GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP
10-Q, 1999-05-18
SHIP & BOAT BUILDING & REPAIRING
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<PAGE>   1



================================================================================


                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549

                                    FORM 10-Q

           (MARK ONE)
               X QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
                     OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                  FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED APRIL 4, 1999

                                       OR

                TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
                     OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                          COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 1-3671

                          GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION
             (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)

           DELAWARE                                           13-1673581
- ---------------------------------------------              ----------------
(STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF INCORPORATION              (I.R.S. EMPLOYER
OR ORGANIZATION)                                           IDENTIFICATION NO.)



3190 FAIRVIEW PARK DRIVE, FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA                 22042-4523
- ------------------------------------------------                 ----------
        (ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)                 (ZIP CODE)


                                 (703) 876-3000
               --------------------------------------------------
               REGISTRANT'S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE





            INDICATE BY CHECK MARK WHETHER THE REGISTRANT (1) HAS FILED ALL
REPORTS REQUIRED TO BE FILED BY SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF 1934 DURING THE PRECEDING 12 MONTHS AND (2) HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO SUCH
FILING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PAST 90 DAYS. YES X    NO   .
                                             ---     ---

            INDICATE THE NUMBER OF SHARES OUTSTANDING OF EACH OF THE ISSUER'S
CLASSES OF COMMON STOCK, AS OF THE LATEST PRACTICABLE DATE.


            COMMON STOCK, $1 PAR VALUE - MAY 2, 1999                127,544,577

================================================================================





<PAGE>   2
                          GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION

                                      INDEX


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION                                                            PAGE
- ------------------------------                                                            ----
<S>                                                                                  <C>
Item 1 -          Consolidated Financial Statements

                  Consolidated Balance Sheet                                                 2

                  Consolidated Statement of Earnings                                         3

                  Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows                                       4

                  Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements                       5

Item 2 -          Management's Discussion and Analysis                                      13

Item 3 -          Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk                18

PART II - OTHER INFORMATION
- ---------------------------

Item 1 -          Legal Proceedings                                                         19

Item 6 -          Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K                                          19

SIGNATURE                                                                                   20
- ---------                                                                                  
</TABLE>






                                       1
<PAGE>   3


                                     PART I
                          ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

                          GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION

                           CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET

                                   (UNAUDITED)
                              (Dollars in millions)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                              April 4                              December 31
                                                                               1999                                   1998
                                                                        ------------------                     ------------------
ASSETS
- ------
<S>                                                                     <C>                                    <C>               
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and equivalents                                                    $              133                     $              127
Marketable securities                                                                   52                                     93
                                                                        ------------------                     ------------------
                                                                                       185                                    220
Accounts receivable                                                                    314                                    316
Contracts in process                                                                 1,186                                    952
Other current assets                                                                   729                                    385
                                                                        ------------------                     ------------------
Total Current Assets                                                                 2,414                                  1,873
                                                                        ------------------                     ------------------

NONCURRENT ASSETS:
Leases receivable - finance operations                                                 181                                    181
Real estate held for development                                                        63                                     65
Property, plant and equipment, net                                                     718                                    698
Intangible assets                                                                    1,528                                  1,525
Other assets                                                                           202                                    230
                                                                        ------------------                     ------------------
Total Noncurrent Assets                                                              2,692                                  2,699
                                                                        ------------------                     ------------------
                                                                        $            5,106                     $            4,572
                                                                        ==================                     ==================

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
- ------------------------------------

CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Current portion of long-term debt                                       $                -                     $                2
Short-term debt - finance operations                                                    58                                     58
Accounts payable                                                                       215                                    295
Other current liabilities                                                            1,301                                  1,106
                                                                        ------------------                     ------------------
Total Current Liabilities                                                            1,574                                  1,461
                                                                        ------------------                     ------------------

NONCURRENT LIABILITIES:
Long-term debt                                                                         162                                    167
Long-term debt - finance operations                                                     79                                     82
Other liabilities                                                                      802                                    643
Commitments and contingencies (See Note J)
                                                                        ------------------                     ------------------
Total Noncurrent Liabilities                                                         1,043                                    892
                                                                        ------------------                     ------------------

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Common stock, including surplus (shares issued 168,774,672)                            312                                    285
Retained earnings                                                                    2,875                                  2,640
Treasury stock (shares held 1999, 41,312,760; 1998, 42,081,130)                       (695)                                  (706)
Accumulated other comprehensive income                                                  (3)                                     -
                                                                        ------------------                     ------------------
Total Shareholders' Equity                                                           2,489                                  2,219
                                                                        ------------------                     ------------------
                                                                        $            5,106                     $            4,572
                                                                        ==================                     ==================
</TABLE>

The accompanying Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements are an
integral part of this statement.


                                       2
<PAGE>   4



                          GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION

                       CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF EARNINGS

                                   (UNAUDITED)

                 (Dollars in millions, except per share amounts)


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                Three Months Ended
                                                                             ------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                   April 4                           March 29
                                                                                    1999                               1998
                                                                             ------------------                -------------------
<S>                                                                          <C>                               <C>               
NET SALES                                                                    $            1,377                $            1,154

OPERATING COSTS AND EXPENSES                                                              1,234                             1,030
                                                                             ------------------                ------------------

OPERATING EARNINGS                                                                          143                               124

Interest (expense) income, net                                                               (1)                                1
Other income (expense), net                                                                   9                                (1)
                                                                             ------------------                -------------------

EARNINGS BEFORE INCOME TAXES                                                                151                               124

(BENEFIT) / PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES
   R&E Tax Credit                                                                          (165)                                -
   Provision                                                                                 51                                42
                                                                             ------------------                ------------------
                                                                                           (114)                               42
                                                                             -------------------               ------------------

NET EARNINGS                                                                 $              265                $               82
                                                                             ==================                ==================

NET EARNINGS PER SHARE:
   Basic                                                                     $             2.09                $             0.65
                                                                             ==================                ==================
   Diluted                                                                   $             2.07                $             0.65
                                                                             ==================                ==================

DIVIDENDS PER SHARE                                                          $             0.24                $             0.22
                                                                             ==================                ==================

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:
            General and administrative expenses included in
              operating costs and expenses                                   $               96                $               92
                                                                             ==================                ==================
</TABLE>



The accompanying Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements are an
integral part of this statement.






                                       3
<PAGE>   5



                          GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION
                      CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
                                   (UNAUDITED)
                              (Dollars in millions)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                            Three Months Ended
                                                                         --------------------------------------------------------
                                                                               April 4                             March 29
                                                                                1999                                 1998
                                                                         ------------------                   -------------------
<S>                                                                      <C>                                  <C>               
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net earnings                                                             $              265                   $               82
Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net
            cash provided by continuing operations -
Depreciation, depletion and amortization                                                 33                                   31
Decrease (Increase) in -
            Marketable securities                                                        41                                   (6)
            Accounts receivable                                                           2                                   46
            Contracts in process                                                        (31)                                 (99)
Increase (Decrease) in -
            Accounts payable and other current liabilities                              (96)                                 (52)
            Current income taxes                                                       (121)                                  15
            Deferred income taxes                                                        (1)                                  12
Other, net                                                                              (21)                                 (10)
                                                                         --------------------                 -------------------
Net cash provided by continuing operations                                               71                                   19
Net cash used by discontinued operations                                                 (2)                                  (3)
                                                                         --------------------                 -------------------
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities                                                69                                   16
                                                                         -------------------                  -------------------

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Business acquisitions                                                                   (20)                                  12
Purchases of available-for-sale securities                                               (6)                                 (88)
Sales/maturities of available-for-sale securities                                         7                                   41
Capital expenditures                                                                    (28)                                 (45)
Proceeds from sale of assets                                                             13                                    -
Other                                                                                     -                                   (1)
                                                                         --------------------                 -------------------
Net Cash Used by Investing Activities                                                   (34)                                 (81)
                                                                         --------------------                 -------------------

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Repayment of Title XI Bonds                                                              (5)                                   -
Repayment of debt - finance operations                                                   (3)                                  (3)
Dividends paid                                                                          (28)                                 (26)
Purchase of common stock                                                                 (1)                                   -
Other                                                                                     8                                    2
                                                                         --------------------                 -------------------
Net Cash Used by Financing Activities                                                   (29)                                 (27)
                                                                         --------------------                 -------------------

NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN CASH AND EQUIVALENTS                                           6                                  (92)
CASH AND EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD                                             127                                  336
                                                                         --------------------                 -------------------
CASH AND EQUIVALENTS AT END OF PERIOD                                    $              133                   $              244
                                                                         ====================                 ===================

SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION:

Cash payments for:
Income taxes                                                             $               10                   $                7
Interest (including finance operations)                                  $                6                   $                1
</TABLE>

The accompanying Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements are an
integral part of this statement



                                       4
<PAGE>   6


                          GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION

                   NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

                                   (UNAUDITED)

                 (Dollars in millions, except per share amounts)

(A)         Basis of Preparation

            The unaudited consolidated financial statements included herein have
been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Although certain information and footnote disclosures
normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such
rules and regulations, the company believes that the disclosures included herein
are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. Operating results
for the three month period ended April 4, 1999, are not necessarily indicative
of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 1999. These
unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with
the financial statements and the notes thereto included in the company's Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998. 

            In the opinion of the company, the unaudited consolidated financial
statements contain all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring
accruals) necessary for a fair statement of the results for the three-month
periods ended April 4, 1999 and March 29, 1998.

(B)         Subsequent Event

            On May 17, 1999, the company entered into a definitive agreement to
acquire Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (Gulfstream), a designer, developer,
manufacturer and marketer of advanced business jet aircraft. The transaction is
structured as a merger under which the company will issue one share of common
stock in exchange for each outstanding share of Gulfstream common stock. As a 
result of the acquisition, Gulfstream will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of
the company. The acquisition will be accounted for as a pooling of interests.
Consummation of the merger is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval and
customary closing conditions.

(C)         Comprehensive Income

            Comprehensive income was $262 and $81 for the three-month periods
ended April 4, 1999 and March 29, 1998, respectively.

(D)         Translation of Foreign Currencies

            Local currencies have been determined to be functional currencies
for the company's international operations. Foreign currency balance sheets are
translated at the end-of-period exchange rates and earnings statements at the
average exchange rates for each period. The resulting foreign currency
translation adjustments are included in the calculation of other comprehensive
income and included in the equity section on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

(E)         Acquisition

            On November 10, 1998, the company acquired control of NASSCO
Holdings Incorporated (NASSCO) for $369 in cash plus the obligation to discharge
$46 in debt. NASSCO's wholly owned subsidiaries include National Steel and
Shipbuilding Company, which is in the business of ship design, engineering,
construction and repair for the United States military and various commercial
customers, and NASSCO Funding Corporation, a finance subsidiary. The transaction
has been accounted for under the purchase method of accounting. Operating
results of NASSCO are included with those of the company from the closing date.
The excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair value of the net
tangible assets acquired, approximately $250, has been recorded as goodwill.
This allocation is based on preliminary estimates and will be finalized within
one year from the date of acquisition.



                                       5
<PAGE>   7

(F)         Earnings Per Share

            Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding are as follows
(in thousands):

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                               April 4           March 29
                                                 1999              1998
                                            ------------      --------------
<S>                                            <C>                 <C>    
Basic                                          127,008             125,933
Diluted                                        128,326             126,934
</TABLE>

(G)         Intangible Assets

            Intangible assets resulting from the company's acquisitions consist
of the following:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                      April 4     December 31
                                        1999         1998
                                      --------    -----------
<S>                                   <C>          <C>   
Contracts and programs acquired       $  411       $  416
Goodwill                               1,117        1,109
                                      ------       ------
                                      $1,528       $1,525
                                      ======       ======
</TABLE>

            Intangible assets are shown net of accumulated amortization of $85
and $74 at April 4, 1999 and December 31, 1998, respectively. Intangible assets
are amortized on a straight-line basis over periods ranging from 8 to 40 years.

(H)         Liabilities

            A summary of significant liabilities, by balance sheet caption,
follows:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                   April 4                          December 31
                                                                    1999                                1998
                                                              ------------------                 ------------------
<S>                                                           <C>                                <C>               
Workers' compensation                                         $              486                 $              340
Retirement benefits                                                          230                                196
Salaries and wages                                                           105                                 84
Customer deposits                                                            127                                139
Other                                                                        353                                347
                                                              ------------------                 ------------------
            Other Current Liabilities                         $            1,301                 $            1,106
                                                              ==================                 ==================

Accrued costs on disposed businesses                          $              177                 $              177
Retirement benefits                                                          160                                183
Coal mining related liabilities                                               72                                 73
Other                                                                        393                                210
                                                              ------------------                 ------------------
            Other Liabilities                                 $              802                 $              643
                                                              ==================                 ==================
</TABLE>





                                       6
<PAGE>   8



(I)         Income Taxes

            The company had a net deferred tax asset of $288 and $287 at April
4, 1999 and December 31, 1998, respectively, the current portion of which was
$321 and $311, respectively, and was included in other current assets on the
Consolidated Balance Sheet. No material valuation allowance was required for the
company's net deferred tax assets at April 4, 1999 and December 31, 1998.

            On March 2, 1999, the company and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service
settled refund claims for research and experimentation tax credits for the years
1981 through 1989 for approximately $270 (including after-tax interest). The
company recognized a benefit of $165 (less amounts previously recorded in 1991
and 1992), or $1.29 per diluted share, as a result of this settlement. During
the first quarter of 1999, the company recorded a receivable in the amount of
$334, representing the cash refund related to this settlement (including
before-tax interest). The receivable was included in other current assets on the
Consolidated Balance Sheet at April 4, 1999, and was collected early in the
second quarter of 1999.

            The IRS has completed its examination of the company's 1990 through
1993 consolidated federal income tax returns. Unresolved matters for these years
have been protested to the IRS Appeals Division. A refund claim by the company
for $78 (plus interest) for research and experimentation credits for the year
1990 will also be considered by the IRS Appeals Division. The IRS is currently
examining the company's 1994 and 1995 consolidated federal income tax returns.
Since the company has recorded liabilities for tax contingencies, resolution of
these years is not expected to have a materially unfavorable impact on the
company's results of operations or financial condition.

(J)         Commitments and Contingencies

            Litigation

            Claims made by and against the company regarding the development of
the Navy's A-12 aircraft are discussed in Note K.

