NASSCO Launches the USNS Pomeroy March 10, 2001 -- SAN DIEGO, CA -- 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 Pomery (T-AKR 316), the seventh 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 launch was open to the public and thousands of NASSCO employees and spectators applauded as the ship was christened at 9:39 a.m. and released stern-first into San Diego Bay. Christening the ship with a ceremonial bottle of champagne was the ship's sponsor Arlene Pomeroy Castle, sister of Private First Class Ralph E. Pomeroy, for whom the ship is named. Her Maid of Honor was Nancy Pomeroy, also a sister of PFC Pomeroy. PFC Pomeroy was posthumously awarded the U.S. Army Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Korea in October 1952. The principal speaker at the launch was Congressman Duke Cunningham (R-Ca), a member of the Defense subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, who was recently elected to his sixth term in the House of Representatives. He was introduced by Congressman Bill Young (R-Fl.), Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Other speakers at the launch included Vice Admiral Gordon S. Holder, U.S. Navy, Commander, Military Sealift Command; Rear Admiral Dennis G. Morral, U.S. Navy Program Executive Officer for Expeditionary Warfare Programs; Brigadier General Edward T. Buckley, Assistant Division Commander, 7th Infantry Division, representing the U.S. Army; and Richard H. Vortmann, president of NASSCO. All of NASSCO's strategic sealift ships are being named for U.S. Army Medal of Honor recipients. The USNS Watson, USNS Sisler, USNS Dahl, USNS Red Cloud, USNS Charlton and USNS Watkins have been completed and delivered to the Navy. The eighth ship is currently under construction on NASSCO's inclined building ways and is scheduled to be launched in April 2002, with delivery in September 2002. The 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 NASSCO-built LMSRs 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 combat equipment and supplies to potential areas of conflict around the world. Their multi-use capabilities make these cargo ships among the most flexible ever built. 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 3,000 people in San Diego. General Dynamics (www.generaldynamics.com) 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 46,000 people worldwide and anticipates 2001 sales of approximately $11.5 billion.

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