Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Consolidation and Classification

Basis of Consolidation and Classification. The 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 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.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates. The nature of our business requires that we make estimates and assumptions in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (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. We base our estimates on historical experience, currently available information and various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax

Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax. On April 3, 2018, we completed our acquisition of CSRA Inc. (CSRA). See Note B for further discussion of the acquisition. In the third quarter of 2018, we disposed of CSRA operations to address an organizational conflict of interest with respect to services provided to a government customer. In accordance with GAAP, the sale did not result in a gain for financial reporting purposes. However, the sale generated a taxable gain, resulting in tax expense of $13.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and Development Expenses. Company-sponsored research and development (R&D) expenses, including Aerospace product-development costs, were $466 in 2019, $502 in 2018 and $521 in 2017. R&D expenses have trended downward over the three-year period with the completion of the G500 and G600 aircraft test programs, offset partially by increased activities associated with the development of the new G700 aircraft model. R&D expenses are included in operating costs and expenses in the Consolidated Statement of Earnings in the period in which they are incurred. Customer-sponsored R&D expenses are charged directly to the related contracts.

The Aerospace segment has cost-sharing arrangements with some of its suppliers that enhance the segment’s internal development capabilities and offset a portion of the financial cost associated with the segment’s product development efforts. These arrangements explicitly state that supplier contributions are for reimbursement of costs we incur in the development of new aircraft models and technologies, and we retain substantial rights in the products developed under these arrangements. We record amounts received from these cost-sharing arrangements as a reduction of R&D expenses. We have no obligation to refund

any amounts received under the agreements regardless of the outcome of the development efforts. Under the typical terms of an agreement, payments received from suppliers for their share of the costs are based on milestones and are recognized as received. Our policy is to defer payments in excess of the costs we have incurred.

Cash and Equivalents and Investments in Debt and Equity Securities

Cash and Equivalents and Investments in Debt and Equity Securities. We consider securities with a maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Our cash balances are invested primarily in time deposits rated A-/A3 or higher. Our investments in other securities are included in other current and noncurrent assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheet (see Note E). We report our equity securities at fair value with subsequent changes in fair value recognized in net earnings. We report our available-for-sale debt securities at fair value with unrealized gains and losses recognized as a component of other comprehensive income in the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income.

Other Contract Costs

Other Contract Costs. Other contract costs represent amounts that are not currently allocable to government contracts, such as a portion of our estimated workers’ compensation obligations, other insurance-related assessments, pension and other post-retirement benefits, and environmental expenses. These costs will become allocable to contracts generally after they are paid. We expect to recover these costs through ongoing business, including existing backlog and probable follow-on contracts. If the backlog in the future does not support the continued deferral of these costs, the profitability of our remaining contracts could be adversely affected.

Long-lived Assets and Goodwill

Long-lived Assets and Goodwill. We review long-lived assets, including intangible assets subject to amortization, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the asset may not be recoverable. We assess the recoverability of the carrying value of assets held for use based on a review of undiscounted projected cash flows. Impairment losses, where identified, are measured as the excess of the carrying value of the long-lived asset over its estimated fair value as determined by discounted projected cash flows.

Goodwill represents the purchase price paid in excess of the fair value of net tangible and intangible assets acquired in a business combination. 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%. Our reporting units are consistent with our operating segments in Note S. We use both qualitative and quantitative approaches when testing goodwill for impairment. When determining the approach to be used, we consider the current facts and circumstances of each reporting unit as well as the excess of each reporting unit’s estimated fair value over its carrying value based on our most recent quantitative assessments. Our qualitative approach evaluates the business environment and various events impacting the reporting unit including, but not limited to, macroeconomic conditions, changes in the business environment and reporting unit-specific events. If, based on the qualitative assessment, we determine that it is more likely than not that

the fair value of a reporting unit is greater than its carrying value, then a quantitative assessment is not necessary. However, if a quantitative assessment is determined to be necessary, we use a two-step process to first identify potential goodwill impairment for a reporting unit by comparing its fair value to its carrying value and then, if necessary, measure the amount of the impairment loss. Our estimate of fair value is based primarily on the discounted projected cash flows of the underlying operations.