            On April 19, 1995, 101 then-current and former employees of General
Dynamics' Convair Division in San Diego, California filed a six-count complaint
in the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, titled Argo, et al. v.
General Dynamics, et al. In addition to General Dynamics, four of Convair's
then-current or former managers were also named as defendants. The plaintiffs
alleged that the company interfered with their right to join an earlier class
action lawsuit by, among other things, concealing its plans to close the Convair
Division. On May 1, 1997, a jury rendered a verdict of $101 against the company
and one of the defendants in favor of 97 of the plaintiffs. The jury awarded the
plaintiffs a total of $1.8 in actual damages and $99 in punitive damages. The
company and one of the defendants have appealed the judgment to the Court of
Appeals of the State of California, Fourth Appellate District, Division One. On
appeal, the company is seeking to have the judgment overturned in its entirety
or, alternatively, a substantial reduction in the jury's punitive damage award.
The company believes it has substantial legal defenses, but in any case, it
believes the punitive damage award is excessive as a matter of law. Management
currently believes the ultimate outcome will not have a material impact on the
company's results of operations or financial condition.



                                       7
<PAGE>   9

            On July 13, 1995, General Dynamics Corporation was named as a
defendant in a complaint filed in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County,
Missouri, titled Hunt, et al. v. General Dynamics Corporation, et al. The
complaint also names two insurance brokers, Lloyd Thompson, Ltd. and Willis
Caroon Corporation of Missouri, as defendants. The plaintiffs are members of
certain Lloyds' of London syndicates and British insurance companies who sold
the company excess loss insurance policies covering the company's self-insured
workers' compensation program at Electric Boat for four policy years, from July
1, 1988 to June 30, 1992. The plaintiffs allege that when procuring the policies
the company and its brokers made misrepresentations to the plaintiffs and failed
to disclose facts which were material to the risk. The plaintiffs also allege
that the company has been negligent in its administration of workers'
compensation claims. The plaintiffs seek rescission of the policies, a
declaratory judgment that the policies are void, and compensatory damages in an
unspecified amount. General Dynamics has counterclaimed, alleging that the
plaintiffs have breached their insurance contracts by failing to pay claims.
General Dynamics seeks a declaratory judgment that the policies are valid,
actual damages, and payment of a penalty under a Missouri statute for the
plaintiffs' vexatious and unreasonable failure to pay claims. The company does
not expect that this case will have a material impact on the company's results
of operations or financial condition.

            On August 16, 1996, plaintiffs HE Holdings, Inc., and Hughes Missile
Systems Company filed an action against General Dynamics Corporation in the
Superior Court for the State of California for the County of Los Angeles. In
June 1998, plaintiffs filed a sixth amended complaint in which plaintiffs were
redesignated as HE Holdings, Inc., now known as Raytheon Company, and Hughes
Missile Systems Company, now known as Raytheon Missile Systems Company
("plaintiffs"). On September 8, 1998, plaintiffs filed a seventh amended
complaint which is now pending. The seventh amended complaint alleges breach of
contract, tortious interference with contract, conversion, fraud, and breach of
the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, all with respect to the
Asset Purchase Agreement dated May 8, 1992, for the sale of the company's
missile business, various related leases and other alleged agreements. The
seventh amended complaint seeks approximately $25 in compensatory damages, as
well as punitive damages and declaratory relief. The company does not expect
that the lawsuit will have a material impact on the company's results of
operations or financial condition.

            The company is either a named defendant or a third-party defendant
in certain multi-plaintiff tort cases pending in Tucson, Arizona, captioned:
Cordova, et al. v. Hughes Aircraft Co., et al.; Lanier, et al. v. Hughes
Aircraft Co., et al.; Yslava, et al. v. Hughes Aircraft Co.; and Arellano, et
al. v. Hughes Aircraft Co. The first case was filed in Superior Court for Pima
County, Arizona. The remaining cases are pending in federal court in Arizona. In
all four cases the plaintiffs allege that they suffered personal injuries and/or
property damage from chronic exposure to drinking water alleged to be
contaminated with trace amounts of the industrial solvent trichloroethylene. The
alleged source of the contamination was industrial facilities in and around the
site now occupied by the Tucson International Airport (TIA) and U.S. Air Force
Plant #44. In addition to the company, defendants are Hughes Aircraft Co. (now
Raytheon), the Tucson Airport authority (TAA), the City of Tucson, (the City)
and McDonnell Douglas Corp. (MDC). The company does not believe that these
lawsuits will have a material impact on the company's results of operations or
financial condition.

            In other litigation concerning the Tucson site, the company is a
defendant in two cases brought in federal district court in Arizona by TAA and
the City under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and
Liability Act (CERCLA). Plaintiffs seek reimbursement of CERCLA response costs
and a declaration of the company's alleged liability with respect to soil and
groundwater contamination at portions of the Tucson site. On September 30, 1998,
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. 




                                       8
<PAGE>   10

EPA) issued a Special Notice Letter notifying the company that it was a
potentially responsible party (PRP) with respect to contamination of soil and
shallow groundwater on and near property currently occupied by the TIA. Other
PRPs receiving a similar notice were the U.S. Air Force, TAA, MDC and the City.
The company has reached an agreement to settle the litigation brought by TAA and
the City and is awaiting U.S. Department of Justice approval to a consent decree
negotiated with the U.S. EPA in response to the Special Notice Letter. The
company does not believe that these lawsuits or the U.S. EPA's notice of
potential liability will have a material impact on the company's results of
operations or financial condition.

            The company is also a defendant in other lawsuits and claims and in
other investigations of varying nature. The company believes its liabilities in
these proceedings, in the aggregate, are not material to the company's results
of operations or financial condition.

            Environmental

            The company is directly or indirectly involved in certain Superfund
sites in which the company, along with other major U.S. corporations, has been
designated a PRP by the U.S. EPA or a state environmental agency with respect to
past shipments of hazardous waste to sites now requiring environmental cleanup.
Based on a site by site analysis of the estimated quantity of waste contributed
by the company relative to the estimated total quantity of waste, the company
believes its liability at any individual site is not material. The company is
also involved in the investigation, cleanup and remediation of various
conditions at sites it currently or formerly owned or operated.

            The company measures its environmental exposure based on enacted
laws and existing regulations and on the technology expected to be approved to
complete the remediation effort. The estimated cost to perform each of the
elements of the remediation effort is based on when those elements are expected
to be performed. Where a reasonable basis for apportionment exists with other
PRPs, the company estimates only its allowable share of the joint and several
remediation liability for a site, taking into consideration the solvency of
other participating PRPs. Based on a site by site analysis, the company believes
it has adequate accruals for any liability it may incur arising from sites
currently or formerly owned or operated at which there is a known environmental
condition, or Superfund sites at which the company is a PRP.

(K)         Termination of A-12 Program

            The A-12 contract was a fixed-price incentive contract for the
full-scale development and initial production of the Navy's new carrier-based
Advanced Tactical Aircraft. The Navy terminated the company's A-12 aircraft
contract for default. Both the company and McDonnell Douglas, now owned by the
Boeing Company, (the contractors) were parties to the contract with the Navy,
each had full responsibility to the Navy for performance under the contract, and
both are jointly and severally liable for potential liabilities arising from the
termination. As a consequence of the termination for default, the Navy demanded
that the contractors repay $1,352 in unliquidated progress payments, but agreed
to defer collection of the amount pending a decision by the U.S. Court of
Federal Claims on the contractors' appeal of the termination for default, or a
negotiated settlement.

            The contractors filed a complaint on June 7, 1991, in the U.S. Court
of Federal Claims contesting the default termination. The suit, in effect, seeks
to convert the termination for default to a termination for convenience of the
U.S. government and seeks other legal relief. A trial on Count XVII of the
complaint, which relates to the propriety of the process used in terminating the
contract for default, was concluded in 




                                       9
<PAGE>   11

October 1993. In December 1994, the court issued an order vacating the
termination for default. On December 19, 1995, following further proceedings,
the court issued an order converting the termination for default to a
termination for convenience.

            On February 23, 1998, a final judgment was entered in favor of the
contractors for $1,200 plus interest. The U.S. government filed an appeal in the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The U.S. government seeks
reversal of the judgment and a remand to the trial court for a full trial on the
merits. The appeal has been briefed and argued. Final resolution of the A-12
litigation will depend on the outcome of the appeal and further proceedings in
the trial court, if any. The company has not recognized any claim revenue from
the Navy.

            The company has fully reserved the contracts in process balance
associated with the A-12 program and has accrued the company's estimated
termination liabilities, and the liability associated with pursuing the
litigation through the appeals process. In the unlikely event that the court's
decision converting the termination to a termination for convenience is reversed
on appeal and the contractors are ultimately found to be in default of the A-12
contract and are required to repay all unliquidated progress payments,
additional losses of approximately $675, plus interest, may be recognized by the
company. The company believes the possibility of this result is remote.




                                       10
<PAGE>   12


(L)         Business Segment Information

            The company's primary business is supplying sophisticated defense
systems to the United States and its allies. Management has chosen to organize
its business segments in accordance with several factors, including a
combination of the nature of products and services offered, the nature of the
production processes and the class of customer for the company's products.
Operating segments are aggregated for reporting purposes consistent with these
criteria. Management measures its segments' profit based primarily on operating
earnings. As such, net interest and other income items have not been allocated
to the company's segments. For a further description of the company's business
segments, see Management's Discussion and Analysis of the Results of Operations
and Financial Condition.
            Summary financial information for each of the company's segments
follows:



Earnings Statement Data (for the three months ended):

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                              Sales to
                                Net Sales                          Operating Earnings                      U.S. Government
                                ---------                          ------------------                      ---------------
                       April 4            March 29            April 4              March 29          April 4            March 29
                         1999               1998                1999                 1998              1999               1998
                         ----               ----                ----                 ----              ----               ----
<S>                    <C>                <C>                   <C>                 <C>              <C>                <C>
Marine Systems*        $   808            $   555               $  88               $   64           $   805            $   554
Combat Systems             290                335                  35                   43               280                314
Information Systems
   & Technology*           233                218                  20                   14               115                109
Other                       46                 46                   -                    3                 -                  -
                        ------             ------                ----                 ----            ------               ----

                        $1,377             $1,154                $143                 $124            $1,200               $977
                        ======             ======                ====                 ====            ======               ====
</TABLE>



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                            Depreciation, Depletion,
                                            Capital Expenditures                                And Amortization
                                            --------------------                                ----------------
                                        April 4              March 29                  April 4                  March 29
                                         1999                  1998                     1999                      1998
                                         ----                  ----                     ----                      ----
<S>                                     <C>                    <C>                      <C>                      <C>   
Marine Systems*                         $   17                 $   9                    $   11                   $   11
Combat Systems                               -                     3                         7                        5
Information Systems
   & Technology*                             2                     4                        10                       11
Other                                        9                    29                         5                        4
                                          ----                  ----                      ----                     ----

                                          $ 28                  $ 45                      $ 33                     $ 31
                                          ====                  ====                      ====                     ====
</TABLE>







                                       11
<PAGE>   13



Balance Sheet Data:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                     Identifiable Assets
                                                     -------------------
                                                April 4             December 31
                                                  1999                  1998
                                                  ----                  ----
<S>                                           <C>                  <C>      
Marine Systems*                               $   1,501            $   1,255
Combat Systems                                      927                  923
Information Systems & Technology*                 1,221                1,261
Other                                               420                  406
Corporate**                                       1,037                  727
                                                  -----                  ---

                                                $ 5,106              $ 4,572
                                                =======              =======
</TABLE>



*As of January 1, 1999, management moved its Defense Systems operating unit from
the Marine Systems segment to the Information Systems and Technology segment.
Data for prior periods has been restated to give recognition to the current
composition of reportable segments.

**Corporate identifiable assets include cash and equivalents and marketable
securities, R&E tax credit receivable (see Note I), deferred taxes, real estate
held for development and prepaid pension cost.




                                       12
<PAGE>   14



                          GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION

                  ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

                OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

                                  April 4, 1999

                 (Dollars in millions, except per share amounts)


Forward-Looking Statements

            Management's Discussion and Analysis of the Results of Operations
and Financial Condition contains forward-looking statements that are based on
management's expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. Words such as
"expects," "anticipates," "plans," "believes," "estimates," variations of these
words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking
statements which include but are not limited to projections of revenues,
earnings, segment performance, cash flows, contract awards and the company's
expectations regarding the upcoming year 2000. Forward-looking statements are
made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. These statements are not guarantees of future performance
and involve certain risks and uncertainties which are difficult to predict.
Therefore, actual future results and trends may differ materially from what is
forecast in forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including,
without limitation: the company's successful execution of internal performance
plans; performance issues with key suppliers and subcontractors; the status or
outcome of legal proceedings; the status or outcome of labor negotiations;
changing priorities or reductions in the U.S. government defense budget;
termination of government contracts due to unilateral government action; and the
timing and occurrence (or non-occurrence) of circumstances beyond the company's
control.

Business Segments

            The company operates in three primary business segments: Marine
Systems, Combat Systems and Information Systems and Technology. The company also
owns coal mining and aggregates operations in the Midwest, and a leasing
operation for liquefied natural gas tankers, which are classified as Other. The
following table sets forth the net sales and operating earnings by business
segment for the three-month periods ended April 4, 1999, and March 29, 1998:





                                       13
<PAGE>   15



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                       Three-Month Period Ended                 
                                            -----------------------------------------------     
                                                April 4                    March 29                      Increase/
                                                 1999                        1998                       (Decrease)
                                            ----------------         ----------------------        ----------------------
<S>                                         <C>                          <C>                          <C>          
     NET SALES:                                                                                 
     Marine Systems                         $     808                    $     555                    $          253
     Combat Systems                               290                          335                               (45)
     Information Systems and                                                                    
           Technology                             233                          218                                15
     Other                                         46                           46                                 -
                                            ----------------         ---------------               ----------------------
                                            $   1,377                    $   1,154                   $           223
                                            ================         ===============               ======================
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
     OPERATING EARNINGS:                                                                        
     Marine Systems                         $      88                    $      64                   $            24
     Combat Systems                                35                           43                                (8)
     Information Systems and                                                                    
           Technology                              20                           14                                 6
     Other                                          -                            3                                (3)
                                            ----------------         ---------------               ----------------------
                                            $     143                    $     124                   $            19
                                            ================         ===============               ======================
</TABLE>


Marine Systems

Results of Operations

            Net sales increased during the three-month period due primarily to
the acquisition of NASSCO Holdings Incorporated (NASSCO), whose wholly owned
subsidiaries include National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, on November 10,
1998. Operating earnings increased during the three-month period due primarily
to the aforementioned acquisition and to an earnings rate increase on the
Arleigh Burke class destroyer (DDG 51) program in the fourth quarter of 1998.

