SAN DIEGO, March 26 /PRNewswire/ -- General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), today laid the keel for USNS William McLean, the twelfth ship of the Lewis and Clark class of dry cargo-ammunition ships (T-AKE).  The ship is named in honor of the U.S. Navy physicist who in the 1950s pioneered the technology behind the Sidewinder missile, the first effective U.S. air-to-air missile.  

Construction of the William McLean began in September 2009.  NASSCO is scheduled to deliver the ship to the Navy in the third quarter of 2011.  When it joins the fleet, the William McLean will be used primarily to stage U.S. Marine Corps equipment abroad by the Navy's Military Sealift Command.  

Located in San Diego, NASSCO employs more than 4,200 people and is the only major ship construction yard on the West Coast of the United States.  The San Diego shipyard has already delivered nine T-AKE ships to the Navy and is under contract to build five additional ships, including the William McLean, for a total class of 14 T-AKE vessels.  Additional information on NASSCO can be found at www.nassco.com .

General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs approximately 91,700 people worldwide.  The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies.  More information about General Dynamics is available online at www.gd.com .

SOURCE General Dynamics NASSCO

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