As of December 31, 2019, we completed qualitative assessments for our Aerospace, Combat Systems, Mission Systems and Marine Systems reporting units as the estimated fair values of each of these reporting units significantly exceeded the respective carrying values based on our most recent quantitative assessments, which were performed as of December 31, 2018. Our qualitative assessments did not present indicators of impairment for these reporting units as of December 31, 2019.

As of December 31, 2019, we completed a quantitative assessment for our Information Technology reporting unit, and the results indicated that no impairment existed. The Information Technology reporting unit’s estimated fair value exceeded its carrying value by approximately 25%, reflecting the size of the CSRA acquisition relative to the Information Technology reporting unit and its recent acquisition date. Given that the net book value of this business was recorded at its fair value at the acquisition date in 2018, the reporting unit’s carrying value, by default, continues to closely approximate its fair value as of December 31, 2019. As the carrying value and fair value of the Information Technology reporting unit are closely aligned, a material change in the fair value or carrying value could put the reporting unit at risk of goodwill impairment. For example, if the synergies from the acquisition or funding in the U.S. government budget for our contracts fall significantly below our projections, the fair value of the reporting unit would be negatively impacted. Similarly, an increase in interest rates would lower our discounted cash flows and negatively impact the fair value of the reporting unit. We believe the projections and assumptions we used in estimating fair value are reasonable, but it is possible actual experience could differ, impacting our fair value estimate.

Accounting Standards Updates

Accounting Standards Updates. On January 1, 2019, we adopted the following accounting standards issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB):

• Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 842, Leases. ASC Topic 842 requires the recognition of lease rights and obligations as assets and liabilities on the balance sheet. Previously, lessees were not required to recognize on the balance sheet assets and liabilities arising from operating leases. As we elected the cumulative-effect adoption method, prior-period information has not been restated.

The standard provided several optional practical expedients for use in transition. We elected to use what the FASB has deemed the “package of practical expedients,” which allowed us not to reassess our previous conclusions about lease identification, lease classification and the accounting treatment for initial direct costs. We did not elect the practical expedient pertaining to the use of hindsight.

The most significant effects of the standard on our Consolidated Financial Statements are (1) the recognition of new right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on our Consolidated Balance Sheet for our operating leases, and (2) significant new disclosures about our leasing activities (see Note P). We adopted the standard on January 1, 2019, and recognized operating lease liabilities and right-of-use assets of $1.4 billion based on the present value of the remaining lease payments over the lease term. The adoption did not result in a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings. The new standard did not have a material impact on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

• ASU 2018-14, Compensation - Retirement Benefits - Defined Benefit Plans - General (Subtopic 715-20): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans. ASU

2018-14 adds, removes and clarifies disclosure requirements for defined-benefit pension and other post-retirement benefit plans. The standard is effective retrospectively on January 1, 2020, with early adoption permitted. We adopted the standard in 2019, and the adoption did not have a material effect on our disclosures.

There are several other accounting standards that have been issued by the FASB but are not yet effective, including 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 January 1, 2020. The adoption of the ASU did not have a material effect on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

Revenue

REVENUE

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 73% of our revenue in 2019, 74% in 2018 and 71% in 2017. 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 27% of our revenue in 2019, 26% in 2018 and 29% in 2017. 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 December 31, 2019, we had $86.9 billion of remaining performance obligations, which we also refer to as total backlog. We expect to recognize approximately 35% of our remaining performance obligations as revenue in 2020, an additional 35% by 2022 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.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.

Earnings Per Share

Diluted EPS incorporates the additional shares issuable upon the assumed exercise of stock options and the release of restricted stock and restricted stock units (RSUs).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 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.

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 Consolidated Balance Sheet approximate their fair value.

Income Tax Provision

Income Tax Provision. We calculate our provision for federal, state and international income taxes based on current tax law. U.S. federal tax reform was enacted on December 22, 2017, and has several key provisions impacting the accounting for and reporting of income taxes. The most significant provision reduced the U.S. corporate statutory tax rate from 35% to 21% beginning on January 1, 2018.

Tax Uncertainties

Tax Uncertainties. We participate in the 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 currently reviewing 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 December 31, 2019, 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.