            As of January 1, 1999, in order to align the company's information
technology resources, management moved its Defense Systems operating unit from
the Marine Systems segment to the Information Systems and Technology segment.
Data for the three-month period ended March 29, 1998, has been restated to give
recognition to the current composition of reportable segments.

Combat Systems

Results of Operations

            Net sales and operating earnings decreased during the three-month
period due primarily to the completion of production on the Single Channel
Ground and Airborne Radio System for the U.S. Army and to the results of the
company's ammunition production facility. Previously a consolidated subsidiary,
the company's Milan Army Ammunition Plant is now part of an unconsolidated joint
venture, American Ordnance LLC.



                                       14
<PAGE>   16

Information Systems and Technology

Results of Operations

            Net sales increased during the three-month period due primarily to
increased volume for commercial undersea fiber-optic communications equipment.
Operating earnings increased during the three month period as a result of higher
margins obtained from cost reduction efforts employed during the first year of
acquisition of the segment's businesses.

            In the first quarter of 1999, as previously mentioned, management
transitioned the Defense Systems' business to the Information Systems and
Technology segment from the Marine Systems segment. Data for the three-month
period ended March 29, 1998, has been restated to give recognition to the
current composition of reportable segments.


Backlog

            The following table details the backlog of each business segment as
calculated at April 4, 1999, and December 31, 1998:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                    April 4     December 31
                                                      1999         1998
                                                    -------       -------
<S>                                                 <C>           <C>    
Marine Systems                                      $11,351       $11,565
Combat Systems                                        1,424         1,579
Information Systems and Technology                      925           892
Other                                                   545           562
                                                    -------       -------

                               Total Backlog        $14,245       $14,598
                                                    =======       =======
                               Funded Backlog       $ 8,039       $ 7,292
                                                    =======       =======
</TABLE>

            Total backlog represents the estimated remaining sales value of work
to be performed under firm contracts. Funded backlog represents the portion of
total backlog that has been appropriated by Congress and funded by the procuring
agency. To the extent backlog has not been funded, there is no assurance that
congressional appropriations or agency allotments will be forthcoming. Total
backlog also includes amounts for long-term coal contracts. As previously
mentioned, data at December 31, 1998, has been restated to give recognition to
the current composition of reportable segments.


                                       15
<PAGE>   17


Additional Financial Information

Provision for Income Taxes

            During the first quarter of 1999, the company and the U.S. Internal
Revenue Service settled refund claims for research and experimentation tax
credits for the years 1981 through 1989 for approximately $270 (including
after-tax interest). The company recognized a benefit of $165 (less amounts
previously recorded in 1991 and 1992), or $1.29 per diluted share, as a result
of this settlement. In April 1999, the company received the cash refund from the
IRS related to the first quarter settlement totaling $334 (including before-tax
interest). Tax on the interest totaling approximately $65 will be paid during
1999 with the company's regular quarterly tax payments. For further discussion
of this and other tax matters, as well as a discussion of the net deferred tax
asset, see Note I to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Environmental Matters and Other Contingencies

            For a discussion of environmental matters and other contingencies,
see Notes J and K to the Consolidated Financial Statements. The company's
liability, in the aggregate, with respect to these matters, is not expected to
be material to the company's results of operations or financial condition.

Year 2000

            The company has developed an internal Year 2000 compliance program
(Y2K Project), which is focusing on three major areas of assessment, project
planning and remediation with respect to Year 2000 issues (the inability of
date-sensitive software and equipment to properly recognize dates beyond 1999):
(1) information technology systems; (2) deliverable software (alone or as a
component of another product); and (3) facilities and embedded processors. The
company is working with its full-time information technology systems partner on
the project. The assessment and project planning phase of the Y2K Project is
complete. The company expects the remediation phase to be substantially complete
by the end of the second quarter of 1999. Validation testing occurs as systems
are remediated and is expected to be finished in the third quarter of 1999. The
company generally develops its deliverable software to conform with customer
specifications. The company is completing its review of customer contracts and
specifications to determine whether any Year 2000 issues exist. Remediation
efforts have been undertaken where requested, required and/or funded by the
customer. Management believes the company will complete the Y2K Project on
schedule and that the costs to implement will not materially impact results of
operations or financial condition, as most of these costs are expected to be
allowable under the company's U.S. government contracts. The company believes
its total Y2K Project costs will not exceed $40.

            The company has made inquiries of substantially all third parties
with whom it has material business relationships to determine if they have Year
2000 issues. To date, the company has not been made aware of any Year 2000
issues with respect to these third parties that would be expected to materially
and adversely affect the company. There can be no assurance, however, that these
third parties have been or will be successful in identifying or addressing their
Year 2000 issues.

            The implementation schedule, projected costs and beliefs regarding
the company's Year 2000 issues detailed above are based on management's best
estimates utilizing assumptions as to future events. There can be no assurance
that these expectations will be realized. Based on the status of the Y2K Project
and third-party surveys, however, the company does not believe there are any
material risks to the company related to Year 2000 issues. The company believes
its worst case Year 2000 scenario, if realized, would involve a brief slowdown
or cessation of production at one or more business units which would not 




                                       16
<PAGE>   18

be expected to have a material adverse effect on financial condition or results
of operations. The company engages in project reviews and internal audit
activities designed to ensure Year 2000 readiness. The company has begun, and
expects to complete during the third quarter of 1999, contingency planning with
respect to Year 2000 issues.

New Accounting Standards

            In June 1998, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 133, "Accounting for
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities." SFAS 133 establishes accounting
and reporting standards for derivative instruments, including certain derivative
instruments embedded in other contracts, and for hedging activities. The company
is required to adopt the provisions of the standard during the first quarter of
2000. Because of the company's minimal use of derivatives, the company does not
expect that the adoption of the new standard will have a material impact on the
results of operations or financial condition.

            Effective January 1, 1999, the company adopted the provisions of
Statement of Position (SOP) 97-3, "Accounting by Insurance and Other Enterprises
for Insurance-Related Assessments." SOP 97-3 provides guidance to aid in the
determination of when liabilities should be recognized for guaranty-fund and
other insurance-related assessments, as well as requirements for the measurement
of the liability and related recoverable asset. As these costs are recoverable
under the company's contracts and existing backlog, the adoption of the SOP did
not have a material impact on the company's results of operations or financial
condition.

Financial Condition

Operating Activities

            Cash flows from continuing operations increased this year over last
year due primarily to the liquidation of marketable securities classified as
trading in accordance with SFAS 115, "Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt
and Equity Securities."

            The company expects to continue to generate funds from operations in
excess of its short- and long-term liquidity needs.

Investing Activities

            On May 17, 1999, the company entered into a definitive agreement to
acquire Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (Gulfstream), a designer, developer,
manufacturer and marketer of advanced business jet aircraft. The transaction is
structured as a merger under which the company will issue one share of common
stock in exchange for each outstanding share of Gulfstream common stock. As a 
result of the acquisition, Gulfstream will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of
the company. The acquisition will be accounted for as a pooling of interests.
Consummation of the merger is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval and
customary closing conditions.

            On April 14, 1999, the Department of Defense issued a statement that
it would not support the proposal of General Dynamics to acquire Newport News
Shipbuilding Inc. (Newport News). Thereafter, the company withdrew its February
10, 1999, offer to acquire the outstanding shares of Newport News.

            On May 3, 1999, the company paid from available funds the remaining
fixed purchase consideration of $51 in cash for three individual stockholders'
share of NASSCO common stock.

            The company began construction on its facility modernization project
at its Bath Iron Works' shipyard in late 1998. The company anticipates investing
a total of approximately $200 through the year 2000, with approximately $120
expected to be expended during 1999.


                                       17
<PAGE>   19

Financing Activities

            On March 3, 1999, the company's board of directors declared an
increased regular quarterly dividend of $.24 per share.

            The company has the capacity for long-term borrowings and currently
has available a committed, $1 billion line of credit expiring in May 2002 and an
available committed, $400 line of credit expiring in December 2002. These credit
facilities contain minimum net worth requirements.


       ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK


            There were no material changes with respect to this item from the
disclosure included in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 1998.



                                       18
<PAGE>   20


                                     PART II

                          GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION

                                OTHER INFORMATION

                                  April 4, 1999

Item 1.      Legal Proceedings

            Reference is made to Note J, Commitments and Contingencies, to the
Consolidated Financial Statements in Part I, for statements relevant to
activities in the quarter covering certain litigation to which the company is a
party.


Item 6.      Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K

(a)          Exhibits

             Exhibit 10-40  Agreement and Plan of Merger dated May 16, 1999
                             between General Dynamics Corporation, Tara 
                             Acquisition Corporation and Gulfstream Aerospace
                             Corporation

             Exhibit 10-41  Voting Agreement dated May 16, 1999 between General
                             Dynamics Corporation and certain stockholders of
                             Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation  

             Exhibit 27  Financial Data Schedule

             Exhibit 99  Press Release dated May 17, 1999, "General Dynamics to
                          Acquire Gulfstream in $5.3 billion Stock Deal"

(b)          Reports on Form 8-K

             On March 5, 1999, the company reported to the Securities and
             Exchange Commission under Item 5, Other Events, that on March 2,
             1999, the company was notified that the Joint Committee on Taxation
             approved the settlement of the company's tax refund claims for
             research and experimentation tax credits for 1987 through 1989.
             Included in the filing was a copy of the company's press release of
             same subject dated March 2, 1999.





                                       19
<PAGE>   21


                                    SIGNATURE


            Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


                         GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION


                         by   /s/John W. Schwartz
                              -----------------------------------------
                              John W. Schwartz
                              Vice President and Controller
                              (Authorized Officer and Chief Accounting Officer)

Dated:  May 18, 1999




                                       20

<PAGE>   1
                                                                  EXECUTION COPY

                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.40



                             ----------------------


                          AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

                                      AMONG

                          GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION,

                          TARA ACQUISITION CORPORATION

                                       AND

                        GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORPORATION

                             ----------------------


                                  MAY 16, 1999



<PAGE>   2


                                TABLE OF CONTENTS


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                                              PAGE
                                                                                                                              ----

<S>                                                                                                                            <C>
ARTICLE 1    THE MERGER..........................................................................................................1
     Section 1.1   The Merger....................................................................................................1
     Section 1.2   The Closing...................................................................................................1
     Section 1.3   Effective Time................................................................................................2
     Section 1.4   Effects of the Merger.........................................................................................2
     Section 1.5   Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws.......................................................................2
     Section 1.6   Directors.....................................................................................................2
     Section 1.7   Officers......................................................................................................2
     Section 1.8   Conversion of Company Common Stock............................................................................2
     Section 1.9   Stock Options.................................................................................................3
     Section 1.10  Conversion of Acquisition Corporation Common Stock............................................................5

ARTICLE 2    STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL................................................................................................5
     Section 2.1   Company Actions...............................................................................................5
     Section 2.2   Parent Corporation Actions....................................................................................6
     Section 2.3   Cooperation...................................................................................................6

ARTICLE 3    EXCHANGE OF CERTIFICATES............................................................................................7
     Section 3.1   Exchange of Certificates......................................................................................7
     Section 3.2   Exchange Agent; Exchange Procedures...........................................................................7
     Section 3.3   Transfer Books................................................................................................8
     Section 3.4   Termination of Exchange Fund..................................................................................8
     Section 3.5   Lost Certificates.............................................................................................8
     Section 3.6   No Rights as Stockholder......................................................................................8
     Section 3.7   Withholding...................................................................................................9
     Section 3.8   Escheat.......................................................................................................9

ARTICLE 4    REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY.......................................................................9
     Section 4.1   Organization..................................................................................................9
     Section 4.2   Authorization of Transaction; Enforceability..................................................................9
     Section 4.3   Noncontravention; Consents...................................................................................10
     Section 4.4   Capitalization...............................................................................................11
     Section 4.5   Company Reports; Joint Proxy Statement.......................................................................11
     Section 4.6   No Undisclosed Liabilities...................................................................................12
     Section 4.7   Absence of Material Adverse Change...........................................................................12
     Section 4.8   Litigation and Legal Compliance..............................................................................13
     Section 4.9   Contract Matters.............................................................................................13
     Section 4.10  Tax Matters..................................................................................................13
     Section 4.11  Employee Benefit Matters.....................................................................................14
</TABLE>


                                      -ii-

<PAGE>   3

<TABLE>
<S>                                                                                                                           <C>
     Section 4.12  Environmental Matters........................................................................................17
     Section 4.13  Title........................................................................................................18
     Section 4.14  Intellectual Property Matters................................................................................19
     Section 4.15  Year 2000 Compliance Matters.................................................................................19
     Section 4.16  Labor Matters................................................................................................20
     Section 4.17  State Takeover Laws..........................................................................................20
     Section 4.18  Parent Common Stock Ownership................................................................................20
     Section 4.19  Accounting and Tax Matters...................................................................................20
     Section 4.20  Brokers' Fees................................................................................................20

ARTICLE 5    REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE
             PARENT CORPORATION.................................................................................................21
     Section 5.1   Organization.................................................................................................21
     Section 5.2   Authorization of Transaction; Enforceability.................................................................21
     Section 5.3   Noncontravention; Consents...................................................................................22
     Section 5.4   Capitalization...............................................................................................22
     Section 5.5   Parent Corporation Reports; Joint Proxy
                   and Registration Statements..................................................................................23
     Section 5.6   No Undisclosed Liabilities...................................................................................24
     Section 5.7   Absence of Material Adverse Change...........................................................................25
     Section 5.8   Litigation and Legal Compliance..............................................................................25
     Section 5.9   Contract Matters.............................................................................................25
     Section 5.10  Tax Matters..................................................................................................25
     Section 5.11  Employee Benefit Matters.....................................................................................26
     Section 5.12  Environmental Matters........................................................................................29
     Section 5.13  Title........................................................................................................29
     Section 5.14  Intellectual Property Matters................................................................................29
     Section 5.15  Year 2000 Compliance Matters.................................................................................30
     Section 5.16  Labor Matters................................................................................................30
     Section 5.17  Company Common Stock Ownership...............................................................................30
     Section 5.18  Accounting and Tax Matters...................................................................................31

