General Dynamics is involved in the production of components for the U.S. and UK Trident II (D5) nuclear armed submarine-launched ballistic missiles and is building new nuclear armed Columbia Class submarines for the U.S. Navy. General Dynamics also works on command and launch capabilities for the Sentinel, the new U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile program.
Nuclear weapons
General Dynamics is responsible for the sustainment of the Weapons Control Systems (WCS) and guidance systems as it supports the life extension of Trident nuclear missiles.[i] In October 2022, General Dynamics was awarded a contract to provide U.S. Trident II Strategic Weapon System Kings Bay Trident Trainer Facility kit and engineering support services, with a potential value of $33.1 million.[ii] While General Dynamics receives contracts through the U.S. contract system, sometimes this is for work only on UK weapon systems. An example of this is the six-year contract, awarded in 2019 and potentially valued at $69.1 million, for the Strategic Weapon System Fire Control Subsystem hardware, associated deliverables, and spares for the second hull of the UK Dreadnought Class ballistic missile submarines.[iii]
In December 2024, General Dynamics Mission Systems completed a contract for U.S. and UK Trident II (D-5) Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines Fire Control System and other support.[iv] It has three other outstanding contracts for work on the Trident II systems, with a combined potential value of $1.1 billion.[v]
General Dynamics is also building the new nuclear-armed submarines (Columbia class) for the U.S. Navy, under a 14-year contract through 2031, potentially valued at $22.8 billion.[vi]
General Dynamics is part of the Northrop Grumman- led team working to design the LGM-35A Sentinel, the new U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile program, working on command and launch capabilities.[vii]
The U.S. Air Force Nuclear Weapon Center has also contracted General Dynamics to support baseband cryptographic equipment for Presidential and National Voice Conferencing (PNVC), and for the design, development and test of the Higher Authority Communication Test System (HACTS) test stations for the Minuteman III, under contracts with a combined potential value of $31 million[viii]
[i] Strategic Weapon Deterrence (no date) | General Dynamics Mission Systems. Available at: https://gdmissionsystems.com/command-and-control/strategic-weapon-deterrence (Accessed: 4 December 2024).
[ii] CONTRACT to ELECTRIC BOAT CORPORATION | USAspending, 1 October 2022. Available at: https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_N0003023C6004_9700_-NONE-_-NONE- (Accessed: 4 December 2024); Contracts for October 14, 2022 (2022) U.S. Department of Defense. Available at: https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/3189269/(Accessed: 4 December 2024).
[iii] CONTRACT to GENERAL DYNAMICS MISSION SYSTEMS, INC. | USAspending, 22 Augustus 2019. Available at: https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_N0003019C0009_9700_-NONE-_-NONE- (Accessed: 4 December 2024); Contracts for August 22, 2019 (2019) U.S. Department of Defense. Available at: https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/1941859// (Accessed: 4 December 2024).
[iv] CONTRACT to GENERAL DYNAMICS MISSION SYSTEMS, INC. | USAspending, 1 October 2019. Available at: https://usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_N0003020C0005_9700_-NONE-_-NONE- (Accessed: 4 December 2024); Contracts for December 16, 2019 (2019) U.S. Department of Defense. Available at: https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/2041268// (Accessed: 4 December 2024).
[v] CONTRACT to GENERAL DYNAMICS MISSION SYSTEMS, INC. | USAspending, 14 July 2022. Available at: https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_N0003022C1003_9700_-NONE-_-NONE- (Accessed: 4 December 2024); Contracts for July 14, 2022 (2022) U.S. Department of Defense. Available at: https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/3093802/ (Accessed: 4 December 2024);
CONTRACT to GENERAL DYNAMICS MISSION SYSTEMS, INC. | USAspending, 16 November 2021. Available at: https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_N0003022C1005_9700_-NONE-_-NONE- (Accessed: 4 December 2024); Contracts for February 17, 2022 (2022) U.S. Department of Defense. Available at: https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/3442962/ (Accessed: 4 December 2024);
CONTRACT to GENERAL DYNAMICS MISSION SYSTEMS, INC. | USAspending, 1 October 2023. Available at: https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_N0003024C1005_9700_-NONE-_-NONE- (Accessed: 4 December 2024); Contracts for January 22, 2024 (2024) U.S. Department of Defense. Available at: https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/3652144/ (Accessed: 4 December 2024).
[vi] CONTRACT to ELECTRIC BOAT CORPORATION | USAspending, 21 September 2017. Available at: CONTRACT to ELECTRIC BOAT CORPORATION | USAspending (Accessed: 4 December 2024); Contracts for September 21, 2017 (2017) U.S. Department of Defense. Available at: > U.S. Department of Defense > Contract (Accessed: 4 December 2024).
[vii] Sentinel: The Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (no date) | General Dynamics. Available at: Sentinel: The Ground Based Strategic Deterrent - General Dynamics Mission Systems (Accessed: 5 December 2024); Mehta, Aaron,‘Northrop teams with Lockheed on ICBM replacement. Here’s who else is involved’, Defense News, 16 September 2019. Available at: https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/afa-air-space/2019/09/16/northrop-teams-with-lockheed-on-icbm-replacement-heres-who-else-is-involved/ .
[viii] CONTRACT to GENERAL DYNAMICS MISSION SYSTEMS, INC. | USAspending, 16 January 2024. Available at: https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_FA229324CB001_9700_-NONE-_-NONE- (Accessed: 5 December 2024); Contracts for January 16, 2024 (2024) U.S. Department of Defense. Available at: https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/3646648/ (Accessed: 5 December 2024);
Contracts for August 29, 2024 (2024) U.S. Department of Defense. Available at: https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/3890651/ (Accessed: 5 December 2024).
Investments
Last updated: 2025-02-27 19:04:27
Notes