Accounts and Unbilled Receivables

Accounts receivable represent amounts billed and currently due from customers. Payment is typically received from our customers either at periodic intervals (e.g., biweekly or monthly) or upon achievement of contractual milestones.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.

Property, Plant and Equipment, Net

We depreciate most of our assets using the straight-line method and the remainder using accelerated methods. Buildings and improvements are depreciated over periods of up to 50 years. Machinery and equipment are depreciated over periods of up to 30 years.Property, plant and equipment (PP&E) is carried at historical cost, net of accumulated depreciation.

Derivative Financial Instruments and Hedging Activities

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.

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 one-year average maturity of these instruments generally matches the duration of the activities that are at risk.

Interest Rate Risk. Our financial instruments subject to interest rate risk include 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.

Hedging Activities. We had notional forward exchange and interest rate swap contracts outstanding of $5 billion and $5.8 billion on December 31, 2019 and 2018, 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.

Net gains and losses recognized in earnings on derivative financial instruments that do not qualify for hedge accounting were not material to our results of operations in any of the past three years. Net gains and losses reclassified to earnings from AOCL related to qualified hedges were also not material to our results of operations in any of the past three years, and we do not expect the amount of these gains and losses that will be reclassified to earnings during the next 12 months to be material.

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 in any of the past three years. In addition, the effect of changes in foreign exchange rates on non-U.S. cash balances was not material in any of the past three years.

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.

Other

Government Contracts. As a government contractor, we are subject to U.S. government audits and investigations relating to our operations, including claims for fines, penalties, and compensatory and treble damages. We believe the outcome of such ongoing government audits and investigations will not have a material impact on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

In the performance of our contracts, we routinely request contract modifications that require additional funding from the customer. Most often, these requests are due to customer-directed changes in the scope of work. While we are entitled to recovery of these costs under our contracts, the administrative process with our customer may be protracted. Based on the circumstances, we periodically file requests for equitable adjustment (REAs) that are sometimes converted into claims. In some cases, these requests are disputed by our customer. We believe our outstanding modifications, REAs and other claims will be resolved without material impact to our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

Letters of Credit and Guarantees. In the ordinary course of business, we have entered into letters of credit, bank guarantees, surety bonds and other similar arrangements with financial institutions and insurance carriers In addition, from time to time and in the ordinary course of business, we contractually guarantee the payment or performance of our subsidiaries arising under certain contracts.Aircraft Trade-ins. In connection with orders for new aircraft in contract backlog, our Aerospace segment has outstanding options with some customers to trade in aircraft as partial consideration in their new-aircraft transaction. These trade-in commitments are generally structured to establish the fair market value of the trade-in aircraft at a date generally 45 or fewer days preceding delivery of the new aircraft to the customer. At that time, the customer is required to either exercise the option or allow its expiration. Other trade-in commitments are structured to guarantee a pre-determined trade-in value. These commitments present more risk in the event of an adverse change in market conditions. In either case, any excess of the pre-established trade-in price above the fair market value at the time the new aircraft is delivered is treated as a reduction of revenue in the new-aircraft sales transaction.

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.

Equity Compensation Plans

We recognize compensation expense related to stock options on a straight-line basis over the vesting period of the awards, net of estimated forfeitures. Estimated forfeitures are based on our historical forfeiture experience. We estimate the fair value of stock options on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model

Equity Compensation Overview. We have equity compensation plans for employees, as well as for non-employee members of our board of directors. The equity compensation plans seek to provide an effective means of attracting and retaining directors, officers and key employees, and to provide them with incentives to enhance our growth and profitability. Under the equity compensation plans, awards may be granted to officers, employees or non-employee directors in common stock, options to purchase common stock, restricted shares of common stock, participation units or any combination of these.

Annually, we grant awards of stock options, restricted stock and RSUs to participants in our equity compensation plans in early March. Additionally, we may make limited ad hoc grants on a quarterly basis for new hires or promotions. We issue common stock under our equity compensation plans from treasury stock.Equity-based Compensation Expense. Equity-based compensation expense is included in G&A expenses.

Restricted Stock/RSUs. The fair value of restricted stock and RSUs equals the average of the high and low market prices of our common stock as listed on the NYSE on the date of grant. Grants of restricted stock are awards of shares of common stock. Participation units represent obligations that have a value derived from or related to the value of our common stock. These include stock appreciation rights, phantom stock units and RSUs, and are payable in cash or common stock.