ARTICLE 6    COVENANTS..........................................................................................................31
     Section 6.1   General......................................................................................................31
     Section 6.2   Notices and Consents.........................................................................................31
     Section 6.3   Interim Conduct of the Company...............................................................................31
     Section 6.4   Interim Conduct of the Parent Corporation....................................................................33
     Section 6.5   Preservation of Organization.................................................................................33
     Section 6.6   Full Access..................................................................................................34
     Section 6.7   Notice of Developments.......................................................................................34
     Section 6.8   Acquisition Proposals........................................................................................34
     Section 6.9   Indemnification..............................................................................................36
     Section 6.10  Public Announcements.........................................................................................38
     Section 6.11  Preservation of Programs and  Agreements.....................................................................38
     Section 6.12  Actions Regarding Antitakeover Statutes......................................................................38
     Section 6.13  Standstill Provisions........................................................................................39
</TABLE>


                            -iii-
<PAGE>   4


<TABLE>
<S>                                                                                                                           <C>
     Section 6.14  Defense of Orders and Injunctions............................................................................39
     Section 6.15  Affiliate Letters............................................................................................39
     Section 6.16  Preservation of Accounting and Tax Treatment.................................................................39
     Section 6.17  Accountant's Comfort Letters.................................................................................39
     Section 6.18  Registration Agreement.......................................................................................40
     Section 6.19  New York Stock Exchange Quotation............................................................................40
     Section 6.20  Publishing Financial Results.................................................................................40
     Section 6.21  Employee Benefit Matters.....................................................................................40
     Section 6.22  Directors of the Surviving Corporation.......................................................................41

ARTICLE 7    CONDITIONS TO THE CONSUMMATION OF THE MERGER.......................................................................41
     Section 7.1   Conditions to the Obligations of Each Party..................................................................41
     Section 7.2   Conditions to the Obligation of the Company..................................................................42
     Section 7.3   Conditions to the Obligation of the Parent Corporation
                   and the Acquisition Corporation..............................................................................43

ARTICLE 8    TERMINATION, AMENDMENT AND WAIVER..................................................................................44
     Section 8.1   Termination..................................................................................................44
     Section 8.2   Effect of Termination........................................................................................45
     Section 8.3   Termination Fee..............................................................................................45

ARTICLE 9    MISCELLANEOUS......................................................................................................46
     Section 9.1   Nonsurvival of Representations...............................................................................46
     Section 9.2   Remedies.....................................................................................................47
     Section 9.3   Successors and Assigns.......................................................................................47
     Section 9.4   Amendment....................................................................................................47
     Section 9.5   Extension and Waiver.........................................................................................47
     Section 9.6   Severability.................................................................................................47
     Section 9.7   Counterparts.................................................................................................47
     Section 9.8   Descriptive Headings.........................................................................................47
     Section 9.9   Notices......................................................................................................47
     Section 9.10  No Third Party Beneficiaries.................................................................................49
     Section 9.11  Entire Agreement.............................................................................................49
     Section 9.12  Construction.................................................................................................49
     Section 9.13  Submission to Jurisdiction...................................................................................49
     Section 9.14  Governing Law................................................................................................49
</TABLE>



EXHIBITS
- --------

Exhibit A-1     -    Form of Company Affiliate Letter
Exhibit A-2     -    Form of Parent Corporation Affiliate Letter
Exhibit B-1     -    Form of Company Tax Representations
Exhibit B-2     -    Form of Parent Corporation Tax Representations


                                      -iv-

<PAGE>   5


                             TABLE OF DEFINED TERMS


Acquisition Corporation                            Preamble
Acquisition Proposal                               Section 6.8(g)
Applicable Period                                  Section 6.8(b)
Average Stock Price                                Section 8.1(f)
Certificate                                        Section 3.1(a)
Charter Amendment                                  Section 2.2(a)
Closing                                            Section 1.2
Closing Date                                       Section 1.2
Code                                               Section 4.10(f)
Company                                            Preamble
Company Common Stock                               Section 1.8(a)
Company Disclosure Letter                          Section 4
Company Form 10-Q                                  Section 4
Company Material Adverse Effect                    Section 4.1
Company Plans                                      Section 4.11(a)
Company SEC Documents                              Section 4.5(a)
Company Stockholder Approval                       Section 2.1(a)
Company Stockholders Meeting                       Section 2.1(a)
Confidentiality Agreement                          Section 6.6
Continuing Employees                               Section 6.21(a)
Daily Per Share Price                              Section 8.1(f)
Delaware Act                                       Section 1.1
Effective Time                                     Section 1.3
Employee Pension Benefit Plan                      Section 4.11(a)
Employee Welfare Benefit Plan                      Section 4.11(a)
Environmental Law                                  Section 4.12(b)
ERISA                                              Section 4.11(a)
Exchange Agent                                     Section 3.1
Exchange Fund                                      Section 3.2(a)
Hazardous Materials                                Section 4.12(c)
HSR Act                                            Section 4.3
Indemnified Parties                                Section 6.9(a)
Intellectual Property                              Section 4.14(b)
Joint Proxy Statement                              Section 2.1(b)
Lien                                               Section 4.3
Merger                                             Section 1.1
Merger Consideration                               Section 1.8(c)
Multiemployer Plan                                 Section 4.11(a)
Parent Common Stock                                Section 1.8(a)
Parent Corporation                                 Preamble
Parent Corporation Disclosure Letter               Section 5
Parent Corporation Form 10-Q                       Section 5


                                      -v-


<PAGE>   6


Parent Corporation Material Adverse Effect         Section 5.1
Parent Corporation Plans                           Section 5.11(a)
Parent Corporation Stockholder Approval            Section 2.2(a)
Parent Corporation Stockholders Meeting            Section 2.2(a)
Permitted Liens                                    Section 4.13
Registration Statement                             Section 2.2(b)
SEC                                                Section 2.1(b)
Securities Act                                     Section 2.1(b)
Securities Exchange Act                            Section 1.9(d)
Standstill Provisions                              Section 6.8(e)
Stock Options                                      Section 1.9(a)
Stock Plans                                        Section 1.9(a)
Subsidiary                                         Section 1.8(d)
Superior Acquisition Proposal                      Section 6.8(h)
Surviving Corporation                              Section 1.1
Taxes                                              Section 4.10(a)
Tax Returns                                        Section 4.10(a)
Termination Fee                                    Section 8.3(a)
Third Party Acquisition                            Section 8.3(b)


                                      -vi-

<PAGE>   7


                          AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER


           AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER dated as of May 16, 1999 among General
Dynamics Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Parent Corporation"), Tara
Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of
the Parent Corporation (the "Acquisition Corporation"), and Gulfstream Aerospace
Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company").

           The Boards of Directors of the Parent Corporation and the Company
have each determined that a business combination between the Parent Corporation
and the Company is desirable and in the best interests of the Parent Corporation
and the Company and their respective stockholders. The Boards of Directors of
the Parent Corporation and the Company accordingly have each duly adopted
resolutions approving this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.

           It is intended that the merger provided for in this Agreement will
qualify as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368 of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and that for financial accounting purposes the
merger will be accounted for as a pooling of interests.

           NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements contained
herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the value, receipt and
sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as
follows:

                                    ARTICLE 1

                                   THE MERGER

           Section 1.1 The Merger. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions
set forth in this Agreement, at the Effective Time (as defined in Section 1.3)
the Acquisition Corporation will be merged (the "Merger") with and into the
Company in accordance with the provisions of the Delaware General Corporation
Law (the "Delaware Act"). Following the Merger, the Company will continue as the
surviving corporation (the "Surviving Corporation") and the separate corporate
existence of the Acquisition Corporation will cease.

           Section 1.2 The Closing. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions
set forth in this Agreement, the consummation of the Merger and the other
transactions contemplated by this Agreement (the "Closing") will take place at
the offices of Jenner & Block, 601 13th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005, at
10:00 a.m., local time, on the first business day following the satisfaction or
waiver of the conditions set forth in Article 7 (other than those conditions
that by their nature are to be satisfied at the Closing, but subject to the
satisfaction


<PAGE>   8


or, where permitted, waiver of those conditions), or at such other date, time or
place as the Parent Corporation and the Company may agree. The date upon which
the Closing occurs is referred to in this Agreement as the "Closing Date."

           Section 1.3 Effective Time. The Merger will be consummated by the
filing of a certificate of merger with the Secretary of State of the State of
Delaware in accordance with Section 251(c) of the Delaware Act. The time the
Merger becomes effective in accordance with Sections 103 and 251 of the Delaware
Act is referred to in this Agreement as the "Effective Time."

           Section 1.4 Effects of the Merger. The Merger will have the effects
set forth in the Delaware Act. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing,
as of the Effective Time, all properties, rights, privileges, powers and
franchises of the Company and the Acquisition Corporation will vest in the
Surviving Corporation and all debts, liabilities and duties of the Company and
the Acquisition Corporation will become debts, liabilities and duties of the
Surviving Corporation.

           Section 1.5 Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws. At the Effective
Time, the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Acquisition Corporation
in the respective forms delivered by the Parent Corporation to the Company prior
to the date of this Agreement will be amended and restated to change the name of
the Acquisition Corporation to "Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation" or such other
name as the Parent Corporation may determine. The Certificate of Incorporation
and Bylaws of the Acquisition Corporation, as so amended and restated, will be
the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Surviving Corporation.

           Section 1.6 Directors. Subject to the provisions of Section 6.22, the
directors of the Acquisition Corporation at the Effective Time will be the
initial directors of the Surviving Corporation and will hold office from the
Effective Time until their respective successors are duly elected or appointed
and qualified in the manner provided in the Certificate of Incorporation and
Bylaws of the Surviving Corporation or as otherwise provided by law.

           Section 1.7 Officers. The officers of the Company at the Effective
Time will be the initial officers of the Surviving Corporation and will hold
office from the Effective Time until their respective successors are duly
elected or appointed and qualified in the manner provided in the Certificate of
Incorporation and Bylaws of the Surviving Corporation or as otherwise provided
by law.

           Section 1.8 Conversion of Company Common Stock.

           (a)    Subject to the provisions of Section 1.8(b), each share of the
       Company's Common Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Company Common
       Stock"), issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time
       (other than shares of Company Common Stock held in the treasury of the
       Company, held by any Subsidiary (as defined in Section 1.8(d)) of the
       Company or held by the Parent Corporation or any Subsidiary of the Parent
       Corporation) will, by virtue of the Merger and without any action on the
       part of the holder thereof, be canceled and converted into the right to
       receive, upon the


                                       -2-
<PAGE>   9


       surrender of the certificate formerly representing such share, one share
       of the Parent Corporation's Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share (the
       "Parent Common Stock"). In the event that, subsequent to the date of this
       Agreement but prior to the Effective Time, the outstanding shares of
       Parent Common Stock or Company Common Stock are changed into a different
       number of shares or a different class as a result of a stock split,
       reverse stock split, stock dividend, subdivision, reclassification,
       combination, exchange, recapitalization or similar transaction, the
       number of shares of Parent Common Stock into which each share of Company
       Common Stock will be converted as a result of the Merger will be adjusted
       appropriately and provisions will be made for appropriate payments of
       cash in lieu of the issuance of fractional shares of Parent Common Stock.

           (b)    Each share of Company Common Stock held in the treasury of the
       Company, held by any Subsidiary of the Company or held by the Parent
       Corporation or any Subsidiary of the Parent Corporation immediately prior
       to the Effective Time will, by virtue of the Merger and without any
       action on the part of the holder thereof, be canceled and retired and
       will cease to exist. For purposes of this Section 1.8(b), shares of
       Company Common Stock owned beneficially or held of record by any plan,
       program or arrangement sponsored or maintained for the benefit of any
       current or former employee of the Company, the Parent Corporation or any
       of their respective Subsidiaries will not be deemed to be held by the
       Company, the Parent Corporation or any such Subsidiary, regardless of
       whether the Company, the Parent Corporation or any such Subsidiary has
       the power, directly or indirectly, to vote or control the disposition of
       such shares.

           (c)    The shares of Parent Common Stock to be issued upon the
       conversion of shares of Company Common Stock pursuant to Section 1.8(a)
       and any cash to be paid in lieu of fractional shares of Parent Common
       Stock pursuant to Section 1.8(a) are referred to in this Agreement
       collectively as the "Merger Consideration."

           (d)    The term "Subsidiary" as used in this Agreement means any
       corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other business
       entity 50 percent or more of the outstanding voting equity securities of
       which are owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company or the Parent
       Corporation, as applicable.

           Section 1.9 Stock Options.

           (a)    The Parent Corporation and the Company will take all necessary
       actions to cause each option to purchase shares of Company Common Stock
       (a "Stock Option") granted under any stock option plan, program,
       agreement or arrangement of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
       (collectively, the "Stock Plans") which is outstanding and unexercised
       immediately prior to the Effective Time to be converted at the Effective
       Time into an option to purchase the same number of shares of Parent
       Common Stock that could have been obtained upon the exercise of such
       Stock Option immediately prior to the Effective Time and the conversion
       and exchange of the shares of Company Common Stock issued upon such
       exercise for shares of Parent Common 


                                      -3-
<PAGE>   10


       Stock as provided in Section 1.8(a). The exercise price per share
       applicable to each such converted stock option will be the same as was
       applicable to such Stock Option immediately prior to the Effective Time
       (subject to adjustment pursuant to the last sentence of Section 1.8(a)).
       Upon and following the conversion of the Stock Options pursuant to this
       Section 1.9(a), each converted stock option will be subject to the same
       terms and conditions as in effect immediately prior to the Effective
       Time; provided that (i) if a form of agreement evidencing the Stock
       Option provides for acceleration of vesting of the Stock Option upon the
       Merger, the converted stock option will be so vested following the Merger
       and (ii) consistent with the forms of stockholder's agreements in use by
       the Company prior to the date hereof, upon exercise of any converted
       stock option, there will be no obligation that the holder thereof execute
       a stockholder's agreement.

           (b)    The Company and the Parent Corporation acknowledge that,
       consistent with the terms of such stockholder's agreements, any
       stockholder's agreement entered into prior to the Effective Time by
       reason of the exercise of a Stock Option or otherwise will cease to be of
       any force or effect upon and following the Effective Time.

           (c)    The Parent Corporation will take all corporate action
       necessary to reserve for issuance a sufficient number of shares of Parent
       Common Stock for delivery upon exercise of all of the Stock Options
       converted into options to purchase Parent Common Stock pursuant to
       Section 1.9(a). Not later than one day following the Effective Time, the
       Parent Corporation will file a registration statement on Form S-8 (or any
       successor or other appropriate form) with respect to the shares of Parent
       Common Stock subject to the converted stock options and will deliver
       prospectuses to the holders of such stock options. Following the
       Effective Time, the Parent Corporation will use all reasonable efforts to
       maintain the effectiveness of the foregoing registration statement (and
       maintain the current status of the prospectus or prospectuses contained
       therein) for so long as any of the converted stock options remain
       outstanding and unexercised.

