General Dynamics Awarded Contract by Aerojet for Standard Missile-3 Control Actuators

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Jan. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems has received a contract for the design and production of electromagnetic control actuators for Aerojet's Throttleable Divert and Attitude Control System (TDACS) in support of the Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) Block IIA missile interceptor. General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).

The SM-3 Block IIA missile is the latest element of the Missile Defense Agency's Phased Adaptive Approach to regional missile defense.  It is a ship-based missile, carried aboard Aegis-equipped ships, with expanded range and capability over previous Block IA and Block IB missiles.

General Dynamics will design and produce actuators for the SM-3 Block IIA that provide pintle movement for control of the SM-3's kinetic warhead's TDACS. It provides lateral motion, as well as roll, yaw and pitch control, to guide the kinetic warhead to a precision strike on a target. General Dynamics' very small, lightweight actuators control the pintles that throttle the thrust for the TDACS. The company will leverage the design and manufacturing processes successfully developed under the Standard Missile Block IB program in developing and producing the new actuators.

"Our ultra-high-bandwidth and high-power-density actuators have proven to be key performance enablers for the Block IB and IIA advanced variants of the SM-3 missile, and we look forward to continuing our support on this vital program," said Rich Schroeder, general manager of General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems' Healdsburg Operations.

For more information about General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, please visit www.gd-ots.com.  More information about General Dynamics is available online at www.generaldynamics.com.

SOURCE General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems