SAN DIEGO, June 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- General Dynamics NASSCO, awholly-owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), today held akeel-laying ceremony for the second ship of its new series of product carriers(PC). The ship is being built for U.S. Shipping Partners (NYSE: USS) and isscheduled to be delivered in the third quarter of 2009.

NASSCO began construction of the ship in January. It will be 600 feetlong and have a cargo capacity of 331,000 barrels. U.S. Shipping Partnerspreviously announced that the ship will be named Pelican State, the statenickname of Louisiana. The ship will be used in coastal trade, carryingpetroleum and chemical products.

General Dynamics NASSCO employs more than 4,700 people and is the onlyfull-service ship construction and repair yard on the West Coast of the UnitedStates. In addition to the PC vessels, the San Diego shipyard has contractsto build 11 T-AKE class dry cargo-ammunition ships for the U.S. Navy, and anagreement to build up to three additional ships. More information aboutNASSCO can be found at www.nassco.com.

General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employsapproximately 84,000 people worldwide and reported 2007 revenues of $27.2billion. The company is a market leader in business aviation; land andexpeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marinesystems; and information systems and technologies. More information about thecompany is available on the Internet at www.generaldynamics.com.

SOURCE General Dynamics NASSCO