Restricted stock and RSUs generally vest over a three-year restriction period after the grant date, during which recipients may not sell, transfer, pledge, assign or otherwise convey their restricted shares to another party. During this period, restricted stock recipients receive cash dividends on their restricted shares and are entitled to vote those shares, while RSU recipients receive dividend-equivalent units instead of cash dividends and are not entitled to vote their RSUs or dividend-equivalent units.

We grant RSUs with one or more performance measures determined by the compensation committee of the board of directors as described in our proxy statement. Depending on the company’s performance, the number of RSUs earned may be less than, equal to or greater than the original number of RSUs awarded subject to a payout range.

We generally recognize compensation expense related to restricted stock and RSUs on a straight-line basis over the vesting period

Stock Options. Stock options granted under our equity compensation plans are issued with an exercise price at the fair value of our common stock determined by the average of the high and low stock prices as listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on the date of grant. The majority of our outstanding stock options vest over three years, with 50% of the options vesting after two years and the remaining 50% vesting the following year, and expire 10 years after the grant date.

Retirement Plans

Retirement Plan Assumptions

We calculate the plan assets and liabilities for a given year and the net annual benefit cost for the subsequent year using assumptions determined as of December 31 of the year in question.

We base the discount rates on a current yield curve developed from a portfolio of high-quality, fixed-income investments with maturities consistent with the projected benefit payout period. We use the spot rate approach to identify individual spot rates along the yield curve that correspond with the timing of each projected service cost and discounted benefit obligation payment.

We determine the long-term rates of return on assets based on consideration of historical and forward-looking returns and the current and expected asset allocation strategy. We decreased the expected long-term rate of return on assets in our primary U.S. government and commercial pension plans by 75 basis points beginning in 2017, and we decreased the expected long-term rates of return on assets in our primary U.S. other post-retirement benefit plans by 100 basis points beginning in 2019, both following an assessment of the historical and expected long-term returns of our various asset classes.

Retirement plan assumptions are based on our best judgment, including consideration of current and future market conditions. Changes in these estimates impact future pension and other post-retirement benefit cost. As discussed above, we defer recognition of the cumulative benefit cost for our government plans in

excess of costs allocated to contracts and included in revenue. Therefore, the impact of annual changes in financial reporting assumptions on the cost for these plans does not immediately affect our operating results.We maintain several tax-advantaged accounts, primarily Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association (VEBA) trusts, to fund the obligations for some of our other post-retirement benefit plans. For non-funded plans, claims are paid as received.

Government Contract Considerations

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. See Note A for a discussion of our other contract costs. 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.

Defined-benefit Retirement Plan Summary Financial Information

Estimating retirement plan assets, liabilities and costs requires the extensive use of actuarial assumptions. These include the long-term rate of return on plan assets, the interest rates used to discount projected benefit payments, healthcare cost trend rates and future salary increases. Given the long-term nature of the assumptions being made, actual outcomes can and often do differ from these estimates.

Our annual benefit cost consists of four primary elements: the cost of benefits earned by employees for services rendered during the year, an interest charge on our plan liabilities, an assumed return on our plan assets for the year, and other gains and losses, which result from changes in actuarial assumptions, differences between the actual and assumed long-term rate of return on assets, and changes we make to plan benefit terms. These gains and losses are initially deferred in AOCL and then amortized over future years as a component of our annual benefit cost. We amortize actuarial differences under qualified plans on a straight-line basis over the average remaining service period of eligible employees. If all or almost all of a plan’s participants are inactive or are not accruing additional benefits, we amortize these differences over the average remaining life expectancy of the plan participants. We recognize the difference between the actual and expected return on plan assets for qualified plans over five years. The deferral of these differences reduces the volatility of our annual benefit cost that can result either from year-to-year changes in the assumptions or from actual results that are not necessarily representative of the long-term financial position of these plans. We recognize differences under nonqualified plans immediately.