           (d)    At the Effective Time, the Parent Corporation will assume the
       obligations of the Company under the Stock Plans as in effect at the
       Effective Time. No additional Stock Options will be granted pursuant to
       the Stock Plans after the Effective Time.

           (e)    The Board of Directors or Compensation Committee of the
       Company and the Parent Corporation will each grant all approvals and take
       all other actions required pursuant to Rules 16b-3(d) and 16b-3(e) under
       the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (together with the rules
       and regulations of the SEC thereunder, the "Securities Exchange Act"), to
       cause the disposition in the Merger of Company Common Stock and Stock
       Options and the acquisition in the Merger of Parent Common Stock and
       options to acquire Parent Common Stock to be exempt from the provisions
       of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act.


                                       -4-
<PAGE>   11

           Section 1.10 Conversion of Acquisition Corporation Common Stock.
       Each share of the Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the
       Acquisition Corporation issued and outstanding immediately prior to the
       Effective Time will, by virtue of the Merger and without any action on
       the part of the holder thereof, be converted into one share of the Common
       Stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the Surviving Corporation.

                                    ARTICLE 2

                              STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL

           Section 2.1 Company Actions. The Company, acting through its Board of
Directors, in accordance with applicable law, its Certificate of Incorporation
and Bylaws and the rules of the New York Stock Exchange, will:

           (a)    duly call, give notice of, convene and hold a special meeting
       of its stockholders (the "Company Stockholders Meeting"), to be held as
       soon as practicable after the date of this Agreement, for the purpose of
       submitting this Agreement for adoption and approval by the holders of a
       majority of the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock (the "Company
       Stockholder Approval");

           (b)    cooperate with the Parent Corporation in preparing and filing
       with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") as promptly as
       practicable after the date of this Agreement a Joint Proxy
       Statement/Prospectus and related materials (the "Joint Proxy Statement")
       with respect to the Company Stockholders Meeting satisfying the
       requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (together with the
       rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder, the "Securities Act"), and
       the Securities Exchange Act, respond promptly to any comments raised by
       the SEC with respect to the preliminary version of the Joint Proxy
       Statement, and cause the definitive version of the Joint Proxy Statement
       to be mailed to its stockholders as soon as it is legally permitted to do
       so;

           (c)    subject to the provisions of Section 6.8, include in the Joint
       Proxy Statement (i) the recommendation of the Board of Directors of the
       Company that the stockholders of the Company vote in favor of the
       adoption and approval of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated
       hereby and (ii) the written opinion dated as of the date of this
       Agreement of Merrill Lynch & Co., financial advisor to the Board of
       Directors of the Company, to the effect that as of the date of this
       Agreement the Merger Consideration is fair to the stockholders of the
       Company, other than the Parent Corporation and its affiliates, from a
       financial point of view; and

           (d)    provide the Parent Corporation with the information concerning
       the Company required to be included in the Joint Proxy Statement and the
       Registration Statement (as defined in Section 2.2(b)).


                                       -5-
<PAGE>   12


           Section 2.2 Parent Corporation Actions. The Parent Corporation,
acting through its Board of Directors, in accordance with applicable law, its
Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws and the rules of the New York Stock
Exchange, will:

           (a)    duly call, give notice of, convene and hold a special meeting
       of its stockholders (the "Parent Corporation Stockholders Meeting"), to
       be held as soon as practicable after the date of this Agreement, for the
       purpose of submitting for the approval of the holders of a majority of
       the outstanding shares of Parent Common Stock (the "Parent Corporation
       Stockholder Approval") the proposals adopted by the Board of Directors of
       the Parent Corporation to (i) amend and restate the Certificate of
       Incorporation of the Parent Corporation to increase the number of shares
       of Parent Common Stock the Parent Corporation is authorized to issue to
       300,000,000 shares (the "Charter Amendment") and (ii) issue shares of
       Parent Common Stock pursuant to the Merger;

           (b)    file with the SEC as promptly as practicable after the date of
       this Agreement a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (which will include
       the Joint Proxy Statement) complying in all material respects with the
       Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act registering the issuance
       of the Parent Common Stock proposed to be issued by the Parent
       Corporation pursuant to the Merger (the "Registration Statement"),
       respond promptly to any comments raised by the SEC with respect to the
       preliminary version of the Joint Proxy Statement or the Registration
       Statement, use its best efforts to cause the Registration Statement to be
       declared effective by the SEC as promptly as practicable and cause the
       definitive version of the Joint Proxy Statement to be mailed to its
       stockholders as soon as it is legally permitted to do so;

           (c)    provide the Company with the information concerning the Parent
       Corporation and the Acquisition Corporation required to be included in
       the Joint Proxy Statement; and

           (d)    include in the Joint Proxy Statement (i) the recommendation of
       the Board of Directors of the Parent Corporation that the stockholders of
       the Parent Corporation vote in favor of the Charter Amendment and the
       issuance of shares of Parent Common Stock pursuant to the Merger and (ii)
       the written opinion dated as of May 13, 1999 of Bear Stearns & Co.,
       financial advisor to the Board of Directors of the Parent Corporation, to
       the effect that the Merger is fair, from a financial point of view, to
       the Parent Corporation and its stockholders.

       Section 2.3 Cooperation. Each party will promptly advise the other of its
receipt of, and will promptly furnish the other party with copies of, all
comments received from the SEC with respect to the Registration Statement and
the Joint Proxy Statement and will consult with the other party in responding to
such comments.


                                       -6-
<PAGE>   13


                                    ARTICLE 3

                            EXCHANGE OF CERTIFICATES

           Section 3.1 Exchange of Certificates. From and after the Effective
Time, each holder of a certificate that immediately prior to the Effective Time
represented outstanding shares of Company Common Stock (a "Certificate") will be
entitled to receive in exchange therefor, upon surrender thereof to an exchange
agent to be designated by the parties (the "Exchange Agent"), the Merger
Consideration into which the shares of Company Common Stock evidenced by such
Certificate were converted pursuant to the Merger. No interest will be payable
on the Merger Consideration to be paid to any holder of a Certificate
irrespective of the time at which such Certificate is surrendered for exchange.
Certificates surrendered for exchange by any holder that is an "affiliate" of
the Company for purposes of Rule 145(c) under the Securities Act will not be
exchanged until the Parent Corporation has received a letter from such holder as
provided in Section 6.15.

           Section 3.2 Exchange Agent; Exchange Procedures.

           (a)    As soon as reasonably practicable following the Effective
       Time, the Parent Corporation will deposit, or cause to be deposited, with
       the Exchange Agent, in trust for the benefit of holders of Certificates,
       certificates representing the Merger Consideration and the amount of any
       dividends or distributions payable in accordance with the provisions of
       Section 3.2(b) (the "Exchange Fund").

           (b)    As soon as reasonably practicable after the Effective Time,
       the Parent Corporation will instruct the Exchange Agent to mail to each
       record holder of a Certificate (i) a letter of transmittal (which will
       specify that delivery will be effected, and risk of loss and title to
       such Certificates will pass, only upon delivery of the Certificate to the
       Exchange Agent and will be in such form and have such other provisions as
       the Parent Corporation will reasonably specify) and (ii) instructions for
       use in effecting the surrender of Certificates for certificates
       representing shares of Parent Common Stock. Commencing immediately after
       the Effective Time, upon the surrender to the Exchange Agent of such
       Certificate or Certificates, together with a duly executed and completed
       letter of transmittal and all other documents and other materials
       required by the Exchange Agent to be delivered in connection therewith,
       the holder will be entitled to receive a certificate or certificates
       representing the number of shares of Parent Common Stock into which the
       Certificate or Certificates so surrendered have been converted in
       accordance with the provisions of Section 1.8. Unless and until any
       Certificate or Certificates are so surrendered, no dividend or other
       distribution, if any, payable to the holders of record of shares of
       Parent Common Stock as of any date subsequent to the Effective Time will
       be paid to the holders of such Certificate or Certificates in respect of
       the shares of Parent Common Stock into which such Certificates are
       convertible. Upon the surrender of any Certificate or Certificates, the
       record holder of the certificate or certificates representing shares of
       Parent Common Stock issued in exchange therefor will be entitled to
       receive (i) at the time of surrender, the amount of any dividends or
       other distributions (net of any applicable tax 


                                      -7-
<PAGE>   14


       withholdings) having a record date after the Effective Time and a payment
       date prior to the surrender date, payable in respect of such shares of
       Parent Common Stock and (ii) at the appropriate payment date, the amount
       of dividends or other distributions (net of any applicable tax
       withholdings) having a record date after the Effective Time and a payment
       date subsequent to the date of such surrender, payable in respect of such
       shares of Parent Common Stock.

           Section 3.3 Transfer Books. The stock transfer books of the Company
will be closed at the Effective Time and no transfer of any shares of Company
Common Stock will thereafter be recorded on any of the stock transfer books. In
the event of a transfer of ownership of any Company Common Stock prior to the
Effective Time that is not registered in the stock transfer records of the
Company at the Effective Time, a certificate or certificates representing the
number of shares of Parent Common Stock into which such Company Common Stock has
been converted in the Merger will be issued to the transferee together with a
cash payment in respect of dividends and distributions, if any, in accordance
with the provisions of Section 3.2(b), only if the Certificate is surrendered as
provided in Section 3.1, accompanied by all documents required to evidence and
effect such transfer and by evidence of payment of any applicable stock transfer
taxes.

           Section 3.4 Termination of Exchange Fund. Any portion of the Exchange
Fund which remains undistributed one year after the Effective Time will be
delivered to the Parent Corporation upon demand, and each holder of Company
Common Stock who has not theretofore surrendered Certificates in accordance with
the provisions of this Article 3 will thereafter look only to the Parent
Corporation for satisfaction of such holder's claims for shares of Parent Common
Stock and any dividends or distributions payable in accordance with the
provisions of Section 3.2(b).

           Section 3.5 Lost Certificates. If any Certificate has been lost,
stolen or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person
claiming such Certificate to be lost, stolen or destroyed and, if required by
the Surviving Corporation, the posting by such person of a bond in such
reasonable amount as the Surviving Corporation may direct as indemnity against
any claim that may be made against it with respect to such Certificate, the
Exchange Agent will deliver in exchange for such lost, stolen or destroyed
certificate the shares of Parent Common Stock issuable pursuant to Section 1.8,
and unpaid dividends and distributions, if any, on shares of Parent Common Stock
deliverable in respect thereof, pursuant to this Agreement.

           Section 3.6 No Rights as Stockholder. From and after the Effective
Time, the holders of Certificates will cease to have any rights as a stockholder
of the Surviving Corporation except as otherwise provided in this Agreement or
by applicable law and the Parent Corporation will be entitled to treat each
Certificate that has not yet been surrendered for exchange solely as evidence of
the right to receive the Merger Consideration into which the shares of Company
Common Stock evidenced by such Certificate have been converted pursuant to the
Merger and the right to receive dividends and distributions, if any, in
accordance with the provisions of Section 3.2(b).


                                       -8-
<PAGE>   15


           Section 3.7 Withholding. The Parent Corporation will be entitled to
deduct and withhold from the Merger Consideration otherwise payable to any
former holder of Company Common Stock all amounts required by law to be deducted
or withheld therefrom.

           Section 3.8 Escheat. Neither the Parent Corporation, the Acquisition
Corporation nor the Company will be liable to any former holder of Company
Common Stock for any portion of the Merger Consideration delivered to any public
official pursuant to any applicable abandoned property, escheat or similar law.
In the event any Certificate has not been surrendered for exchange prior to the
sixth anniversary of the Closing Date, or prior to such earlier date as of which
such Certificate or the Merger Consideration payable upon the surrender thereof
would otherwise escheat to or become the property of any governmental entity,
then the Merger Consideration otherwise payable upon the surrender of such
Certificate will, to the extent permitted by applicable law, become the property
of the Surviving Corporation, free and clear of all rights, interests and
adverse claims of any person.

                                    ARTICLE 4

                  REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY

           The Company represents and warrants to the Parent Corporation and the
Acquisition Corporation that except as disclosed in the reports, schedules,
forms, statements and other documents filed by the Company with the SEC and
publicly available prior to the date of this Agreement, as disclosed in the
draft of the Quarterly Statement on Form 10-Q for the Company's fiscal quarter
ended March 31, 1999 (the "Company Form 10-Q") delivered to the Parent
Corporation prior to the date of this Agreement or as disclosed in the letter
dated as of the date of this Agreement from the Company to the Parent
Corporation (the "Company Disclosure Letter"):

           Section 4.1 Organization. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries is
a corporation duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the
jurisdiction of its incorporation and has all requisite power and authority to
own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as presently
being conducted. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries is in good standing
under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and is duly qualified to
conduct business as a foreign corporation in each other jurisdiction where such
qualification is required, except where the failure to be so qualified and in
good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the business,
financial condition, operations or results of operations of the Company and its
Subsidiaries taken as a whole or the ability of the Company to consummate the
Merger and to perform its obligations under this Agreement (a "Company Material
Adverse Effect"). The Company has delivered to the Parent Corporation correct
and complete copies of its charter and bylaws, as presently in effect, and will
make available to the Parent Corporation after the date of this Agreement
correct and complete copies of the charter and bylaws, as presently in effect,
of each of its Subsidiaries.

           Section 4.2 Authorization of Transaction; Enforceability. Subject to
obtaining the Company Stockholder Approval, the Company has full corporate power
and authority and has taken all requisite corporate action to enable it to
execute and deliver this Agreement, to


                                       -9-
<PAGE>   16


consummate the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby and to
perform its obligations hereunder. The Board of Directors of the Company, at a
meeting thereof duly called and held, has duly adopted resolutions by the
requisite majority vote approving this Agreement, the Merger and the other
transactions contemplated hereby, determining that the terms and conditions of
this Agreement, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby are
fair to and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders and
recommending that the Company's stockholders adopt and approve this Agreement.
The foregoing resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company have not been
modified, supplemented or rescinded and remain in full force and effect as of
the date of this Agreement. In connection with its adoption of the foregoing
resolutions, the Board of Directors of the Company received the written opinion
of Merrill Lynch & Co., financial advisor to the Board of Directors of the
Company, dated as of the date of this Agreement to the effect that, as of such
date, the Merger Consideration is fair to the stockholders of the Company, other
than the Parent Corporation and its affiliates, from a financial point of view.
The foregoing opinion has not been modified, supplemented or rescinded prior to
the date of this Agreement. The Company will deliver to the Parent Corporation
promptly after the date of this Agreement correct and complete copies of the
foregoing resolutions and opinion. This Agreement constitutes the valid and
legally binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in
accordance with its terms and conditions.

