CONTACT: PETER M. KEATING FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
  (810) 825-7930 May 13, 1998
     
  KARL G. OSKOIAN  
  (810) 825-7980  

- GENERAL DYNAMICS DELIVERS
1,000TH M1A2 ABRAMS MAIN BATTLE TANK
-

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. -- Today during a ceremony at the Lima Army Tank Plant in Lima, Ohio, General Dynamics delivered the 1,000th M1A2 Abrams main battle tank. The milestone 1,000th delivery includes purchases of the M1A2 Abrams tank by the U.S. Army, Royal Saudi Land Forces, and the Kuwaiti Land Forces.

In 1991, the first M1A2 Abrams was first delivered to the U.S. Army. In 1993, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia took delivery of its first of 315 M1A2 Abrams now in service with the Royal Saudi Land Forces. In 1994, the Government of Kuwait took delivery of its first of 218 M1A2 Abrams now in service with the Kuwaiti Land Forces. The 1,000th tank, delivered today, represents the 467th M1A2 Abrams tank in the U.S. Armys inventory.

The M1A2 Abrams main battle tank maintains the Abrams proud heritage of battlefield maneuver dominance through its state-of-the-art warfighting systems designed to defeat todays threat. Ongoing product evolution positions the Abrams to defeat tomorrows projected threats through the development of the M1A2 System Enhancement Package (SEP) tank. The first SEP tank is scheduled for delivery in August 1999.

"The M1A2 Abrams is a result of the dedication of the U.S. Army, the support of our international customers, the strong leadership of the Armys program manager, and the world class engineering and manufacturing skills of the employees and suppliers of General Dynamics Land Systems," said Arthur J. Veitch, president, General Dynamics Land Systems. "The M1A2 Abrams is a proven winner that provides soldiers the decisive edge. This world class tank is truly The International Leader," he said.

General Dynamics Land Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics Corporation, is a world leader in the development, production, and support of armored vehicles and electronic systems. Its 3,500 employees operate plants and facilities in seven states and at three international locations. More information about General Dynamics Land Systems can be found on the Internet at www.gdls.com.

###

LS-98-8
5-13-98