Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 29, 2020

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Consolidation and Classification

Basis of Consolidation and Classification. The unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of General Dynamics Corporation and our wholly owned and majority-owned subsidiaries. We eliminate all inter-company balances and transactions in the unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements. Some prior-year amounts have been reclassified among financial statement accounts or disclosures to conform to the current-year presentation.

Consistent with industry practice, we classify assets and liabilities related to long-term contracts as current, even though some of these amounts may not be realized within one year.

Interim Financial Statements

Interim Financial Statements. The unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. These rules and regulations permit some of the information and footnote disclosures included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to be condensed or omitted.

Our fiscal quarters are typically 13 weeks in length. Because our fiscal year ends on December 31, the number of days in our first and fourth quarters varies slightly from year to year. Operating results for the three-month period ended March 29, 2020, are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2020.

The unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements contain all adjustments that are of a normal recurring nature necessary for a fair presentation of our results of operations and financial condition for the three-month periods ended March 29, 2020, and March 31, 2019.

These unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.

Use of Estimates and Other Uncertainties

Use of Estimates and Other Uncertainties. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has caused significant disruptions to national and global economies. Our U.S.-based businesses are designated as national critical infrastructure companies by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and, as such, have been required to stay open. Within our Aerospace segment, quarantine and travel restrictions in connection with the outbreak have delayed aircraft deliveries and impacted some supply chain providers. Our defense business has experienced minimal disruptions to date. We have instituted various initiatives throughout the company as part of our business continuity programs, and we are working to mitigate risk when disruptions occur. While we expect this situation to be temporary, any longer-term impact to our business is currently unknown due to the uncertainty around the outbreak’s duration and its broader impact.

The nature of our business requires that we make estimates and assumptions in accordance with GAAP. These estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. The COVID-19 outbreak has impacted these estimates and assumptions and will continue to do so. The accounting for long-term contracts requires the use of estimates (see Note C). Our estimates at the end of the first quarter assumed no material impact from the disruptions caused by COVID-19. This assumption was based in part on the expectation that COVID-related costs will be reimbursed by our customers. The United States and other governments have taken steps, such as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act) and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) guidance, to provide relief. Through these government actions and our contract provisions, we will seek reimbursement of these costs. As the process for reimbursement has not been finalized, it is possible that our actual reimbursement could be less than 100% of our costs, resulting in a potentially unfavorable impact on the profitability of our contracts. Given the uncertainties, we are unable to estimate an amount or range, if any, of reasonably possible loss for costs that may not be reimbursed.

The company is also monitoring for other long-term impacts of the pandemic, such as the impairment of goodwill, intangibles or other long-lived assets. As of the end of the quarter, we have not identified a triggering event requiring an impairment test.

Accounting Standards Updates

Accounting Standards Updates. Effective January 1, 2020, we adopted ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. ASU 2016-13 significantly changes how entities account for credit losses for financial assets and certain other instruments, including trade receivables and contract assets, that are not measured at fair value through net income. The ASU requires a number of changes to the assessment of credit losses, including the utilization of an expected credit loss model, which requires consideration of a broader range of information to estimate expected credit losses over the entire lifetime of the asset, including losses where probability is considered remote. Additionally, the standard requires the estimation of lifetime expected losses for trade receivables and contract assets that are classified as current. We adopted the standard on a modified retrospective basis and recognized the cumulative effect as a $37 decrease to retained earnings on the date of adoption.

There are other accounting standards that have been issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board but are not yet effective. These standards are not expected to have a material impact on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

Revenue Recognition

Contract Balances. The timing of revenue recognition, billings and cash collections results in billed accounts receivable, unbilled receivables (contract assets), and customer advances and deposits (contract liabilities) on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. In our defense segments, amounts are billed as work progresses in accordance with agreed-upon contractual terms, either at periodic intervals (e.g., biweekly or monthly) or upon achievement of contractual milestones. Generally, billing occurs subsequent to revenue recognition, resulting in contract assets. However, we sometimes receive advances or deposits from our customers, particularly on our international contracts, before revenue is recognized, resulting in contract liabilities. These assets and liabilities are reported on the Consolidated Balance Sheet on a contract-by-contract basis at the end of each reporting period. In our Aerospace segment, we generally receive deposits from customers upon contract execution and upon achievement of contractual milestones. These deposits are liquidated when revenue is recognized.

