GENERAL DYNAMICS Strength on Your Side Annual Report 2004 Contents 2004 Financial Highlights 1 Letter to Shareholders 2 Information Systems and 8 Technology Combat Systems 10 Marine Systems 12 Aerospace 14 Financial Information 16 Directors and Officers inside back cover Corporate Information inside back cover On the cover: Between 1955 and 1965, General Dynamics commissioned Swiss-born artist Erik Nitsche (1908-98) to produce four series of posters to promote “the spirit of dis- covery” that inspired the company’s diverse business interests. The Nitsche posters are considered prime representations of the “Atomic Style” of industrial design. The 2004 Annual Report cover design mirrors the arrangement of a poster display at General Dynamics headquarters. Financial Highlights (Dollars in millions, except per share and employee amounts) 2004 2003 2002 Summary of Operations Net Sales $ 19,178 16,369 13,680 Operating Earnings 1,941 1,445 1,567 Earnings from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax 1,203 982 1,040 Discontinued Operations 24 22 (123) Net Earnings 1,227 1,004 917 Diluted Earnings Per Share Continuing Operations 5.97 4.93 5.13 Discontinued Operations 0.12 0.11 (0.61) Net Earnings 6.09 5.04 4.52 Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities 1,802 1,723 1,122 Capital Expenditures 266 222 262 Research and Development Company Sponsored 329 279 251 Customer Sponsored 194 229 134 Total 523 508 385 At Year End Total Backlog $ 42,074 40,645 28,745 Shareholders' Equity 7,189 5,921 5,199 Total Assets 17,544 16,183 11,731 Outstanding Shares of Common Stock 201,033,153 197,966,192 200,993,102 Number of Employees 70,200 65,600 53,400 Sales Per Employee $ 282,800 275,700 259,200 This Annual Report contains forward-looking statements that are contracts due to unilateral government action; differences in anticipat- based on management’s expectations, estimates, projections and ed and actual program performance, including the ability to perform assumptions. Words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “plans,” under long-term fixed-price contracts within estimated costs, and “believes,” “scheduled,” “estimates” and variations of these words and performance issues with key suppliers and subcontractors; changing similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking state- customer demand or preferences for business aircraft, including the ments, which include but are not limited to projections of revenues, effects of economic conditions on the business-aircraft market; poten- earnings, segment performance, cash flows, contract awards, aircraft tial for changing prices for energy and raw materials; and the status or production, deliveries and backlog stability. Forward-looking state- outcome of legal and/or regulatory proceedings. ments are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These state- All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this report ments are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain or, in the case of any document incorporated by reference, the date risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual of that document. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking future results and trends may differ materially from what is forecast in statements attributable to the company or any person acting on the forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, with- company’s behalf are qualified by the cautionary statements in this out limitation, general U.S. and international political and economic section. The company does not undertake any obligation to update or conditions; changing priorities in the U.S. government’s defense publicly release any revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect budget (including changes in priorities in response to terrorist threats events, circumstances or changes in expectations after the date of or to improved homeland security); termination of government this report. Nicholas D. Chabraja Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Letter to the Shareholders Dear Fellow Shareholder: I am pleased to report that the results of services accelerate the integration of C4ISR operations at General Dynamics in 2004 advanced technologies into current platforms were superb. Revenues increased 17 per- and weapons. General Dynamics is par- cent to $19.2 billion and net earnings rose ticularly well positioned to benefit from this 22 percent to $1.2 billion. Cash generated spending because many of our advanced from operating activities reached an all communications and intelligence products time high of $1.8 billion. This gave us are ready to be integrated quickly and $1.5 billion in free cash – after capital effectively into the current force. expenditures – to further strengthen our balance sheet. Overall backlog increased We demonstrated our ability to capitalize to $42.1 billion, up $1.5 billion from 2003. on this growing C4ISR market with 15 Not surprisingly, the stock market rewarded significant program awards in 2004. this performance with 