NASSCO Launches the USNS Charlton December 13, 1999 -- SAN DIEGO, CA -- National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO), a General Dynamics company (NYSE: GD), joined on Saturday with the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army to launch the USNS CHARLTON, the fifth strategic sealift ship being built for the U.S. 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. The public was invited to attend the launch and thousands of onlookers cheered as the ship was released at 10:18 a.m. and slipped stern-first into San Diego's harbor. Christening the ship with ceremonial bottles of champagne were co-sponsors Fairy Papadopoulos, sister of U.S. Army Sergeant Cornelius H. Charlton, for whom the ship is named, and Marion Stearns White, wife of retired United States Supreme Court Justice Byron R. White. Their respective Matrons of Honor were Agatha Fincher, also a sister of Sergeant Charlton, and Nancy Lippe, daughter of Justice and Mrs. White. Sergeant Charlton is a posthumous recipient of the U.S. Army Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during battle in Korea in 1952. The keynote speaker at the christening was Major General Mario F. Montero, Jr., U.S. Army Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics. Other speakers included Congressman Brian Bilbray, (R-CA-49th District); Vice Admiral Gordon S. Holder, Commander, U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command; Rear Admiral Dennis Gilbert Morral, U.S. Navy Program Executive Officer for Expeditionary Warfare; and Richard H. Vortmann, president of NASSCO. The USNS CHARLTON (T-AKR 314) is the fifth of seven strategic sealift ships awarded to NASSCO. All seven ships are being named for U.S. Army Medal of Honor recipients. The USNS WATSON, USNS SISLER and USNS DAHL have been completed and delivered to the Navy ahead of schedule. The USNS RED CLOUD is scheduled to be delivered ahead of schedule in January 2000. The sixth ship is currently under construction on NASSCO's inclined building ways. Strategic sealift ships are large, medium-speed, roll-on, roll-off (RO/RO) ships (LMSRs) with 390,000 square feet of cargo carrying space. The ships are assigned to the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, carrying prepositioned U.S. Army equipment, vehicles and supplies near potential areas of conflict around the world. The cargo of the sealift vessels includes armored personnel carriers, tanks, tractor-trailers, helicopters and high-mobility military vehicles. Other uses of the ships are to provide stores for surge sealift support of remote military actions. Their multi-use capabilities make these cargo ships among the most flexible ever built. In addition to building the seven new strategic sealift ships, from 1993-1997 NASSCO converted three commercial containerships to strategic sealift ships. A total of 19 LMSRs, both conversions and newbuildings, are planned to be delivered to the Navy by U.S. shipyards by the year 2001 under the strategic sealift program being managed by the Naval Sea Systems Command. This fleet is intended to satisfy the nation's need for increased sealift readiness and capacity. NASSCO (www.nassco.com) is the only West Coast shipyard capable of building and repairing large ocean-going vessels for the Navy and commercial customers. The shipyard employs approximately 3,500 people. General Dynamics of Falls Church, Virginia (www.generaldynamics.com) has leading market positions in shipbuilding and marine systems, land and amphibious combat systems, information systems, and business aviation. The corporation employs approximately 44,000 people and has annualized sales of approximately $10 billion.

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