What NASSCO does

General Dynamics NASSCO (National Steel & Shipbuilding Co.) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), founded in 1960 and headquartered on an 80-acre waterfront complex at 2798 East Harbor Drive in San Diego, California. It is the largest full-service shipyard on the U.S. West Coast, operating bi-coastally across four strategic ports (San Diego, CA; Bremerton, WA; Norfolk, VA; Mayport, FL) plus a supply chain facility in Mexicali, Mexico. NASSCO designs, constructs, and repairs ships for two principal customer sets: the U.S. Navy (fleet replenishment oilers, dry cargo/ammunition ships, expeditionary sea bases, expeditionary transfer docks, and complex warship repair) and Jones Act-qualified commercial operators (LNG-powered containerships, LNG-capable ConRo vessels, and ECO Class product tankers). Since 1960, the company has built more than 70 large ocean-going vessels for the Navy and 53 commercial ships, including the world's first LNG-powered containerships.

NASSCO's underlying technology base centers on steel-hull shipbuilding supported by an extensive capital footprint that includes a 1,000-foot graving dock with 30,000 long-ton lift capacity, an 820-foot floating drydock with 44,000 long-ton ABS-certified lift capacity, 8 fully serviced berths, and crane capacity up to 620 tons multi-crane. Its commercial ship designs flow through a long-standing partnership with Daewoo Ship Engineering Company (DSEC) of South Korea, dating to 2006, which has produced four distinct commercial designs and enabled first-of-kind deployments of LNG fuel-gas systems and MAN ME-GI dual fuel slow speed engines. In December 2025, this was extended into a tri-party agreement with Samsung Heavy Industries to bring hull-form design expertise and manufacturing automation into the U.S. market under the federal MASGA shipbuilding initiative.

The business model is built on long-cycle, fixed-price, multi-year contracts. Navy revenue is dominated by the John Lewis-class T-AO program of record, where NASSCO holds 17 of 20 ships under block buy contracts valued collectively in the multi-billion range (recent examples: $1.7B for T-AO 215/216 in November 2025 and $856M for T-AO 217 in May 2026), plus Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA) work on aircraft carriers, amphibious ships, and destroyers. Commercial revenue is episodic and concentrated in repeat customers (Matson, TOTE Maritime, SEACOR, American Petroleum Tankers) requiring Jones Act-qualified hulls for domestic trade routes. Revenue is recognized as ships are constructed and delivered, producing multi-year backlog visibility but creating lumpiness tied to delivery milestones.

Name

NASSCO

Legal name

General Dynamics National Steel & Shipbuilding Co.

Website

https://nassco.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

NASSCO is the largest full-service shipyard on the U.S. West Coast and a General Dynamics subsidiary that designs, builds, and repairs ships for the U.S. Navy (fleet oilers, expeditionary bases, warship repair) and Jones Act commercial operators (LNG-powered containerships, product tankers).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Shipbuilding and Ship Repair

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Auxiliary & Logistics Naval Vessels (Replenishment, Support, Hospital) (IMAJABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Naval & Government Vessel Maintenance & Modernization (TLAKAKAB), Commercial Ship Repair & Drydocking (TLAKAKAA)

Keywords

• Naval shipbuilding
• Ship repair services
• Government defense contracting
• Fleet replenishment oilers
• Jones Act ship construction

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. U.S. Navy Shipbuilding: Long-term shipbuilding contracts with the U.S. Navy for fleet oilers (T-AO program), expeditionary sea bases (ESB), and other naval vessels. Revenue recognized as ships are constructed and delivered under multi-year programs of record. NASSCO is currently under contract to build 17 of the Navy's 20-ship T-AO program.
2. U.S. Navy Ship Repair: Maintenance, modernization, and repair contracts for U.S. Navy warships including aircraft carriers, amphibious ships, and destroyers through Docking Selected Restricted Availability (DSRA) contracts and Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA).
3. Commercial Ship Construction: Jones Act-qualified commercial shipbuilding for domestic shipping companies including product tankers, LNG-powered containerships, and ConRo vessels. Customers include Matson, SEACOR/SEA-Vista, American Petroleum Tankers, and TOTE Maritime.
4. Commercial Ship Repair: Repair services for commercial vessels on the U.S. West Coast, including periodic maintenance, scheduled repairs, emergency repairs, overhaul and major structural modifications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NASSCO designs, builds, and repairs ships, operating as the largest full-service shipyard on the U.S. West Coast. Ship construction serves both U.S. Navy customers (fleet replenishment oilers/T-AO, dry cargo and ammunition ships/T-AKE, Expeditionary Sea Bases/ESB, and Expeditionary Transfer Docks/ESD) and Jones Act-qualified commercial customers (LNG-powered containerships, ConRo vessels, and ECO Class product tankers). Ship repair services cover the Navy's Pacific and Atlantic Fleets and commercial vessels across four U.S. ports.