2004 total return of As a result, backlog for the Information 17.4 percent. Systems and Technology group increased more than 25 percent in 2004 to $9.4 billion. Operationally, we experienced sales This amount does not include an addition- growth in each of our four business al $6.3 billion in indefinite delivery, indefi- groups and margin improvement in three nite quantity contract awards that repre- of the four. We successfully integrated sent highly probable additional work. several significant acquisitions, consolidated two businesses in our Information Combat Systems Systems and Technology group and Our Combat Systems group also had an enjoyed the benefit of the re-engineering excellent year. Revenues rose 10 percent of Gulfstream that occurred in 2003. to $4.4 billion while operating earnings grew almost 18 percent to $522 million. Information Systems and Technology This growth was built on the strong per- The Information Systems and Technology formance of a number of key programs, group was our largest source of sales and including the Stryker combat vehicle and earnings, with revenues increasing almost the M1 Abrams tank, both of which have 40 percent to $6.8 billion and operating been successfully deployed by the U.S. earnings growing 33 percent to $715 million. Army in Iraq. Similarly, the U.S. Marine Approximately one-half of the growth was Corps has continued to rely on our family the result of acquisitions in 2003 and of Light Armored Vehicles (LAV) in their 2004 and the other half organic. The operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. organic growth reflects the continued The U.S. military’s increased need for demand by the U.S. and allied militaries ammunition and armaments also for C4ISR systems (command, control, contributed to the growth. As a result communications, computing, intelligence, of these activities, Combat Systems’ surveillance and reconnaissance). backlog increased to a record $8.7 billion Department of Defense funding for these from $8.3 billion in 2003. programs remains robust as the military General Dynamics 2004 Annual Report 3 Revenue by Customer Combat Systems is well positioned to Boat and a reduction in charges on a com- benefit from the increases in Army pro- mercial shipbuilding project at NASSCO. grams reflected in the President’s FY 2006 budget and in the FY 2005 supplemental The group’s funded backlog increased to funding request for operations in Iraq and almost $10 billion in 2004 from $8.8 billion 65% 16% Afghanistan. Our tank upgrade programs, in 2003. Total backlog decreased to replacement vehicles, ammunition and $16.8 billion from $18.2 billion – but 14% 5% armaments continue to be needed by improved again as a result of orders our deployed forces. received this January. This backlog repre- sents workload across our three shipyards ■ U.S. Defense Our European Land Combat Systems unit into the next decade. Despite near-term ■ U.S.Commercial continued to grow through increased sales of reductions in the U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding ■ International Defense Leopard tanks, Ulan infantry fighting vehi- budget, this backlog provides us with a sta- ■ International Commercial cles and Piranha combat vehicles. Demand ble, long-term source of revenue. Moreover, for combat vehicles worldwide is accelerat- as we continue to move down the learning ing and we believe we are well positioned curve at both Bath and NASSCO, we antici- to participate. pate improved performance and profitability against this backlog. Marine Systems While still not meeting our expectations, The Marine group passed several significant the Marine Systems group’s performance milestones in 2004 with the delivery at improved significantly in 2004. Revenues Electric Boat of the last ship in the Seawolf increased 11 percent to $4.7 billion, while Class of nuclear-powered attack submarines, operating income rose 35 percent to and the delivery of the first ship in the suc- $292 million. Likewise, operating margins cessor Virginia Class. In addition, Bath Iron increased to 6.2 percent from 5.1 percent Works delivered two Arleigh Burke-class in 2003. This margin improvement reflects guided missile destroyers and NASSCO continued increases in efficiency at Bath delivered the first of four state-of-the-art Iron Works, good performance at Electric double-hull oil tankers. Revenue by Group Net Earnings ($ in millions) ($ in millions) 24,000 20,000 19,178 16,369 1,500 16,000 1,227 13,680 12,000 11,909 1,004 1,000 943 ■ Information Systems 10,184 901 917 and Technology 8,000 ■ Combat Systems 500 ■ Marine Systems 4,000 ■ Aerospace ■ Resources $0 $0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 4 General Dynamics 2004 Annual Report Aerospace and growing for the foreseeable future. Total Backlog Gulfstream had a strong year in 2004. Internationally, our increased presence in ($ in millions) While revenue was up only modestly from Canada, the United Kingdom and continen- 2003, the makeup of the revenue was tal Europe provides us opportunities to important.