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NASSCO Launches the USNS Watkins (T-AKR 315)

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO), a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has joined with the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army to launch the USNS Watkins (T-AKR 315), the sixth of eight new strategic sealift ships being built for the Navy by NASSCO.

At a length of 950 feet and with a beam of 105 feet, the strategic sealift ships are the largest ships ever launched down a sliding ways in the United States and the largest ships that can fit through the Panama Canal. The public was invited to attend the launch and thousands of NASSCO employees and spectators applauded as the ship was christened at 7:30 p.m. and released stern-first into San Diego's harbor.

Christening the ship with ceremonial bottles of champagne were co-sponsors Dianne Watkins Branch, daughter of Master Sergeant Travis E. Watkins, for whom the ship is named, and Anne Sullivan de Leon, wife of Rudy de Leon, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense.

Their respective Matrons of Honor were Pamela Watkins Osborne, also a daughter of Master Sergeant Watkins, and Stacey Sullivan Zuk, Mrs. de Leon's sister.

Master Sergeant Watkins was posthumously awarded the U.S. Army Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Korea in September 1950.

The principal speaker for the launch was Congressman John P. Murtha (D-Pa), ranking minority member on the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, Defense Subcommittee. Congressman Murtha was one of the early proponents of the Strategic Sealift Program.

Other speakers at the launch included Vice Admiral George P. Nanos Jr., U.S. Navy, Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command; Vice Admiral Gordon S. Holder, U.S. Navy, Commander, Military Sealift Command; Major General Mario F. Montero Jr., U.S. Army, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics on the Army Staff; and Richard H. Vortmann, president of NASSCO.

All of NASSCO's strategic sealift ships are being named for Army Medal of Honor recipients. The USNS Watson, USNS Sisler, USNS Dahl, USNS Red Cloud and USNS Charlton have been completed and delivered to the Navy ahead of schedule and under budget. The seventh ship is currently under construction on NASSCO’s inclined building ways and is scheduled to be launched in March 2001.

Strategic sealift ships are large, medium-speed, roll-on, roll-off ships (LMSRs) with more than 390,000 square feet of cargo carrying space. The ships are assigned to the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command, and carry prepositioned U.S. Army tanks, armored personnel carriers, tractor-trailers, and other equipment and supplies to potential areas of conflict around the world. The ships also provide surge sealift support of remote military actions. Their multi-use capabilities make these cargo ships among the most flexible ever built.

NASSCO is the only West Coast shipyard capable of building and repairing large, ocean-going vessels. The shipyard employs approximately 3,000 at its San Diego facilities.

General Dynamics of Falls Church, Virginia, has leading market positions in shipbuilding and marine systems, land and amphibious combat systems, information systems, and business aviation. The corporation employs approximately 43,000 people and has annualized sales of approximately $10 billion.

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Any "forward-looking statements" contained in this press release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

General Dynamics Corporation (ticker: GD, exchange: NYSE)
News Release - Monday, July 31, 2000
Press Contact: (703) 876-3190