Our segments operate under fixed-price, cost-reimbursement and time-and-materials contracts. Our production contracts are primarily fixed-price. Under these contracts, we agree to perform a specific scope of work for a fixed amount. Contracts for research, engineering, repair and maintenance, and other services are typically cost-reimbursement or time-and-materials. Under cost-reimbursement contracts, the customer reimburses contract costs incurred and pays a fixed, incentive or award-based fee. These fees are determined by our ability to achieve targets set in the contract, such as cost, quality, schedule and performance. Under time-and-materials contracts, the customer pays a fixed hourly rate for direct labor and generally reimburses us for the cost of materials.

Each of these contract types presents advantages and disadvantages. Typically, we assume more risk with fixed-price contracts. However, these types of contracts offer additional profits when we complete the work for less than originally estimated. Cost-reimbursement contracts generally subject us to lower risk. Accordingly, the associated base fees are usually lower than fees earned on fixed-price contracts. Under time-and-materials contracts, our profit may vary if actual labor-hour rates vary significantly from the negotiated rates. Also, because these contracts can provide little or no fee for managing material costs, the content mix can impact profitability.

Performance Obligations. A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer, and is the unit of account for revenue. A contract’s transaction price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation within that contract and recognized as revenue when, or as, the performance obligation is satisfied. The majority of our contracts have a single performance obligation as the promise to transfer the individual goods or services is not separately identifiable from other promises in the contracts and is, therefore, not distinct. Some of our contracts have multiple performance obligations, most commonly due to the contract covering multiple phases of the product lifecycle (development, production, maintenance and support). For contracts with multiple performance obligations, we allocate the contract’s transaction price to each performance obligation using our best estimate of the standalone selling price of each distinct good or service in the contract. The primary method used to estimate standalone selling price is the expected cost plus a margin approach, under which we forecast our expected costs of satisfying a performance obligation and then add an appropriate margin for that distinct good or service.

Contract modifications are routine in the performance of our contracts. Contracts are often modified to account for changes in contract specifications or requirements. In most instances, contract modifications are for goods or services that are not distinct and, therefore, are accounted for as part of the existing contract.

Our performance obligations are satisfied over time as work progresses or at a point in time. Revenue from products and services transferred to customers over time accounted for 81% and 75% of our revenue for the three-month periods ended March 29, 2020, and March 31, 2019, respectively. Substantially all of our revenue in the defense segments is recognized over time, because control is transferred continuously to our customers. Typically, revenue is recognized over time using costs incurred to date relative to total estimated costs at completion to measure progress toward satisfying our performance obligations. Incurred cost represents work performed, which corresponds with, and thereby best depicts, the transfer of control to the customer. Contract costs include labor, material, overhead and, when appropriate, G&A expenses.

Revenue from goods and services transferred to customers at a point in time accounted for 19% and 25% of our revenue for the three-month periods ended March 29, 2020, and March 31, 2019, respectively. The majority of our revenue recognized at a point in time is for the manufacture of business-jet aircraft in

our Aerospace segment. Revenue on these contracts is recognized when the customer obtains control of the asset, which is generally upon delivery and acceptance by the customer of the fully outfitted aircraft.

On March 29, 2020, we had $85.7 billion of remaining performance obligations, which we also refer to as total backlog. We expect to recognize approximately 55% of our remaining performance obligations as revenue by year-end 2021, an additional 30% by year-end 2023 and the balance thereafter.

Contract Estimates. The majority of our revenue is derived from long-term contracts and programs that can span several years. Accounting for long-term contracts and programs involves the use of various techniques to estimate total contract revenue and costs. For long-term contracts, we estimate the profit on a contract as the difference between the total estimated revenue and expected costs to complete a contract and recognize that profit over the life of the contract.

Contract estimates are based on various assumptions to project the outcome of future events that often span several years. These assumptions include labor productivity and availability; the complexity of the work to be performed; the cost and availability of materials; the performance of subcontractors; and the availability and timing of funding from the customer.

The nature of our contracts gives rise to several types of variable consideration, including claims and award and incentive fees. We include in our contract estimates additional revenue for submitted contract modifications or claims against the customer when we believe we have an enforceable right to the modification or claim, the amount can be estimated reliably and its realization is probable. In evaluating these criteria, we consider the contractual/legal basis for the claim, the cause of any additional costs incurred, the reasonableness of those costs and the objective evidence available to support the claim. We include award or incentive fees in the estimated transaction price when there is a basis to reasonably estimate the amount of the fee. These estimates are based on historical award experience, anticipated performance and our best judgment at the time. Because of our certainty in estimating these amounts, they are included in the transaction price of our contracts and the associated remaining performance obligations.

