General Dynamics (GD) Risk Factors

In some countries there is increased chance for economic, legal or political instability, and procurement procedures may be less robust or mature, which may complicate the contracting process. Our non-U.S. operations may be sensitive to and impacted by (1) changes in a foreign government's national policies and priorities, political leadership and budgets, which may be influenced by changes in threat environments, geopolitical uncertainties, volatility in economic conditions and other economic and political factors including inflationary pressures; (2) changes in U.S., foreign, and international laws, regulations, and policies; (3) energy, natural resource and other commodity shortages; and (4) global trade disputes and supply chain disruptions. For example, the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has resulted in the imposition of numerous economic and trade sanctions, export controls, and other restrictions targeting Russia and Belarus, and the Russian government has implemented counter-sanctions and export controls targeting the U.S. and various foreign countries in which we operate. These actions have caused some economic disruptions around the world and have exacerbated global supply chain challenges. Changes and developments in any of these matters or factors may occur suddenly and could impact funding for programs or delay purchasing decisions or customer payments. Non-U.S. transactions can involve increased risks arising from foreign exchange rate variability, which could, among other things, negatively impact sales and the translation of our international revenue from local currencies into U.S. dollars, and differing legal systems. Our non-U.S. operations are subject to U.S. and foreign laws and regulations, including laws and regulations relating to import-export controls, technology transfers, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other anti-corruption laws, and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). An unfavorable event or trend in any one or more of these factors or a failure to comply with U.S. or foreign laws could result in administrative, civil or criminal liabilities, including suspension or debarment from government contracts or suspension of our export privileges, and could materially adversely affect revenue and earnings. In addition, some non-U.S. government customers require contractors to enter into letters of credit, performance or surety bonds, bank guarantees and other similar financial arrangements. We may also be required to agree to specific in-country purchases, manufacturing agreements or financial support arrangements, known as offsets, that require us to satisfy investment or other commitments or face penalties. Offset requirements may extend over several years and could require us to team with local companies to fulfill these commitments. If we do not satisfy these financial or offset requirements, our future revenue and earnings may be materially adversely affected.

Goodwill represents the purchase price paid in excess of the fair value of net tangible and intangible assets acquired in a business combination. Goodwill is not amortized and remains on our balance sheet indefinitely unless there is an impairment or a sale of a portion of the business. We review goodwill for impairment annually at each of our reporting units or when circumstances indicate that the likelihood of an impairment is greater than 50%. Such circumstances include a significant adverse change in the business climate for one of our reporting units or a decision to dispose of a reporting unit or a significant portion of a reporting unit. We face some uncertainty in our business environment due to a variety of challenges, including the risk factors discussed in this section. We may experience unforeseen circumstances that adversely affect the value of our goodwill or intangible assets. Future write-offs of goodwill or other intangible assets as a result of an impairment in the business could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Other Business and Operational Risks

When evaluating potential acquisitions and joint ventures, we make judgments regarding the value of business opportunities, technologies and other assets, and the risks and costs of potential liabilities based on information available to us at the time of the transaction. Whether we realize the anticipated benefits from these transactions depends on multiple factors, including our integration of the businesses involved; the performance of the underlying products, capabilities, or technologies; market conditions following the acquisition; and acquired liabilities, including some that may not have been identified prior to the acquisition. These factors could materially adversely affect our financial results.

Many of the products and services we provide involve sophisticated technologies and engineering, with related complex manufacturing and system-integration processes. Our customers' requirements change and evolve regularly. Accordingly, our performance depends in part on our ability to continue to develop, manufacture and provide innovative products and services and bring those offerings to market quickly at cost-effective prices. Many of our new products must meet extensive and time-consuming regulatory requirements that are often outside our control and may result in unanticipated delays. Additionally, due to the highly specialized nature of our business, we must hire and retain the skilled and qualified personnel necessary to perform the services required by our customers and to develop and manufacture our products. To the extent that the demand for skilled personnel exceeds supply, we could experience higher labor, recruiting or training costs in order to attract and retain such employees. If we were unable to develop new products that meet customers' changing needs and satisfy regulatory requirements in a timely manner or successfully attract and retain qualified personnel, our future revenue and earnings may be materially adversely affected.

We face various cybersecurity threats, including threats to our IT infrastructure and attempts to gain unauthorized access to our proprietary or classified information, denial-of-service attacks, as well as threats to the physical security of our facilities and employees, and threats from terrorist acts. We also design and manage IT systems and products for various customers. We generally face the same security threats for these systems and products as for our own internal systems. In addition, we face cybersecurity threats from entities and persons that may seek to target us through our customers, suppliers and other third parties with whom we do business. Many of these cybersecurity threats are increasingly sophisticated and constantly evolving. Accordingly, we maintain information security staff, policies and procedures for managing risk to our information systems, and we review and update our policies, procedures and practices in light of evolving threats. We conduct employee training on cybersecurity to mitigate persistent and continuously evolving cybersecurity threats, and we report cybersecurity events or losses of customer data to affected customers and applicable regulatory authorities. However, there can be no assurance that any such actions, including the timeliness of our efforts to review, update or implement policies, procedures and practices in light of evolving threats, or the safeguards put in place by our customers, suppliers and other parties on which we rely, will be sufficient to detect, prevent and mitigate cybersecurity breaches or disruptions, or the unauthorized release of sensitive information or corruption of data. We have experienced cybersecurity events and disruptions such as viruses and attacks targeting our IT systems. Such prior events have not had a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. However, future threats could have a materially adverse impact on our company by, among other things, causing harm to our business, financial condition, results of operations or reputation; disrupting our operations; exposing us to potential liability, regulatory actions and loss of business; and challenging our eligibility for future work on sensitive or classified systems for government customers. Due to the evolving nature of these security threats, the potential impact of any future incident cannot be predicted. Our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover all the costs related to cybersecurity attacks or disruptions resulting from such events.

Numerous U.S. government agencies routinely audit and review government contractors. These agencies review a contractor's performance under its contracts and compliance with applicable laws, regulations and standards. The U.S. government also reviews the adequacy of, and compliance with, internal control systems and policies, including the contractor's purchasing, property, estimating, material, earned value management and accounting systems. In some cases, audits may result in delayed payments or contractor costs not being reimbursed or subject to repayment. If an audit or investigation were to result in allegations against a contractor of improper or illegal activities, civil or criminal penalties and administrative sanctions could result, including termination of contracts, forfeiture of profits, suspension of payments, fines and suspension or prohibition from doing business with the U.S. government. In addition, reputational harm could result if allegations of impropriety were made. In some cases, audits may result in disputes with the respective government agency that can result in negotiated settlements, arbitration or litigation. Moreover, new laws, regulations or standards, or changes to existing ones, can increase our performance and compliance costs and reduce our revenue and earnings.