           Section 4.3 Noncontravention; Consents. Except for (a) certain
filings and approvals necessary to comply with the applicable requirements of
the Securities Act, the Securities Exchange Act and the "blue sky" laws and
regulations of various states, (b) certain filings and approvals necessary to
comply with the requirements of the New York Stock Exchange with respect to the
delisting of the Company Common Stock, (c) the filing of a Notification and
Report Form and related material with the Federal Trade Commission and the
Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice under the
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act of 1976, as amended (the "HSR Act"), (d) certain filings
and approvals which may be necessary to comply with the rules and regulations of
the Federal Aviation Administration and (e) the filing of a certificate of
merger pursuant to the Delaware Act, neither the execution and delivery of this
Agreement by the Company, nor the consummation by the Company of the
transactions contemplated hereby, will constitute a violation of, be in conflict
with, constitute or create (with or without notice or lapse of time or both) a
default under, give rise to any right of termination, cancellation, amendment or
acceleration with respect to, or result in the creation or imposition of any
lien, encumbrance, security interest or other claim (a "Lien") upon any property
of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to (i) the charter or bylaws
of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) any constitutional provision,
law, rule, regulation, permit, order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree to
which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject or (iii) any agreement
or commitment to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by
which the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties
is bound or subject, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for
such matters which, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Company
Material Adverse Effect.


                                      -10-
<PAGE>   17

           Section 4.4 Capitalization.

           (a)    As of the date of this Agreement, the authorized capital stock
       of the Company consists of 300,000,000 shares of Company Common Stock. As
       of May 2, 1999, 71,607,043 shares of Company Common Stock were issued and
       outstanding, 18,212,231 shares were held by the Company as treasury
       shares and 4,715,946 shares were reserved for issuance upon the exercise
       of outstanding Stock Options. All of the issued and outstanding shares of
       capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and are validly
       issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

           (b)    Other than Stock Options to acquire an aggregate of 4,715,946
       shares of Company Common Stock granted by the Company to current and
       former directors, officers, employees and advisors of the Company and its
       Subsidiaries pursuant to the Stock Plans, there are no outstanding or
       authorized options, warrants, purchase rights, subscription rights,
       conversion rights, exchange rights or other contracts or commitments that
       could require the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to issue, sell or
       otherwise cause to become outstanding any of its capital stock. There are
       no outstanding stock appreciation, phantom stock, profit participation or
       similar rights with respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

           (c)    Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to
       any voting trust, proxy or other agreement or understanding with respect
       to the voting of any capital stock of the Company or any of its
       Subsidiaries.

           (d)    The Board of Directors of the Company has not declared any
       dividend or distribution with respect to the Company Common Stock the
       record or payment date for which is on or after the date of this
       Agreement.

           (e)    All of the outstanding shares of the capital stock of each of
       the Company's Subsidiaries have been validly issued, are fully paid and
       nonassessable and are owned by the Company or one of its Subsidiaries,
       free and clear of any Lien. Except for its Subsidiaries set forth in the
       Company Disclosure Letter, the Company does not control directly or
       indirectly or have any direct or indirect equity participation in any
       corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture or
       other entity.

           Section 4.5 Company Reports; Joint Proxy Statement.

           (a)    The Company has since October 9, 1996 filed all reports,
       forms, statements and other documents (collectively, together with all
       financial statements included or incorporated by reference therein and
       the Company Form 10-Q, the "Company SEC Documents") required to be filed
       by the Company with the SEC pursuant to the provisions of the Securities
       Act or the Securities Exchange Act. Each of the Company SEC Documents, as
       of its filing date, complied in all material respects with the applicable
       requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act. None
       of the Company SEC Documents, as of their respective filing dates,
       contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a
       material fact required to


                                      -11-
<PAGE>   18


       be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein,
       in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
       No Subsidiary of the Company is required to file any reports, forms,
       statements or other documents pursuant to the Securities Act or the
       Securities Exchange Act.

           (b)    Each of the consolidated financial statements (including
       related notes) included in the Company SEC Documents presented fairly in
       all material respects the consolidated financial condition, cash flows
       and results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries for the
       respective periods or as of the respective dates set forth therein. Each
       of the financial statements (including related notes) included in the
       Company SEC Documents has been prepared in accordance with United States
       generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied during the
       periods involved, except (i) as noted therein, (ii) to the extent
       required by changes in United States generally accepted accounting
       principles or (iii) in the case of unaudited interim financial
       statements, normal recurring year-end audit adjustments.

           (c)    The Company has delivered to the Parent Corporation correct
       and complete copies of any proposed or contemplated amendments or
       modifications to the Company SEC Documents (including any exhibit
       documents included therein) that have not yet been filed by the Company
       with the SEC. The Company has delivered to the Parent Corporation a
       correct and complete copy of the most recent draft of the Company Form
       10-Q.

           (d)    The Joint Proxy Statement will comply in all material respects
       with the applicable requirements of the Securities Exchange Act and will
       not, at the time the definitive Joint Proxy Statement is filed with the
       SEC and mailed to the stockholders of the Company, contain any untrue
       statement of material fact or omit to state any material fact required to
       be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein,
       in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
       No representation or warranty is made herein by the Company with respect
       to any information supplied by the Parent Corporation for inclusion in
       the Joint Proxy Statement. For purposes of this Section 4.5(d), all
       information included in the Joint Proxy Statement concerning or related
       to the Parent Corporation and its Subsidiaries, including the Acquisition
       Corporation, will be deemed to have been supplied by the Parent
       Corporation.

           Section 4.6 No Undisclosed Liabilities. The Company and its
Subsidiaries have no liabilities or obligations (whether absolute or contingent,
liquidated or unliquidated, or due or to become due) except for (a) liabilities
and obligations reflected in the Company SEC Documents and (b) other liabilities
and obligations which, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a
Company Material Adverse Effect.

           Section 4.7 Absence of Material Adverse Change. Since December 31,
1998, there has not occurred any event, change, effect or development which,
individually or in the aggregate, would have a Company Material Adverse Effect.


                                      -12-
<PAGE>   19


           Section 4.8 Litigation and Legal Compliance.

           (a)    The Company Disclosure Letter sets forth each instance in
       which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is (i) subject to any
       material unsatisfied judgment order, decree, stipulation, injunction or
       charge or (ii) a party to or, to the Company's knowledge, threatened to
       be made a party to any material charge, complaint, action, suit,
       proceeding, hearing or, to the Company's knowledge, investigation of or
       in any court or quasi-judicial or administrative agency of any federal,
       state, local or foreign jurisdiction, except for judgments, orders,
       decrees, stipulations, injunctions, charges, complaints, actions, suits,
       proceedings, hearings and investigations which, individually or in the
       aggregate, would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect. There are no
       judicial or administrative actions, proceedings or, to the Company's
       knowledge, investigations pending or, to the Company's knowledge,
       threatened that question the validity of this Agreement or any action
       taken or to be taken by the Company in connection with this Agreement
       which would have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

           (b)    Except for instances of noncompliance which, individually or
       in the aggregate, would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect, the
       Company and its Subsidiaries have complied with each constitutional
       provision, law, rule, regulation, permit, order, writ, injunction,
       judgment or decree to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is
       subject.

           Section 4.9 Contract Matters.

           (a)    Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in default
       or violation of (and no event has occurred which with notice or the lapse
       of time or both would constitute a default or violation) of any term,
       condition or provision of any note, mortgage, indenture, loan agreement,
       other evidence of indebtedness, guarantee, license, lease, agreement or
       other contract, instrument or contractual obligation to which the Company
       or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which any of their respective
       assets is bound or subject, except for defaults and violations which,
       individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Company Material
       Adverse Effect.

           Section 4.10 Tax Matters.

           (a)    The Company and each of its Subsidiaries have timely filed all
       required returns, declarations, reports, claims for refund or information
       returns and statements, including any schedule or attachment thereto
       (collectively "Tax Returns"), relating to any federal, state, local or
       foreign net income, gross income, gross receipts, sales, use, ad valorem,
       transfer, franchise, profits, license, lease, service, service use,
       withholding, payroll, employment, excise, severance, stamp, occupation,
       premium, property, windfall profits, customs, duties or other tax, fee,
       assessment or charge, including any interest, penalty or addition thereto
       and including any liability for the taxes of any other person or entity
       under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1502-6 (or any similar state, local
       or foreign law, rule or regulation), and any liability in respect of any
       tax as a transferee


                                      -13-
<PAGE>   20


       or successor, by law, contract or otherwise (collectively "Taxes"), and
       all such Tax Returns are accurate and complete in all respects, except to
       the extent any such failure to file or any such inaccuracy in any filed
       Tax Return, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Company
       Material Adverse Effect. All Taxes owed by the Company or any of its
       Subsidiaries (whether or not shown on any Tax Return) have been paid or
       adequately reserved for in accordance with generally accepted accounting
       principles in the financial statements of the Company, except to the
       extent any such failure to pay or reserve, individually or in the
       aggregate, would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

           (b)    The most recent financial statements contained in the Company
       SEC Documents reflect adequate reserves in accordance with generally
       accepted accounting principles for all Taxes payable by the Company and
       its Subsidiaries for all Tax periods and portions thereof through the
       date of such financial statements, except to the extent that any failure
       to so reserve, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Company
       Material Adverse Effect. No deficiency with respect to Taxes has been
       proposed, asserted or assessed against the Company or any of its
       Subsidiaries and no requests for waivers of the time to assess any such
       Taxes are pending, except to the extent any such deficiency or request
       for waiver, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Company
       Material Adverse Effect.

           (c)    None of the federal income Tax Returns of the Company or any
       of its Subsidiaries consolidated in such Tax Returns have been examined
       by and settled with the Internal Revenue Service.

           (d)    Except for Liens for current Taxes not yet due and payable or
       which are being contested in good faith, there is no Lien affecting any
       of the assets or properties of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
       that arose in connection with any failure or alleged failure to pay any
       Tax, except for Liens which, individually or in the aggregate, would not
       have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

           (e)    Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to
       any Tax allocation or Tax sharing agreement.

           (f)    Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has made any
       payments, is obligated to make any payments or is a party to any
       agreement that under any circumstances could obligate it to make any
       payments that will not be fully deductible under Sections 280G or 162(m)
       of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). 

           Section 4.11 Employee Benefit Matters.

           (a)    The Company Disclosure Letter lists each plan, program or
       arrangement constituting a material employee welfare benefit plan (an
       "Employee Welfare Benefit Plan") as defined in Section 3(1) of the
       Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended ("ERISA"), or
       a material employee pension benefit plan (an


                                      -14-
<PAGE>   21


       "Employee Pension Benefit Plan") as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA, and
       each other material employee benefit plan, program or arrangement or
       employment practice maintained by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
       with respect to any of its current or former employees or to which the
       Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries contributes or is required to
       contribute with respect to any of its current or former employees
       (collectively, the "Company Plans"). With respect to each Company Plan:

                  (i)     such Company Plan (and each related trust, insurance
           contract or fund) has been administered in a manner consistent in all
           respects with its written terms and complies in form and operation
           with the applicable requirements of ERISA, the Code and other
           applicable laws, except for failures of administration or compliance
           that would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect;

                  (ii)    all required reports and descriptions (including Form
           5500 Annual Reports, Summary Annual Reports, PBGC-1's and Summary
           Plan Descriptions) have been filed or distributed appropriately with
           respect to such Company Plan, except for failures of filing or
           distribution that would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect;

                  (iii)   the requirements of Part 6 of Subtitle B of Title I
           of ERISA and Section 4980B of the Code have been met with respect to
           each such Company Plan which is an Employee Welfare Benefit Plan,
           except for failures that would not have a Company Material Adverse
           Effect;

                  (iv)    all material contributions, premiums or other
           payments (including all employer contributions and employee salary
           reduction contributions) that are due have been paid to each such
           Company Plan;

                  (v)     each such Company Plan which is an Employee Pension
           Benefit Plan intended to be a "qualified plan" under Section 401(a)
           of the Code has received a favorable determination letter from the
           Internal Revenue Service and no event has occurred which could
           reasonably be expected to cause the loss or denial of such
           qualification under Section 401(a) of the Code;

                  (vi)    the Company has made available or prior to the
           Closing Date will make available to the Parent Corporation, upon its
           request, correct and complete copies of the plan documents and
           summary plan descriptions, the most recent determination letter
           received from the Internal Revenue Service, the most recent Form 5500
           Annual Report, the most recent actuarial report, the most recent
           audited financial statements, and all related trust agreements,
           insurance contracts and other funding agreements that implement such
           Company Plan (but excluding the failure to make available any such
           document which is not material). The valuation summaries provided by
           the Company to the Parent Corporation reasonably represent the assets
           and liabilities attributable to Company Plans calculated in
           accordance with the Company's past practices,


                                      -15-
<PAGE>   22

           but excluding any failure that would not have a Company Material
           Adverse Effect;

                  (vii)   no Company Plan which is an Employee Pension Benefit
           Plan has been amended in any manner which would require the posting
           of security under Section 401(a)(29) of the Code or Section 307 of
           ERISA; and

                  (viii)  neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has
           communicated to any employee (excluding internal memoranda to
           management) any plan or commitment, whether or not legally binding,
           to create any additional material employee benefit plan or to
           materially modify or change any Company Plan affecting any employee
           or terminated employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, but
           excluding any such action that does not materially increase the
           liability of the Company or its Subsidiaries.