As a significant change in one or more of these estimates could affect the profitability of our contracts, we review and update our contract-related estimates regularly. We recognize adjustments in estimated profit on contracts under the cumulative catch-up method. Under this method, the impact of the adjustment on profit recorded to date on a contract is recognized in the period the adjustment is identified. Revenue and profit in future periods of contract performance are recognized using the adjusted estimate. If at any time the estimate of contract profitability indicates an anticipated loss on the contract, we recognize the total loss in the period it is identified.

The impact of adjustments in contract estimates on our operating earnings can be reflected in either operating costs and expenses or revenue.

Earnings Per Share

We compute basic earnings per share (EPS) using net earnings for the period and the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in the principal or most advantageous market in an orderly transaction between marketplace participants. Various valuation approaches can be used to determine fair value, each requiring different valuation inputs. The following hierarchy classifies the inputs used to determine fair value into three levels:

• Level 1 - quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;

• Level 2 - inputs, other than quoted prices, observable by a marketplace participant either directly or indirectly; and

•

Level 3 - unobservable inputs significant to the fair value measurement.

Our financial instruments include cash and equivalents, accounts receivable and payable, marketable securities held in trust and other investments, short- and long-term debt, and derivative financial instruments. The carrying values of cash and equivalents and accounts receivable and payable on the unaudited Consolidated Balance Sheet approximate their fair value.

Our Level 1 assets include investments in publicly traded equity securities valued using quoted prices from the market exchanges. The fair value of our Level 2 assets and liabilities is determined under a market approach using valuation models that incorporate observable inputs such as interest rates, bond yields and quoted prices for similar assets. Our Level 3 assets include direct private equity investments that are measured using inputs unobservable to a marketplace participant.

Tax Uncertainties

Tax Uncertainties. We participate in the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Compliance Assurance Process (CAP), a real-time audit of our consolidated federal corporate income tax return. The IRS has examined our consolidated federal income tax returns through 2017 and is completing its review of our 2018 tax year.

For all periods open to examination by tax authorities, we periodically assess our liabilities and contingencies based on the latest available information. Where we believe there is more than a 50% chance

that our tax position will not be sustained, we record our best estimate of the resulting tax liability, including interest, in the Consolidated Financial Statements. We include any interest or penalties incurred in connection with income taxes as part of income tax expense.

Based on all known facts and circumstances and current tax law, we believe the total amount of any unrecognized tax benefits on March 29, 2020, was not material to our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. In addition, there are no tax positions for which it is reasonably possible that the unrecognized tax benefits will vary significantly over the next 12 months, producing, individually or in the aggregate, a material effect on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

Unbilled Receivables

Unbilled receivables represent revenue recognized on long-term contracts (contract costs and estimated profits) less associated advances and progress billings. These amounts will be billed in accordance with the agreed-upon contractual terms.

Inventories

The majority of our inventories are for business-jet aircraft. Our inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Work in process represents largely labor, material and overhead costs associated with aircraft in the manufacturing process and is based primarily on the estimated average unit cost in a production lot. Raw materials are valued primarily on the first-in, first-out method. We record pre-owned aircraft acquired in connection with the sale of new aircraft at the lower of the trade-in value or the estimated net realizable value.

Derivative Financial Instruments and Hedging Activities

Interest Rate Risk. Our financial instruments subject to interest rate risk include variable-rate commercial paper and fixed- and floating-rate long-term debt obligations. We entered into derivative

financial instruments, specifically interest rate swap contracts, to eliminate our floating-rate interest risk. The interest rate risk associated with our financial instruments is not material.

Commodity Price Risk. We are subject to rising labor and commodity price risk, primarily on long-term, fixed-price contracts. To the extent possible, we include terms in our contracts that are designed to protect us from these risks. Some of the protective terms included in our contracts are considered derivative financial instruments but are not accounted for separately, because they are clearly and closely related to the host contract. We have not entered into any material commodity hedging contracts but may do so as circumstances warrant. We do not believe that changes in labor or commodity prices will have a material impact on our results of operations or cash flows.

Investment Risk. Our investment policy allows for purchases of fixed-income securities with an investment-grade rating and a maximum maturity of up to five years.

We are exposed to market risk, primarily from foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates, commodity prices and investments. We may use derivative financial instruments to hedge some of these risks as described below. We do not use derivative financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes.