Product overview

General Dynamics NASSCO is a shipbuilding and ship repair company offering three core product lines: Ship Design (full-service design capabilities through DSEC partnership), Ship Construction (new construction for government and commercial customers), and Ship Repair (maintenance and repair services). The company's government construction portfolio includes the T-AO (John Lewis-class fleet oilers), T-AKE (Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo/ammunition ships), ESB (Expeditionary Sea Base), and ESD (Expeditionary Transfer Dock) programs. Commercial construction includes LNG-powered containerships for TOTE, LNG-capable ConRo vessels for Matson (Kanaloa Class), and ECO Class product tankers for SEACOR and APT. NASSCO is the largest full-service shipyard on the U.S. West Coast and conducts work in four strategic ports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ship Design End-to-end ship design services for naval and commercial customers, tailored to meet customer requirements while remaining cost-effective and producible. Commercial designs are delivered through a long-term partnership with DSEC (South Korea).
• Ship Construction New ship construction for U.S. Government and commercial customers, including auxiliary and support ships for the U.S. Navy and Jones Act-qualified vessels for commercial markets.
• Ship Repair Maintenance, modernization, and repair services for U.S. Navy warships and commercial vessels, executed across four strategic U.S. ports (San Diego, Bremerton, Norfolk, Mayport) under Master Ship Repair Agreement and DSRA contracts.
• T-AO Program (John Lewis-class Fleet Replenishment Oiler) Naval fleet replenishment oilers designed to transfer fuel to U.S. Navy carrier strike groups operating at sea. Vessels feature capacity to carry 162,000 barrels of oil, significant dry cargo capacity, aviation capability, and speed of 20 knots; double-hull design with 742-746 feet length and 49,850 ton displacement.
• T-AKE Program (Lewis and Clark-class Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ship) Naval logistics ship designed to operate independently for extended periods at sea while providing underway replenishment services, transferring ammunition, food, fuel, repair parts, and expendable supplies to naval vessels.
• Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) Program Modular naval platform featuring a 52,000 square-foot flight deck, fuel and equipment storage, repair spaces, and accommodations for up to 250 personnel; provides logistics, staging, and support capabilities for the U.S. Navy.
• Expeditionary Transfer Dock (ESD) Program Semi-submersible, flexible, modular naval platform providing capability to perform large-scale logistics movements such as transfer of vehicles and equipment from sea to shore.
• Matson Kanaloa Class LNG-Capable ConRo Containerships 870-foot, 3,500 TEU LNG-capable containerships with roll-on/roll-off capability, transporting containers, automobiles, and rolling stock; Jones Act-qualified vessels serving trade routes between the continental U.S. west coast and Hawaii.
• TOTE LNG-Powered Marlin Class Containerships 764-foot Marlin Class LNG-powered containerships — the largest dry cargo ships powered by LNG and the cleanest cargo-carrying ships in the world when delivered.
• SEACOR ECO Class 50,000 DWT LNG-Conversion-Ready Product Carriers ECO design 50,000 DWT product carriers with 330,000 barrel cargo capacity; improved fuel efficiency via G-series MAN ME slow-speed main engine and an optimized hull form; LNG-conversion-ready.
• American Petroleum Tankers (APT) ECO Class 50,000 DWT Product Carriers Eight-tanker program with SEA-Vista delivering 50,000 DWT LNG-conversion-ready product carriers with 330,000 barrel cargo capacity, built at NASSCO San Diego.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered more than 30 ocean-going ships in the past decade
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• General Dynamics NASSCO / Samsung Heavy / DSEC (Next-Gen Logistics)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Samsung Heavy Industries joined concept design program for U.S. Navy's next-generation logistics support ship, partnering with General Dynamics NASSCO and DSEC through March 2027. Strategic program expected to comprise more than 13 ships. Samsung contributing hull-form design expertise for this strategic program.
• DSEC Co., Ltd.coreTechnology or Integration · 3 December 2025Long-term partnership with DSEC Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) of Busan, South Korea, for state-of-the-art ship design and shipbuilding technologies. Partnership since 2006 has produced four commercial ship designs for five separate Jones Act owners. DSEC designed the ECO Class tankers with G-series MAN ME slow-speed main engine and optimized hull form for improved fuel efficiency.
• Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2025Tri-party Memorandum of Agreement signed December 2025 with DSEC and Samsung Heavy Industries to collaborate on industry-leading ship design and manufacturing automation technology in the U.S. market. Samsung contributes high-efficiency hull-form design expertise and 400-meter towing tank capabilities from its Daejeon research center. Partnership supports MASGA project for boosting U.S. shipbuilding capacity.
• Matson Navigation CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership announced August 2016 for design and construction of two Kanaloa Class LNG-capable ConRo vessels (Lurline, Matsonia). NASSCO responsible for design and construction of 870-foot, 3,500 TEU vessels capable of transporting containers, automobiles and rolling stock. Jones Act qualified vessels serve trade route between continental west coast and Hawaii.
• TOTE (Totem Ocean Trailer Express)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTwo-ship contract signed December 2012 for LNG-powered Marlin Class containerships (Isla Bella, Perla Del Caribe). NASSCO built world's first LNG-powered containerships. Ships designed by DSEC including DSME's patented LNG fuel-gas system and world's first MAN ME-GI dual fuel slow speed engine order.
• SEACOR Holdings / SEA-Vista LLCmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContracts in September and November 2013 for design and construction of three 50,000 DWT LNG-conversion-ready product carriers (Independence, Constitution, Liberty). DSEC ECO design with improved fuel efficiency through G-series MAN ME slow-speed main engine and optimized hull form.
• American Petroleum Tankers (APT)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContracts in May 2013 and June 2014 for design and construction of five 50,000 DWT LNG-conversion-ready product carriers (Lone Star State, Magnolia State, Garden State, Bay State, Palmetto State). Eight-tanker dual-customer program with SEA-Vista.
• Total SafetyminorOthersAwarded as NASSCO Top Supplier 2025 for providing tool repair services for both New Construction and Repair programs with quick turnaround times that enable production to operate without delay.
• Propulsion Controls Engineering (PCE)minorOthersAwarded as NASSCO Top Supplier 2025 for reliability in staying on schedule under tight deadlines and providing emergency support when needed to keep critical path work moving forward.
• Specialty Steel Products (SSP)minorOthersAwarded as NASSCO Top Supplier 2025 for highly competitive prices, sustained high quality, and flexibility. Based in Tijuana, Mexico, SSP enables NASSCO to meet goals for material availability, on-time delivery, and low costs.
• Blue Water AutonomyminorOthersTechnology company developing autonomous ships for U.S. Navy. NASSCO former executive Tim Glinatsis joined as COO bringing experience in naval shipbuilding and government contracting.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vigor Industrial: Major U.S. Pacific Northwest shipyard operator providing shipbuilding, ship repair, and complex fabrication for the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and commercial customers. Closely comparable to NASSCO's ship repair business and bi-coastal commercial/MRO footprint, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.
• Austal USA: U.S. subsidiary of Austal Limited, building Independence-class littoral combat ships and Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transports for the U.S. Navy. Direct competitor to NASSCO for Navy auxiliary and surface ship contracts, particularly in the aluminum-hull and small-ship segments.
• Fincantieri Marine Group: U.S. shipbuilding operations of Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, operating yards in Wisconsin, Florida, and Mississippi building U.S. Navy and commercial vessels. Directly comparable as a U.S. Navy contractor and Jones Act commercial builder with similar product overlap in auxiliary and support vessels.
• General Dynamics Bath Iron Works: Sister company within General Dynamics and a leading U.S. Navy surface combatant builder (Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, Zumwalt-class). Most directly comparable to NASSCO as a GD-owned Navy shipbuilding business unit operating in the same corporate structure and competing for adjacent hull lines.