           (b)    With respect to each Employee Welfare Benefit Plan or Employee
       Pension Benefit Plan that the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
       maintains or ever has maintained, or to which any of them contributes,
       ever has contributed or ever has been required to contribute:

                  (i)     no such Employee Pension Benefit Plan (other than any
           Multiemployer Plan) has been completely or partially terminated
           (other than any termination that would not have a Company Material
           Adverse Effect), no reportable event (as defined in Section 4043 of
           ERISA) as to which notices would be required to be filed with the
           Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation has occurred but has not yet
           been so reported (but excluding any failure to report which would not
           have a Company Material Adverse Effect), and no proceeding by the
           Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to terminate such Employee
           Pension Benefit Plan (other than any Multiemployer Plan) has been
           instituted; and

                  (ii)    there have been no non-exempt prohibited transactions
           (as defined in Section 406 of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code)
           with respect to such plan, no fiduciary has any liability for breach
           of fiduciary duty or any other failure to act or comply in connection
           with the administration or investment of the assets of such plan, and
           no action, suit, proceeding, hearing or, to the Company's knowledge,
           investigation with respect to the administration or the investment of
           the assets of such plan (other than routine claims for benefits) is
           pending or, to the Company's knowledge, threatened, but excluding,
           from each of the foregoing, events or circumstances that would not
           have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

           (c)    Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries contributes to
       or has any liability (including withdrawal liability) under any
       Multiemployer Plan, which liability would have a Company Material Adverse
       Effect. None of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will
       trigger any withdrawal or termination liability


                                      -16-
<PAGE>   23


       under any Multiemployer Plan set forth in the Company Disclosure Letter,
       which liability would have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

           (d)    Other than pursuant to a Company Plan, neither the Company nor
       any of its Subsidiaries has any obligation to provide medical, health,
       life insurance or other welfare benefits for current or future retired or
       terminated employees, their spouses or their dependents (other than in
       accordance with Section 4980B of the Code), except for obligations that
       would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

           (e)    No Company Plan contains any provision that would prohibit the
       transactions contemplated by this Agreement, would give rise to any
       severance, termination or other payments as a result of the transactions
       contemplated by this Agreement (alone or together with the occurrence of
       any other event), or would cause any payment, acceleration or increase in
       benefits provided by any Company Plan as a result of the transactions
       contemplated by this Agreement (alone or together with the occurrence of
       any other event), but excluding from this paragraph (e) any payment,
       acceleration or increase which is not material.

           (f)    Any individual who is classified as a non-employee for
       purposes of receiving benefits (such as an independent contractor, leased
       employee, consultant or special consultant) regardless of treatment for
       other purposes, is not unintentionally eligible to participate in any
       Company Plan, except where such treatment would not have a Company 
       Material Adverse Effect.

           Section 4.12 Environmental Matters.

           (a)    With respect to the current and former operations and
       properties of the Company and its Subsidiaries, and in each case except
       for matters which, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a
       Company Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company and its Subsidiaries
       have complied in all respects with all Environmental Laws (as defined in
       Section 4.12(b)) in connection with the ownership, use, maintenance and
       operation of all real property owned or leased by them and otherwise in
       connection with their operations, (ii) neither the Company nor any of its
       Subsidiaries has any liability, whether contingent or otherwise, under
       any Environmental Law, (iii) no notices of any violation or alleged
       violation of, non-compliance or alleged noncompliance with or any
       liability under, any Environmental Law have been received by the Company
       or any of its Subsidiaries since January 1, 1994, (iv) there are no
       administrative, civil or criminal writs, injunctions, decrees, orders or
       judgments outstanding or any administrative, civil or criminal actions,
       suits, claims, proceedings or, to the Company's knowledge, investigations
       pending or, to the Company's knowledge, threatened, relating to
       compliance with or liability under any Environmental Law affecting the
       Company or any of its Subsidiaries and (v) to the knowledge of the
       Company, no material changes or alterations in the practices or
       operations of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries as presently
       conducted are anticipated to be required in the future in order to permit
       the Company and its


                                      -17-
<PAGE>   24


       Subsidiaries to continue to comply in all material respects with all
       applicable Environmental Laws.

           (b)    The term "Environmental Law" as used in this Agreement means
       any law, rule, regulation, permit, order, writ, injunction, judgment or
       decree with respect to the preservation of the environment or the
       promotion of worker health and safety, including any law, rule,
       regulation, permit, order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree relating
       to Hazardous Materials (as defined in Section 4.12(c)), drinking water,
       surface water, groundwater, wetlands, landfills, open dumps, storage
       tanks, underground storage tanks, solid waste, waste water, storm water
       run-off, noises, odors, air emissions, waste emissions or wells. Without
       limiting the generality of the foregoing, the term will encompass each of
       the following statutes and the regulations promulgated thereunder, and
       any similar applicable state, local or foreign law, rule or regulation,
       each as amended (i) the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
       Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, (ii) the Solid Waste Disposal
       Act, (iii) the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, (iv) the Toxic
       Substances Control Act, (v) the Clean Water Act, (vi) the Clean Air Act,
       (vii) the Safe Drinking Water Act, (viii) the National Environmental
       Policy Act of 1969, (ix) the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act
       of 1986, (x) Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization
       Act, (xi) the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act and
       (xii) the provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
       relating to the handling of and exposure to Hazardous Materials and
       similar substances.

           (c)    The term "Hazardous Materials" as used in this Agreement means
       each and every element, compound, chemical mixture, contaminant,
       pollutant, material, waste or other substance that is defined, determined
       or identified as hazardous or toxic under any Environmental Law or the
       spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging,
       injecting, storing, escaping, leaching, dumping, discarding, burying,
       abandoning or disposing into the environment of which is prohibited under
       any Environmental Law. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing,
       the term will include (i) "hazardous substances" as defined in the
       Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of
       1980, the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, or Title
       III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act and regulations
       promulgated thereunder, each as amended, (ii) "hazardous waste" as
       defined in the Solid Waste Disposal Act and regulations promulgated
       thereunder, each as amended, (iii) "hazardous materials" as defined in
       the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act and the regulations
       promulgated thereunder, each as amended, (iv) "chemical substance or
       mixture" as defined in the Toxic Substances Control Act and regulation
       promulgated thereunder, each as amended, (v) petroleum and petroleum
       products and byproducts and (vi) asbestos.

           Section 4.13 Title. The Company and its Subsidiaries now have and at
the Effective Time will have good and, in the case of real property, marketable
title to all the properties and assets purported to be owned by them, free and
clear of all Liens except (a) Liens for current Taxes or assessments not
delinquent, (b) builder, mechanic, warehousemen, materialmen, contractor,
workmen, repairmen, carrier or other similar Liens arising and


                                      -18-
<PAGE>   25


continuing in the ordinary course of business for obligations that are not
delinquent, (c) the rights, if any, of vendors having possession of tooling of
the Company and its Subsidiaries, (d) liens arising from the receipt by the
Company and its Subsidiaries of progress payments by the United States
government, (e) Liens securing rental payments under capital lease arrangements
and (f) other Liens which, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a
Company Material Adverse Effect (collectively, "Permitted Liens").

           Section 4.14 Intellectual Property Matters.

           (a)    The Company and its Subsidiaries own or have the right to use
       pursuant to valid license, sublicense, agreement or permission all items
       of Intellectual Property (as defined in Section 4.14(b)) necessary for
       their operations as presently conducted and as presently proposed to be
       conducted, except where the failure to have such rights, individually or
       in the aggregate, would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
       Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any charge,
       complaint, claim, demand or notice alleging any interference,
       infringement, misappropriation or violation of the Intellectual Property
       rights of any third party, except for interferences, infringements,
       misappropriations and violations which, individually or in the aggregate,
       would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect. To the Company's
       knowledge, no third party has interfered with, infringed upon,
       misappropriated or otherwise come into conflict with any Intellectual
       Property rights of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, except for
       misappropriations and violations which, individually or in the aggregate,
       would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

           (b)    The term "Intellectual Property" as used in this Agreement
       means, collectively, patents, patent disclosures, trademarks, service
       marks, trade dress, logos, trade names, copyrights and mask works, and
       all registrations, applications, reissuances, continuations,
       continuations-in-part, revisions, extensions, reexaminations and
       associated good will with respect to each of the foregoing, computer
       software (including source and object codes), computer programs, computer
       data bases and related documentation and materials, data, documentation,
       trade secrets, confidential business information (including ideas,
       formulas, compositions, inventions, know-how, manufacturing and
       production processes and techniques, research and development
       information, drawings, designs, plans, proposals and technical data,
       financial, marketing and business data and pricing and cost information)
       and other intellectual property rights (in whatever form or medium).

           Section 4.15 Year 2000 Compliance Matters. Except for matters which,
individually and in the aggregate, would not have a Company Material Adverse
Effect, all computer systems and computer software used by the Company and its
Subsidiaries and all computer systems and computer software incorporated in
products manufactured by the Company and its Subsidiaries (a) recognize, or are
being adapted so that, prior to December 31, 1999, they will recognize, the
advent of the year 2000 without any material adverse change in operation
associated with such recognition, (b) can correctly recognize and manipulate, or
are being adapted so that, prior to December 31, 1999, they can recognize and
manipulate, date information relating to dates prior to, on and after January 1,
2000 and (c) to the Company's


                                      -19-
<PAGE>   26


knowledge, can suitably interact with other year 2000 compliant computer systems
and computer software in a way that does not compromise their ability to
correctly recognize the advent of the year 2000 or to recognize and manipulate
date information relating to dates prior to, on or after January 1, 2000. The
costs of the adaptations to computer systems and computer software being made by
the Company and its Subsidiaries in order to achieve year 2000 compliance are
not presently expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

           Section 4.16 Labor Matters. There are no controversies pending or, to
the Company's knowledge, threatened between the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries and any of their current or former employees or any labor or other
collective bargaining unit representing any such employee that could reasonably
be expected to result in a material labor strike, dispute, slow-down or work
stoppage or otherwise which, individually or in the aggregate, would have a
Company Material Adverse Effect. The Company is not aware of any organizational
effort presently being made or threatened by or on behalf of any labor union
with respect to employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. To the
Company's knowledge, as of the date of this Agreement no executive, key employee
or group of employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has any plan to
terminate employment with the Company and its Subsidiaries, which termination
would have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

           Section 4.17 State Takeover Laws. The resolutions adopted by the
Board of Directors of the Company approving this Agreement are sufficient to
cause the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware Act to be inapplicable to
this Agreement, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby. To
the Company's knowledge, no other fair price, moratorium, control share
acquisition or other form of antitakeover statute, rule or regulation of any
state or jurisdiction applies or purports to apply to this Agreement, the Merger
or the other transactions contemplated hereby.

           Section 4.18 Parent Common Stock Ownership. Neither the Company nor
any of its Subsidiaries owns any shares of Parent Common Stock or any securities
exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into shares of Parent Common
Stock.

           Section 4.19 Accounting and Tax Matters. Neither the Company nor any
of its Subsidiaries has taken or agreed to take any action that would prevent
accounting for the Merger in accordance with the pooling of interests method of
accounting under the requirements of APB No. 16 or prevent the Merger from
constituting a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code.

           Section 4.20 Brokers' Fees. Except for the fees and expenses payable
by the Company to Merrill Lynch & Co. and Goldman Sachs & Co., neither the
Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has any liability or obligation to pay any
fees or commissions to any financial advisor, broker, finder or agent with
respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The Company has
delivered to the Parent Corporation a correct and complete copy of the
engagement letter between the Company and Merrill Lynch & Co. relating to the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The Company Disclosure Letter sets
forth the

                                      -20-
<PAGE>   27


fees payable to Merrill Lynch & Co. and Goldman Sachs & Co. in connection with
this Agreement.

                                    ARTICLE 5

            REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE PARENT CORPORATION

           The Parent Corporation represents and warrants to the Company that
except as disclosed in the reports, schedules, forms, statements and other
documents filed by the Parent Corporation with the SEC and publicly available
prior to the date of this Agreement, as disclosed in the draft of the Quarterly
Statement on Form 10-Q for the Parent Corporation's fiscal quarter ended March
31, 1999 (the "Parent Corporation Form 10-Q") delivered to the Parent
Corporation prior to the date of this Agreement or as disclosed in the letter
dated as of the date of this Agreement from the Parent Corporation to the
Company (the "Parent Corporation Disclosure Letter"):

           Section 5.1 Organization. The Parent Corporation and each of its
Subsidiaries is a corporation duly organized and validly existing under the laws
of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and has all requisite power and
authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business
as presently being conducted. The Parent Corporation and each of its
Subsidiaries is in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
incorporation and is duly qualified to conduct business as a foreign corporation
in each other jurisdiction where such qualification is required, except where
the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would not have a material
adverse effect on the business, financial condition, operations or results of
operations of the Parent Corporation and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole or
the ability of the Parent Corporation to consummate the Merger and to perform
its obligations under this Agreement (a "Parent Corporation Material Adverse
Effect"). The Parent Corporation has delivered to the Company correct and
complete copies of its charter and bylaws, as presently in effect, and will make
available to the Company after the date of this Agreement correct and complete
copies of the charter and bylaws, as presently in effect, of each of its
Subsidiaries.

           Section 5.2 Authorization of Transaction; Enforceability. Subject to
obtaining the Parent Corporation Stockholder Approval, each of the Parent
Corporation and the Acquisition Corporation has full corporate power and
authority and has taken all requisite corporate action to enable it to execute
and deliver this Agreement, to consummate the Merger and the other transactions
contemplated hereby and to perform its obligations hereunder. The Parent
Corporation has executed a written consent in lieu of a special meeting of the
sole stockholder of the Acquisition Corporation in accordance with Section 228
of the Delaware Act adopting and approving this Agreement. The Board of
Directors of the Parent Corporation, at a meeting thereof duly called and held,
has duly adopted resolutions by the requisite majority vote approving this
Agreement, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby,
determining that the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Merger and the
other transactions contemplated hereby are fair to and in the best interests of
the Parent Corporation and its stockholders, approving and setting forth the
Charter Amendment and declaring its advisability, and recommending that the
Parent Corporation's stockholders approve and adopt


                                      -21-
<PAGE>   28


the Charter Amendment and the issuance of the Parent Common Stock in the Merger.
The foregoing resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company have not been
modified, supplemented or rescinded and remain in full force and effect as of
the date of this Agreement. In connection with its adoption of the foregoing
resolutions, the Board of Directors of the Parent Corporation received the
written opinion of Bear Stearns & Co. Inc., financial advisor to the Board of
Directors of the Parent Corporation, that the Merger is fair, from a financial
point of view, to the Parent Corporation and its stockholders. The foregoing
opinion has not been modified, supplemented or rescinded prior to the date of
this Agreement. The Parent Corporation will deliver to the Company promptly
after the date of this Agreement correct and complete copies of the foregoing
resolutions and opinion. This Agreement constitutes the valid and legally
binding obligation of each of the Parent Corporation and the Acquisition
Corporation, enforceable against the Parent Corporation and the Acquisition
Corporation in accordance with its terms and conditions.

