General Dynamics NASSCO Delivers USNS Robert E. Peary

SAN DIEGO, June 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics , today delivered USNS Robert E. Peary (T-AKE 5) to the U.S. Navy. Named in honor of the Navy rear admiral who led the first expedition to the North Pole, the Robert E. Peary is the fifth ship delivered in the Navy's T-AKE dry cargo-ammunition ship program in two years.

"Starting with the delivery of USNS Lewis and Clark in June 2006, NASSCO has delivered five ships into service with the Navy's Military Sealift Command," said Frederick J. Harris, president of General Dynamics NASSCO. "Like her sister ships, T-AKE 5 is a high-quality, extremely-capable auxiliary ship that is complete and ready to help fulfill the Navy's global combat logistics requirements."

Construction of the USNS Robert E. Peary began in July 2006. NASSCO has incorporated international marine technologies and commercial ship-design features into T-AKE class ships, including an integrated electric-drive propulsion system, to minimize operating costs during their projected 40-year service life. With a cargo capacity of more than 10,000 tons, the primary mission of T-AKE ships is to deliver food, ammunition, fuel and other provisions from shore stations to combat ships at sea.

NASSCO has contracts to build 11 T-AKE ships to replace single-mission vessels that are nearing the end of their service lives. The Navy has options to build three additional T-AKE ships for a total of 14 vessels. The sixth through ninth ships of the T-AKE class are currently under construction at NASSCO and are expected for delivery through the first quarter of 2010.

General Dynamics NASSCO employs more than 4,700 people and is the only major ship construction yard on the West Coast of the United States. The San Diego shipyard is also building the first two of nine product carriers for U.S. Shipping Partners L.P. More information about NASSCO can be found at http://www.nassco.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 is available on the Internet at http://www.generaldynamics.com/.