FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JULY 19, 2000

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STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. - Attached is an electronic photograph of the U.S. Marine Corps' Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAAV) prototype number one taken July 2000.

General Dynamics Land Systems won the competition in June 1996 to build the U.S. Marine Corps' new Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle. Under the terms of the $200 million-plus demonstration/validation contract, General Dynamics provides design, virtual prototyping, systems integration, fabrication and testing of three prototype vehicles for the Marines from 1996 to 2001. Delivery of more than 1,000 production vehicles will begin in 2005. With the potential for additional sales overseas, total program value is expected to exceed $5 billion.

The AAAV is the Marine Corps' next-generation amphibious vehicle capable of transporting 18 Marines and a crew of three over water at speeds in excess of 29 mph. Once on land, the AAAV can achieve speeds up to 45 mph where it assumes the role of a fast and agile armored personnel carrier alongside the Abrams tank.

The AAAV program continues to be a model throughout the DoD in cost as an independent variable based integrated product and process development/integrated product team management. General Dynamics and the United States Marine Corps have taken advantage of their co-located offices in Woodbridge, Virginia, to ensure timely identification and resolution of issues in a technically feasible and cost conscious basis.

General Dynamics' AAAV program has received several internationally respected awards including the David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award; the Defense Superior Management Award, the Defense Department's highest recognition for superior management of acquisition programs; Defense Department Value Engineering awards for improved quality and reduced cost; and two Environmental awards.

General Dynamics Land Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD). General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, employs approximately 43,000 people worldwide and has annualized sales of approximately $10 billion. The company has leading market positions in business aviation, information systems, shipbuilding and marine systems, and land and amphibious combat systems. More information about General Dynamics can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.generaldynamics.com/.

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We would prefer you use this photograph in all future articles as it is a photograph of the actual vehicle. All previous versions were either artist enhancements or demonstrators and not the actual vehicle.

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