Virginia › Manufacturing › 25,000 or more participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
General Dynamics Retirement Plan (Electric Boat and Mission Systems)
Sponsored by General Dynamics Corporation, Reston, VA
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
General Dynamics Retirement Plan (Electric Boat and Mission Systems) is a defined benefit pension plan sponsored by General Dynamics Corporation of Reston, Virginia. For the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024 it reported 26,451 participants, 6,426 of them active, and net assets of $4.08B.
Net assets came to $154,129 per participant, well above the $88,040 median for defined benefit plans with 25,000 or more participants and well above the $67,961 median for defined benefit plans in manufacturing. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Employer contributions were $88.5M for the year ($13,772 per active participant) and benefits paid were $569M. In a defined benefit plan the employer's contribution follows funding rules rather than a match formula, so it can swing widely from year to year.
Schedule C lists 8 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $9.4M: $355 per participant, well above the same-size median of $143. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $34.4M. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $2.89B in 2017 to $4.08B in 2024 (up 41%), and participants from 27,799 to 26,451 (down 5%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified), from an audit whose scope was limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C) to exclude investment information certified by a bank or insurer.
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DB plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $154,129 | $88,040 | $67,961 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $13,772 | $6,524 | $6,915 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $355 | $143 | $299 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.23% | 0.26% | 0.47% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $1,302 | $306 | $498 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 25,000 or more participants (215 plans), manufacturing (1,532) and all US plans (5,308). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 26,451 | $4.08B | $154,129 | $88.5M | — | $9.4M |
| 2023 | 31,832 | $4.52B | $142,131 | — | — | $3.1M |
| 2022 | 20,791 | $2.59B | $124,439 | $13.0M | — | $4.7M |
| 2021 | 21,183 | $3.49B | $164,685 | $8.0M | — | $6.9M |
| 2020 | 26,327 | $3.39B | $128,756 | $48.0M | — | $5.0M |
| 2019 | 26,822 | $3.08B | $114,828 | $182M | — | $3.9M |
| 2018 | 27,302 | $2.55B | $93,329 | $25.0M | — | $3.3M |
| 2017 | 27,799 | $2.89B | $103,978 | $92.4M | — | $2.7M |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$4,524,315,388
- Employer contributions$88,500,000
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$88,500,000
- Total income, including investment results$157,500,686
- Benefits paid$568,954,551
- Administrative expenses$34,447,445
- Total expenses$603,401,996
- Net income−$445,901,310
- Net transfers−$1,544,820
- Net assets, end of year$4,076,869,258
Participants
- Active participants6,426
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits11,859
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits5,992
- Total participants, end of year26,451
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aon Consulting, Inc. | Actuarial; Consulting (general) | $2,828,982 | $0 |
| BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. | Investment management | $2,614,488 | $0 |
| Fidelity Inv Inst Ops Corp. Inc. | Contract Administrator; Recordkeeping and information management; Participant communication | $1,921,292 | $0 |
| Pacific Investment MGMT Co. LLC | Investment management | $1,851,325 | $0 |
| KPMG LLP | Accounting (including auditing) | $134,700 | $0 |
| Crowe LLP | Accounting (including auditing); Consulting (general) | $22,854 | $0 |
| Jenner & Block LLP | Legal | $11,529 | $0 |
| The Northern Trust Company | Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution); Trustee (directed) | $10,486 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Other administrative expenses$25,080,673
- Investment advisory and management fees$4,465,813
- Actuarial fees$2,822,952
- Contract administrator fees$1,921,292
- IQPA audit fees$134,700
- Legal fees$11,529
- Trustee and custodial fees$10,486
- Total administrative expenses$34,447,445
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Common/collective trusts$3.56B · 87.2%
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$297M · 7.3%
- Master trust investment accounts$143M · 3.5%
- Receivables$85.8M · 2.1%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmKPMG LLP
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $50,000,000
- Blackout period during the year—
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
1ABenefits are primarily pay related1BBenefits are primarily flat dollar (includes dollars per year of service)3FPlan sponsor(s) received services of leased employees3HPlan sponsor(s) is (are) a member(s) of a controlled group
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 334200: Communications Equipment Mfg.
Other plans of General Dynamics Corporation
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| General Dynamics Corporation 401(k) Plan 6.0 | 68,452 | $12.4B |
| General Dynamics Corporation 401(k) Qaca Plan | 45,227 | $7.91B |
| General Dynamics Retirement Plan (Government) | 28,661 | $2.68B |
| General Dynamics Corporation 401(k) Plan for Represented Employees | 22,405 | $2.09B |
| General Dynamics Retirement Plan (Commercial) | 10,678 | $1.78B |
| General Dynamics Corporation 401(k) Plan 3.0 | 8,963 | $1.48B |
| General Dynamics Retirement Plan (Land Systems) | 5,515 | $535M |
| General Dynamics Retirement Plan (Bath Iron Works) | 4,847 | $429M |
Similar plans in Virginia
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing North American Retirement Plan | The Boeing Co. and Consolidated Subsidiaries | 26,727 | $2.29B | $85,862 |
| Altria Retirement Plan | Altria Client Services LLC | 25,614 | $6.42B | $250,755 |
| General Dynamics Retirement Plan (Government) | General Dynamics Corporation | 28,661 | $2.68B | $93,393 |
| Smithfield Foods Salaried Pension Plan | Smithfield Foods, Inc. | 22,669 | $1.35B | $59,737 |
| NG Space&mission Systems Corp. Salaried Pension Pla | Northrop Grumman Corporation | 60,528 | $8.39B | $138,683 |
| Bae Systems Employees' Retirement Plan | Bae Systems, Inc. | 20,783 | $3.21B | $154,642 |
Defined benefit plans in manufacturing closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is General Dynamics Retirement Plan (Electric Boat and Mission Systems)?
26,451 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 6,426 were active employees, with net assets of $4,076,869,258. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 25,000 or more participants band, which held 215 plans in plan year 2024.
What does General Dynamics Corporation contribute per participant?
The filing reports $88,500,000 in employer contributions for the year, which is $13,772 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $6,524 in plan year 2024. Form 5500 reports the total only. It does not state the match formula, and the per-participant figure is an average, not any one person's contribution.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $9,395,656 in compensation to service provider organisations, $355 per participant or 0.23% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $143 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $34,447,445. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is General Dynamics Corporation. Recordkeeping or administration: Fidelity Inv Inst Ops Corp. Inc.. Investment advisory or management: BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. and Pacific Investment MGMT Co. LLC. Trustee or custodian: The Northern Trust Company. The financial statements were audited by KPMG LLP. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion from a limited-scope audit, in which the accountant did not audit investment information certified by a bank or insurance company. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 3 Oct 2025. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 13-1673581, plan 070, received 3 Oct 2025; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.