Broad incumbents

• Huntington Ingalls Industries: Largest U.S. military shipbuilder (Ingalls Shipbuilding, Newport News Shipbuilding, Ingalls Unmanned Systems). Directly comparable to NASSCO as the principal competitor for U.S. Navy auxiliary, amphibious, and surface combatant contracts and the dominant private-sector player in the same customer set.
• HII Ingalls Shipbuilding: HII's Gulf Coast shipyard building amphibious assault ships, destroyers, and National Security Cutters for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. Direct competitor for Navy shipbuilding contracts in the same auxiliary and surface combatant categories where NASSCO competes.

Regional players

• Todd Pacific Shipyards: Seattle-based shipyard with a long history of U.S. Navy and commercial ship repair and new construction on the West Coast. Comparable to NASSCO's ship repair business in the Pacific Northwest and a potential regional peer for MRO work.
• Norfolk Naval Shipyard (HII): Government-owned naval shipyard in Virginia providing carrier maintenance, modernization, and refueling. Comparable to NASSCO-Norfolk's MSRA work in the same Norfolk ship repair market for aircraft carriers and amphibious vessels.

Emerging players

• Bollinger Shipyards: Privately held Louisiana-based shipbuilder with multiple yards focused on U.S. Coast Guard cutters, Navy small combatants, and offshore patrol vessels. Comparable to NASSCO in the U.S. Navy and government vessel space, particularly for smaller hulls adjacent to NASSCO's auxiliary vessel portfolio.
• East Coast Repair & Fabrication: Mid-sized East Coast ship repair and industrial services provider supporting U.S. Navy and commercial vessels. Comparable to NASSCO-Norfolk's MRO and ship repair services in adjacent East Coast shipyards.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GeneralDynamicsNASSCO
• Xx.com/GenDyn_NASSCO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nassco

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NASSCO