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Retirement Plans (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
Share data in Millions, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
plan
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Compensation And Retirement Disclosure Line Items      
Defined contribution plan, cost recognized $ 238,000,000us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized $ 204,000,000us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized $ 201,000,000us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized
Common stock, shares held in employee trust, shares 25us-gaap_CommonStockSharesHeldInEmployeeTrustShares 27us-gaap_CommonStockSharesHeldInEmployeeTrustShares  
Percentage of defined contribution plans held from outstanding shares 7.00%gd_PercentageOfDefinedContributionPlansHeldFromOutstandingShares 8.00%gd_PercentageOfDefinedContributionPlansHeldFromOutstandingShares  
Number Of Noncontributory Defined Benefit Pension Plans Covering Government Business Employees 6gd_NumberOfNoncontributoryDefinedBenefitPensionPlansCoveringGovernmentBusinessEmployees    
Number Of Contributory Defined Benefit Pension Plans Covering Government Business Employees 6gd_NumberOfContributoryDefinedBenefitPensionPlansCoveringGovernmentBusinessEmployees    
Number Of Noncontributory Defined Benefit Pension Plans Covering Commercial Business Employees 2gd_NumberOfNoncontributoryDefinedBenefitPensionPlansCoveringCommercialBusinessEmployees    
Number Of Contributory Defined Benefit Pension Plans Covering Commercial Business Employees 4gd_NumberOfContributoryDefinedBenefitPensionPlansCoveringCommercialBusinessEmployees    
Number of non-qualified supplemental executive plans 1gd_NumberOfNonQualifiedSupplementalExecutivePlans    
Period in which the difference between the actual and expected return on plan assets for qualified plans are recognized in years 5 years    
Defined benefit plan, effect of one percentage point increase on service and interest cost components 6,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanEffectOfOnePercentagePointIncreaseOnServiceAndInterestCostComponents    
Defined benefit plan, effect of one percentage point decrease on service and interest cost components (5,000,000)us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanEffectOfOnePercentagePointDecreaseOnServiceAndInterestCostComponents1    
Defined Benefit Plan, Effect of One Percentage Point Increase on Accumulated Postretirement Benefit Obligation 94,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanEffectOfOnePercentagePointIncreaseOnAccumulatedPostretirementBenefitObligation    
Defined Benefit Plan, Effect of One Percentage Point Decrease on Accumulated Postretirement Benefit Obligation (75,000,000)us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanEffectOfOnePercentagePointDecreaseOnAccumulatedPostretirementBenefitObligation1    
Percentage of pension plan assets held in a single trust for primary domestic government and commercial pension plans 90.00%gd_PercentageOfPensionPlanAssetsHeldInSingleTrustForPrimaryDomesticGovernmentAndCommercialPensionPlans    
Pension Benefits      
Compensation And Retirement Disclosure Line Items      
Defined Benefit Plan, Actuarial Gain (Loss) 566,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanActuarialGainLoss
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
   
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Employer 513,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanContributionsByEmployer
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
   
Expected contribution to defined benefit contribution plans 185,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansEstimatedFutureEmployerContributionsInNextFiscalYear
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
   
Defined benefit plan, accumulated benefit obligation 12,800,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAccumulatedBenefitObligation
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
10,600,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAccumulatedBenefitObligation
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
 
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit      
Compensation And Retirement Disclosure Line Items      
Defined Benefit Plan, Actuarial Gain (Loss) $ 28,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanActuarialGainLoss
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_OtherPostretirementBenefitPlansDefinedBenefitMember