragoon (30mm cannon variant) enters production; counters Russian armor in Europe-stationed brigades
Acquires CSRA for $9.7B; major federal IT services consolidation forming GDIT — largest non-classified IT services prime in DoD/civilian agency space.
Columbia-class lead boat (USS District of Columbia) construction begins at Electric Boat
Columbia-class SSBN keel laying at Electric Boat; Navy's #1 strategic priority program
AUKUS Pillar I announced Mar 13 2023: GD/HII to deliver 3-5 Virginia-class SSNs to Australia from 2032; major submarine industrial base investment commitments from US/UK/Australia.
Abrams M1A2 SEPv4 program restructured/cancelled in favor of M1E3 lighter modular variant; rethinking heavy armor for peer conflict drone-saturated battlefield.
Romania orders 298 Piranha 5 8x8 wheeled vehicles for ~€1B; major export win for European combat vehicles
Submarine Industrial Base (SIB) Optimized Workforce Strategy: $4B+ DoD investment in supplier capacity ramp
Block VI Virginia-class production ramp targets 2 boats/year; current actual ~1.2/yr against Navy demand of 2/yr + 1 for AUKUS.
First AUKUS Virginia-class hull steel cut at Electric Boat; Australia $3B contribution to SIB confirmed.
M1E3 Abrams successor program awards engineering studies; targets 60-65 ton (vs 73 ton SEPv4) modular open-architecture design fielding 2030+.