C97-4

General Dynamics Names Gordon England
To Head Newly Formed Combat Systems Group
(Veitch, Schmutte, Leenstra to head group’s operating units)

To all employees

James R. Mellor, chairman and Chief executive officer of General Dynamics, announced today the formation of a new Combat Systems Group. The group will be headed by Gordon R. England, 59, who was also elected an executive vice president of General Dynamics.

Combat Systems will consist of three operating units: Land Systems, and the two divisions recently acquired from Lockheed Martin -- Armament Systems and Defense Systems. The company also named presidents of those units: Arthur J. Veitch for Land Systems, Kenneth J. Leenstra for Armament Systems, and Daniel P. Schmutte for Defense Systems. In addition, Leenstra was elected a corporate vice president, while Veitch and Schmutte will remain corporate vice presidents.

"As we expand our reach into the armored vehicle and combat systems market, we needed a strong, innovative manager to direct the considerable resources of these three divisions and maximize our investment," said Mellor. "I am delighted that Gordon England will come back to General Dynamics to take on this important and demanding job. At Land Systems in the late ‘80s and at our Fort Worth division in the early ‘90s, Gordon played a significant role in the turnaround of General Dynamics. He is a talented and proven leader -- and he'll be leading a powerful and hardworking team, focused on building real value for our shareholders and our customers."

England first joined General Dynamics in 1966. In 1986 he transferred to the Land Systems unit as vice president of engineering and ultimately became division president. In 1991, he moved to the company’s Fort Worth division as president of Aircraft Systems and executive vice president of General Dynamics. England stayed with Fort Worth when that unit was sold to Lockheed Corporation in 1993. He was president of Lockheed Fort Worth from 1993 until 1995, when he left to form his own consulting company.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland, and an MBA from Texas Christian University.

Veitch, 50, who had been senior operating officer of Land Systems since 1995, succeeds Roger E. Tetrault as its president. Tetrault announced on February 3 that he will leave Land Systems to become vice chairman and CEO of McDermott International, Inc. Land Systems, headquartered in Sterling Heights, Michigan, designs and manufactures armored vehicles for the U.S. and international customers.

Veitch has been with General Dynamics since 1967. He spent most of his career at the Convair Division, holding positions of increasing responsibility in estimating, business operations, and contracts. He was elected vice president in 1982, and was the division’s general manager from 1992 until his 1995 move to Land Systems. Veitch holds a bachelor of science degree in industrial management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an MBA from Boston College.

Leenstra, 59, had been president of Armament Systems since 1990 under its previous owners, Lockheed Martin and, earlier, General Electric. Armament Systems, based in Burlington, Vermont, is a supplier of advanced gun, ammunition handling and air defense systems.

Leenstra began his career with General Electric in 1960 and held management posts in shop operations, quality and reliability. He became general manager of GE Medical Systems Ultrasound in 1984. He left GE in 1987 to become president and CEO of Resonex Medical, and then returned to GE in 1990 to lead Armament Systems.

Leenstra has a bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Schmutte, 46, the new president of Defense Systems, succeeds Stephen K. Conver who remains with the division’s previous owner, Lockheed Martin. Defense Systems, based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, builds turrets and transmissions for combat vehicles, and missile guidance and naval fire control systems.

Schmutte joined General Dynamics in 1985 as corporate manager for submarine systems. He has been corporate director of submarine systems as well as director of program development for Marine Systems and Land Systems. In 1993 he was named vice president and assistant to the chairman and CEO. Two years later, he was elected corporate vice president for operations.

Schmutte has a bachelor of science degree in business administration from the University of Cincinnati.

2/5/97