General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products has been awarded a $17 million contract by The Boeing Company for the production of composite components and spares for the C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).

General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products has been working with Boeing on a variety of C-17 composite technologies for over 20 years. General Dynamics provides components for the aircraft, including winglets, leading and trailing edge flaps, landing gear/nose gear doors and radomes. The Boeing C-17 military-transport aircraft is designed to carry large equipment, supplies and troops for long distances to remote areas around the world.

Production and program management will be performed at General Dynamics' advanced materials facility in Marion, Va. Work will begin in December 2011, with first deliveries in February 2012. Approximately 500 people are employed at the Marion facility.

"For more than two decades, the production of C-17 components has been a significant program for the General Dynamics team in Marion," said Jim Losse, vice president and general manager of advanced materials for General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products. "We are pleased that our team has been chosen again by Boeing to supply high-quality, composite assemblies to their strategic airlifter program."