Pension Benefits. We have twelve noncontributory and five contributory trusteed, qualified defined-benefit pension plans covering eligible government business employees, and two noncontributory and four contributory plans covering eligible commercial business employees, including some employees of our international operations. The primary factors affecting the benefits earned by participants in our pension plans are employees’ years of service and compensation levels. Our primary government pension plans, which comprise the majority of our unfunded obligation, were closed to new salaried participants on January 1, 2007. Additionally, we made changes to these plans for certain participants effective in 2014 that limit or cease the benefits that accrue for future service. We made similar changes to our primary

commercial pension plan in 2015. We made additional changes to some of our pension plans effective in 2019 that further limit or cease the benefits that accrue for future service.

We also sponsor one funded and several unfunded non-qualified supplemental executive retirement plans, which provide participants with additional benefits, including excess benefits over limits imposed on qualified plans by federal tax law.

Other Post-retirement Benefits. We maintain plans that provide post-retirement healthcare and life insurance coverage for certain employees and retirees. These benefits vary by employment status, age, service and salary level at retirement. The coverage provided and the extent to which the retirees share in the cost of the program vary throughout the company. The plans provide health and life insurance benefits only to those employees who retire directly from our service and not to those who terminate service prior to eligibility for retirement.

Contributions and Benefit Payments

It is our policy to fund our defined-benefit retirement plans in a manner that optimizes the tax deductibility and contract recovery of contributions considered within our capital deployment framework. Therefore, we may make discretionary contributions in addition to the required contributions determined in accordance with IRS regulations.

Plan Assets

A committee of our board of directors is responsible for the strategic oversight of our defined-benefit retirement plan assets held in trust. Management develops investment policies and provides oversight of a third-party investment manager who reports to the committee on a regular basis. The outsourced third-party investment manager develops investment strategies and makes all day-to-day investment decisions related to defined-benefit retirement plan assets in accordance with our investment policy and target allocation percentages.

Our investment policy endeavors to strike the appropriate balance among capital preservation, asset growth and current income. The objective of our investment policy is to generate future returns consistent with our assumed long-term rates of return used to determine our benefit obligations and net annual benefit cost. Target allocation percentages vary over time depending on the perceived risk and return potential of various asset classes and market conditions. 90% of our pension plan assets are held in a single trust for our primary U.S. government and commercial pension plans. On December 31, 2019, the trust was invested largely in publicly traded equities, fixed-income securities and commingled funds comprised of equity securities. The trust also invests in other asset classes consistent with our investment policy. Our investment policy allows the use of derivative instruments when appropriate to reduce anticipated asset volatility, to gain exposure to an asset class or to adjust the duration of fixed-income assets.

We hold assets in VEBA trusts for some of our other post-retirement benefit plans. These assets are managed by a third-party investment manager with oversight by management and are generally invested in publicly traded equities, fixed-income securities and commingled funds comprised of equity and fixed-income securities. Our asset allocation strategy for the VEBA trusts considers potential fluctuations in our other post-retirement benefit obligation, the taxable nature of certain VEBA trusts, tax deduction limits on contributions and the regulatory environment.

Our retirement plan assets are reported at fair value. See Note E for a discussion of the hierarchy for determining fair value. Our Level 1 assets include investments in publicly traded equity securities. These securities are actively traded and valued using quoted prices for identical securities from the market exchanges. Our Level 2 assets consist of fixed-income securities and commingled funds whose underlying investments are valued using observable marketplace inputs. The fair value of plan assets invested in fixed-income securities is generally 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 plan assets that are invested in commingled funds are valued using a unit price or net asset value (NAV) that is based on the underlying investments of the fund. Our Level 3 assets include real estate funds, insurance deposit contracts, retirement annuity contracts and direct private equity investments.

Certain investments valued using NAV as a practical expedient are excluded from the fair value hierarchy. These investments are redeemable at NAV on a monthly or quarterly basis and have redemption

notice periods of up to 90 days.

We provide defined-contribution benefits to eligible employees, as well as some remaining defined-benefit pension and other post-retirement benefits. Substantially all of our plans use a December 31 measurement date consistent with our fiscal year.

Retirement Plan Summary Information

Defined-contribution Benefits. We provide eligible employees the opportunity to participate in defined-contribution savings plans (commonly known as 401(k) plans), which permit contributions on a before-tax and after-tax basis. Employees may contribute to various investment alternatives. In most of these plans, we match a portion of the employees’ contributions.

Segment Information

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.