
	General Dynamics Corporation&nbsp;is an American&nbsp;aerospace&nbsp;and&nbsp;defense&nbsp;company formed by&nbsp;mergers&nbsp;and&nbsp;divestitures. As of 2011, it is the fourth largest&nbsp;defense contractor&nbsp;in the world.&nbsp;It is headquartered in&nbsp;West Falls Church,&nbsp;Fairfax County,&nbsp;Virginia.

	The company has changed markedly in the post-Cold War&nbsp;era of defense consolidation. It has four main business segments: Marine Systems; Combat Systems; Information Systems and Technology; and Aerospace. Until 1993, when production was sold to&nbsp;Lockheed, General Dynamics&#39; former Fort Worth Division manufactured the&nbsp;Western world&#39;s most-produced&nbsp;jet fighter, the&nbsp;F-16 Fighting Falcon. In 1999, the company re-entered the&nbsp;airframe&nbsp;business with its purchase of&nbsp;Gulfstream Aerospace.
