General Dynamics Wins Contract to Aid Columbia Class Submarine Program

General Dynamics Corp.’s GD business segment, Mission Systems, recently secured a modification contract involving the Columbia ballistic missile submarine program. The award has been offered by the Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C.

Details of the Deal

Valued at $13.1 million, the contract is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2027. Per the terms of the deal, General Dynamics will supply new procurement spares to support Columbia ballistic missile submarine class development, production and installation. 

The entire work related to this contract will be executed in Pittsfield, MA.

What’s Favoring GD Stock?

Rising geopolitical tensions, marked by escalating military conflicts, terrorism, and unresolved border disputes, have prompted nations to prioritize maritime security and strategic deterrence. As global powers modernize their naval capabilities, there is a renewed focus on undersea warfare — widely seen as a critical element of 21st-century defense strategy. 

This has led to a significant rise in demand for technologically advanced submarines equipped with stealth features, underwater surveillance tools and long-range precision strike systems. The evolving nature of modern naval warfare, characterized by stealth, intelligence and deep-sea dominance, is driving government investment in next-generation submarine fleets. 

This is benefiting manufacturers like General Dynamics, a key player in the global defense and submarine construction space, prompting the Mordor Intelligence firm to forecast a compound annual growth rate of 7.6% for the global submarine market during 2025-2030.

Such solid market growth projections reflect strong growth opportunities for General Dynamics, a prominent contractor in the submarine market. While its Electric boat business division leads the construction of Columbia-class ballistic missiles and Virginia-class attack submarines, its Mission Systems unit builds state-of-the-art weapon systems, combat control systems, sonar systems and cybersecurity systems for Virginia-class, Ohio-class and Columbia-class submarines. By virtue of this, the company enjoys a strong dominance in the submarine market, which is further evidenced by the latest contract win.  

Opportunities for Other Defense Players

Other defense companies that are likely to enjoy the perks of the expanding global submarine market have been discussed below:

Huntington Ingalls Industries HII: Through its Newport News Shipbuilding division, HII is involved in producing the Columbia-class and Virginia-class submarines, two key assets of the U.S. Navy. The company provides fleet services to its submarines around the world, offering modernization, repair and installation services.

Huntington has a long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate of 11.1%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for HII’s 2025 sales indicates year-over-year growth of 3.7%.

BAE Systems BAESY: It plays a vital role in the production of advanced submarines, particularly for the United Kingdom’s defense sector. BAE Systems is the primary manufacturer of the Astute-class nuclear submarines, which are integral to the Royal Navy's fleet.

BAE Systems has a long-term earnings growth rate of 11.9%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BAESY’s 2025 sales indicates year-over-year growth of 53.7%.

Northrop Grumman Corporation NOC: It is a renowned provider of missile launch systems for naval submarines. The company manufactures Launcher Subsystem hardware to support the Columbia and Dreadnought common missile compartment program.

Northrop has a long-term earnings growth rate of 4.2%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NOC’s 2025 sales indicates year-over-year growth of 3%.

GD Stock Price Movement

Shares of General Dynamics have lost 2.4% in the past three months compared with the industry’s 6.9% decline.

GD’s Zacks Rank

GD currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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