Hedging Activities. We had notional forward exchange and interest rate swap contracts outstanding of $4.6 billion and $5 billion on March 29, 2020, and December 31, 2019, respectively. These derivative financial instruments are cash flow hedges, and are reflected at fair value on the Consolidated Balance Sheet in other current assets and liabilities. See Note E for additional details.

Changes in fair value (gains and losses) related to derivative financial instruments that qualify as cash flow hedges are deferred in AOCL until the underlying transaction is reflected in earnings. Alternatively, gains and losses on derivative financial instruments that do not qualify for hedge accounting are recorded each period in earnings. All gains and losses from derivative financial instruments recognized in the Consolidated Statement of Earnings are presented in the same line item as the underlying transaction, either operating costs and expenses or interest expense.

Foreign Currency Risk. Our foreign currency exchange rate risk relates to receipts from customers, payments to suppliers and inter-company transactions denominated in foreign currencies. To the extent possible, we include terms in our contracts that are designed to protect us from this risk. Otherwise, we enter into derivative financial instruments, principally foreign currency forward purchase and sale contracts, designed to offset and minimize our risk. The dollar-weighted two-year average maturity of these instruments generally matches the duration of the activities that are at risk.

Foreign Currency and Financial Statement Translation

Foreign Currency Financial Statement Translation. We translate foreign currency balance sheets from our international businesses’ functional currency (generally the respective local currency) to U.S. dollars at the end-of-period exchange rates, and statements of earnings at the average exchange rates for each period. The resulting foreign currency translation adjustments are a component of AOCL.

We do not hedge the fluctuation in reported revenue and earnings resulting from the translation of these international operations’ results into U.S. dollars. The impact of translating our non-U.S. operations’ revenue into U.S. dollars was not material to our results of operations for the three-month periods ended March 29,

2020, or March 31, 2019. In addition, the effect of changes in foreign exchange rates on non-U.S. cash balances was not material for the three-month periods ended March 29, 2020, and March 31, 2019.

Commitments and Contingencies

Environmental

We are subject to and affected by a variety of federal, state, local and foreign environmental laws and regulations. We are directly or indirectly involved in environmental investigations or remediation at some of our current and former facilities and third-party sites that we do not own but where we have been designated a Potentially Responsible Party (PRP) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or a state environmental agency. Based on historical experience, we expect that a significant percentage of the total remediation and compliance costs associated with these facilities will continue to be allowable contract costs and, therefore, recoverable under U.S. government contracts.

As required, we provide financial assurance for certain sites undergoing or subject to investigation or remediation. We accrue environmental costs when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. Where applicable, we seek insurance recovery for costs related to environmental liabilities. We do not record insurance recoveries before collection is considered probable. Based on all known facts and analyses, we do not believe that our liability at any individual site, or in the aggregate, arising from such environmental conditions will be material to our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. We also do not believe that the range of reasonably possible additional loss beyond what has been recorded would be material to our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

Product Warranties

Product Warranties. We provide warranties to our customers associated with certain product sales. We record estimated warranty costs in the period in which the related products are delivered. The warranty liability recorded at each balance sheet date is based generally on the number of months of warranty coverage remaining for the products delivered and the average historical monthly warranty payments. Warranty obligations incurred in connection with long-term production contracts are accounted for within the contract estimates at completion. Our other warranty obligations, primarily for business-jet aircraft, are included in other current and noncurrent liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Retirement Plans

We provide defined-contribution benefits to eligible employees, as well as some remaining defined-benefit pension and other post-retirement benefits.

Our contractual arrangements with the U.S. government provide for the recovery of contributions to our pension and other post-retirement benefit plans covering employees working in our defense segments. For non-funded plans, our government contracts allow us to recover claims paid. Following payment, these recoverable amounts are allocated to contracts and billed to the customer in accordance with the Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) and specific contractual terms. For some of these plans, the cumulative pension and other post-retirement benefit cost exceeds the amount currently allocable to contracts. To the extent we consider recovery of the cost to be probable based on our backlog and probable follow-on contracts, we defer the excess in other contract costs in other current assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheet until the cost is allocable to contracts. For other plans, the amount allocated to contracts and included in revenue has exceeded the plans’ cumulative benefit cost. We have similarly deferred recognition of these excess earnings on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Segment Information

We have five operating segments: Aerospace, Combat Systems, Information Technology, Mission Systems and Marine Systems. We organize our segments in accordance with the nature of products and services offered. We measure each segment’s profitability based on operating earnings. As a result, we do not allocate net interest, other income and expense items, and income taxes to our segments.