           Section 5.3 Noncontravention; Consents. Except for (a) certain
filings and approvals necessary to comply with the applicable requirements of
the Securities Act, the Securities Exchange Act and the "blue sky" laws and
regulations of various states, (b) the approval by the New York Stock Exchange
of the listing, upon official notice of issuance, of the shares of Parent Common
Stock proposed to be issued pursuant to the Merger, (c) the filing of a
Notification and Report Form and related material with the Federal Trade
Commission and the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice
under the HSR Act, (d) certain filings and approvals which may be necessary to
comply with the rules and regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration and
(e) the filing of a certificate of merger pursuant to the Delaware Act, neither
the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Parent Corporation or the
Acquisition Corporation, nor the consummation by the Parent Corporation or the
Acquisition Corporation of the transactions contemplated hereby, will constitute
a violation of, be in conflict with, constitute or create (with or without
notice or lapse of time or both) a default under, give rise to any right of
termination, cancellation, amendment or acceleration with respect to, or result
in the creation or imposition of any Lien upon any property of the Parent
Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to (i) the charter or bylaws of
the Parent Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) any constitutional
provision, law, rule, regulation, permit, order, writ, injunction, judgment or
decree to which the Parent Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries is subject or
(iii) any agreement or commitment to which the Parent Corporation or any of its
Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Parent Corporation, any of its
Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties is bound or subject, except,
in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for such matters which,
individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Parent Corporation Material
Adverse Effect.

       Section 5.4 Capitalization.

           (a)    As of the date of this Agreement, the authorized capital stock
       of the Parent Corporation consists of 250,000,000 shares divided into
       200,000,000 shares of Parent Common Stock and 50,000,000 shares of
       Preferred Stock, par value $1.00 per share. As of May 11, 1999,
       127,569,456 shares of Parent Common Stock were issued and outstanding,
       41,205,216 shares were held by the Parent Corporation as treasury shares
       and 4,926,641 shares were reserved for issuance upon the exercise of
       options


                                      -22-
<PAGE>   29


       or other rights to purchase or otherwise acquire shares of Parent Common
       Stock granted by the Parent Corporation to current and former directors,
       officers and employees of the Parent Corporation and its Subsidiaries. No
       shares of the Parent Corporation's Preferred Stock are issued or
       outstanding. All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of
       the Parent Corporation have been duly authorized and are validly issued,
       fully paid and nonassessable.

           (b)    Other than options and other rights to purchase or otherwise
       acquire an aggregate of 4,926,641 shares of Parent Common Stock granted
       by the Parent Corporation to current and former directors, officers and
       employees of the Parent Corporation and its Subsidiaries pursuant to
       various stock option, restricted stock and similar plans, programs and
       arrangements of the Parent Corporation and its Subsidiaries, there are no
       outstanding or authorized options, warrants, purchase rights,
       subscription rights, conversion rights, exchange rights or other
       contracts or commitments that could require the Parent Corporation or any
       of its Subsidiaries to issue, sell or otherwise cause to become
       outstanding any of its capital stock. There are no outstanding stock
       appreciation, phantom stock, profit participation or similar rights with
       respect to the Parent Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries.

           (c)    Neither the Parent Corporation nor any of its Subsidiaries is
       a party to any voting trust, proxy or other agreement or understanding
       with respect to the voting of any capital stock of the Parent Corporation
       or any of its Subsidiaries.

           (d)    All of the outstanding shares of the capital stock of each of
       the Parent Corporation's Subsidiaries have been validly issued, are fully
       paid and nonassessable and are owned by the Parent Corporation or one of
       its Subsidiaries, free and clear of any Lien. Except for its Subsidiaries
       set forth in the Parent Corporation Disclosure Letter, the Company does
       not control directly or indirectly or have any direct or indirect equity
       participation in any corporation, partnership, limited liability company,
       joint venture or other entity. The Acquisition Corporation has been
       formed solely for purposes of the transactions contemplated by this
       Agreement and has not conducted any business or engaged in any activities
       prior to the date of this Agreement.

           Section 5.5 Parent Corporation Reports; Joint Proxy and Registration
Statements.

           (a)    The Parent Corporation has since January 1, 1994 filed all
       reports, forms, statements and other documents (collectively, together
       with all financial statements included or incorporated by reference
       therein and the Parent Corporation Form 10-Q, the "Parent Corporation SEC
       Documents") required to be filed by the Parent Corporation with the SEC
       pursuant to the provisions of the Securities Act or the Securities
       Exchange Act. Each of the Parent Corporation SEC Documents, as of its
       filing date, complied in all material respects with the applicable
       requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act. None
       of the Parent Corporation SEC Documents, as of their respective filing
       dates, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to
       state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary


                                      -23-
<PAGE>   30


       in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances
       under which they were made, not misleading. No Subsidiary of the Parent
       Corporation is required to file any reports, forms, statements or other
       documents pursuant to the Securities Act of the Securities Exchange Act.

           (b)    Each of the consolidated financial statements (including
       related notes) included in the Parent Corporation SEC Documents presented
       fairly in all material respects the consolidated financial condition,
       cash flows and results of operations of the Parent Corporation and its
       Subsidiaries for the respective periods or as of the respective dates set
       forth therein. Each of the financial statements (including related notes)
       included in the Parent Corporation SEC Documents has been prepared in
       accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles,
       consistently applied during the periods involved, except (i) as noted
       therein, (ii) to the extent required by changes in United States
       generally accepted accounting principles or (iii) in the case of
       unaudited interim financial statements, normal recurring year-end audit
       adjustments.

           (c)    The Parent Corporation has delivered to the Company correct
       and complete copies of any proposed or contemplated amendments or
       modifications to the Parent Corporation SEC Documents (including any
       exhibit documents included therein) that have not yet been filed by the
       Parent Corporation with the SEC. The Parent Corporation has delivered to
       the Company a correct and complete copy of the most recent draft of the
       Parent Corporation Form 10-Q.

           (d)    The Joint Proxy Statement and the Registration Statement will
       comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the
       Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act and will not, at the time
       the definitive Joint Proxy Statement is filed with the SEC and mailed to
       the stockholders of the Parent Corporation and at the time the
       Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC, contain any
       untrue statement of material fact or omit to state any material fact
       required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the
       statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were
       made, not misleading. No representation or warranty is made herein by the
       Parent Corporation with respect to any information supplied by the
       Company for inclusion in the Joint Proxy Statement or the Registration
       Statement. For purposes of this Section 5.5(d), all information included
       in the Joint Proxy Statement and the Registration Statement concerning or
       related to the Company and its Subsidiaries will be deemed to have been
       supplied by the Company.

           Section 5.6 No Undisclosed Liabilities. The Parent Corporation and
its Subsidiaries have no liabilities or obligations (whether absolute or
contingent, liquidated or unliquidated, or due or to become due) except for (a)
liabilities and obligations reflected in the Parent Corporation SEC Documents
and (b)other liabilities and obligations which, individually or in the
aggregate, would not have a Parent Corporation Material Adverse Effect.


                                      -24-
<PAGE>   31


           Section 5.7 Absence of Material Adverse Change. Since December 31,
1998, there has not occurred any event, change, effect or development which,
individually or in the aggregate, would have a Parent Corporation Material
Adverse Effect.

           Section 5.8 Litigation and Legal Compliance.

           (a)    The Parent Corporation Disclosure Letter sets forth each
       instance in which the Parent Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries is
       (i) subject to any material unsatisfied judgment order, decree,
       stipulation, injunction or charge or (ii) a party to or, to the Parent
       Corporation's knowledge, threatened to be made a party to any material
       charge, complaint, action, suit, proceeding, hearing or, to the Parent
       Corporation's knowledge, investigation of or in any court or
       quasi-judicial or administrative agency of any federal, state, local or
       foreign jurisdiction, except for judgments, orders, decrees,
       stipulations, injunctions, charges, complaints, actions, suits,
       proceedings, hearings and investigations which, individually or in the
       aggregate, would not have a Parent Corporation Material Adverse Effect.
       There are no judicial or administrative actions, proceedings or, to the
       Parent Corporation's knowledge, investigations pending or, to the Parent
       Corporation's knowledge, threatened that question the validity of this
       Agreement or any action taken or to be taken by the Parent Corporation in
       connection with this Agreement which would have a Parent Corporation
       Material Adverse Effect.

           (b)    Except for instances of noncompliance which, individually or
       in the aggregate, would not have a Parent Corporation Material Adverse
       Effect, the Parent Corporation and its Subsidiaries have complied with
       each constitutional provision, law, rule, regulation, permit, order,
       writ, injunction, judgment or decree to which the Parent Corporation or
       any of its Subsidiaries is subject.

           Section 5.9 Contract Matters.

           (a)    Neither the Parent Corporation nor any of its Subsidiaries is
       in default or violation of (and no event has occurred which with notice
       or the lapse of time or both would constitute a default or violation) of
       any term, condition or provision of any note, mortgage, indenture, loan
       agreement, other evidence of indebtedness, guarantee, license, lease,
       agreement or other contract, instrument or contractual obligation to
       which the Parent Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by
       which any of their respective assets is bound or subject, except for
       defaults and violations which, individually or in the aggregate, would
       not have a Parent Corporation Material Adverse Effect.

           Section 5.10 Tax Matters.

           (a)    The Parent Corporation and each of its Subsidiaries have
       timely filed all required Tax Returns and all such Tax Returns are
       accurate and complete in all respects, except to the extent any such
       failure to file or any such inaccuracy in any filed Tax Return,
       individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Parent Corporation


                                      -25-
<PAGE>   32


       Material Adverse Effect. All Taxes owed by the Parent Corporation or any
       of its Subsidiaries (whether or not shown on any Tax Return) have been
       paid or adequately reserved for in accordance with generally accepted
       accounting principles in the financial statements of the Parent
       Corporation, except to the extent any such failure to pay or reserve,
       individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Parent Corporation
       Material Adverse Effect.

           (b)    The most recent financial statements contained in the Parent
       Corporation SEC Documents reflect adequate reserves in accordance with
       generally accepted accounting principles for all Taxes payable by the
       Parent Corporation and its Subsidiaries for all Tax periods and portions
       thereof through the date of such financial statements, except to the
       extent that any failure to so reserve, individually or in the aggregate,
       would not have a Parent Corporation Material Adverse Effect. No
       deficiency with respect to Taxes has been proposed, asserted or assessed
       against the Parent Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries and no requests
       for waivers of the time to assess any such Taxes are pending, except to
       the extent any such deficiency or request for waiver, individually or in
       the aggregate, would not have a Parent Corporation Material Adverse
       Effect.

           (c)    The federal income Tax Returns of the Parent Corporation and
       each of its Subsidiaries consolidated in such Tax Returns have been
       examined by and settled with the Internal Revenue Service for all Tax
       years through 1989.

           (d)    Except for Liens for current Taxes not yet due and payable or
       which are being contested in good faith, there is no Lien affecting any
       of the assets or properties of the Parent Corporation or any of its
       Subsidiaries that arose in connection with any failure or alleged failure
       to pay any Tax, except for Liens which, individually or in the aggregate,
       would not have a Parent Corporation Material Adverse Effect.

           (e)    Neither the Parent Corporation nor any of its Subsidiaries is
       a party to any Tax allocation or Tax sharing agreement.

           Section 5.11 Employee Benefit Matters.

           (a)    The Parent Corporation Disclosure Letter lists each plan,
       program or arrangement constituting a material Employee Welfare Benefit
       Plan or a material Employee Pension Benefit Plan and each other material
       employee benefit plan, program or arrangement or employment practice
       maintained by the Parent Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries with
       respect to any of its current or former employees or to which the Parent
       Corporation or any of the Parent Corporation Subsidiaries contributes or
       is required to contribute with respect to any of its current or former
       employees (collectively, the "Parent Corporation Plans"). With respect to
       each Parent Corporation Plan:

                  (i)     such Parent Corporation Plan (and each related trust,
           insurance contract or fund) has been administered in a manner
           consistent in all respects


                                      -26-
<PAGE>   33


           with its written terms and complies in form and operation with the
           applicable requirements of ERISA, the Code and other applicable laws,
           except for failures of administration or compliance that would not
           have a Parent Corporation Material Adverse Effect;

                  (ii)    all required reports and descriptions (including Form
           5500 Annual Reports, Summary Annual Reports, PBGC-1's and Summary
           Plan Descriptions) have been filed or distributed appropriately with
           respect to such Parent Corporation Plan, except for failures of
           filing or distribution that would not have a Parent Corporation
           Material Adverse Effect;

                  (iii)   the requirements of Part 6 of Subtitle B of Title I
           of ERISA and Section 4980B of the Code have been met with respect to
           each such Parent Corporation Plan which is an Employee Welfare
           Benefit Plan, except for failures that would not have a Parent
           Corporation Material Adverse Effect;

                  (iv)    all material contributions, premiums or other
           payments (including all employer contributions and employee salary
           reduction contributions) that are due have been paid to each such
           Parent Corporation Plan;

                  (v)     each such Parent Corporation Plan which is an Employee
           Pension Benefit Plan intended to be a "qualified plan" under Section
           401(a) of the Code has received a favorable determination letter from
           the Internal Revenue Service and no event has occurred which could
           reasonably be expected to cause the loss or denial of such
           qualification under Section 401(a) of the Code;


                  (vi)    the Parent Corporation has made available or prior to
           the Closing Date will make available to the Company, upon its
           request, correct and complete copies of the plan documents and
           summary plan descriptions, the most recent determination letter
           received from the Internal Revenue Service, the most recent Form 5500
           Annual Report, the most recent actuarial report, the most recent
           audited financial statements, and all related trust agreements,
           insurance contracts and other funding agreements that implement such
           Parent Corporation Plan (but excluding the failure to make available
           any such document which is not material). The valuation summaries
           provided by the Parent Corporation to the Company reasonably
           represent the assets and liabilities attributable to the Parent
           Corporation Plans calculated in accordance with the Parent
           Corporation's past practices, but excluding any failure that would
           not have a Parent Corporation Material Adverse Effect;

                  (vii)   no Parent Corporation Plan which is an Employee
           Pension Benefit Plan has been amended in any manner which would
           require the posting of security under Section 401(a)(29) of the Code
           or Section 307 of ERISA; and


                                      -27-
<PAGE>   34


                  (viii)  neither the Parent Corporation nor any of its
           Subsidiaries has communicated to any employee (excluding internal
           memoranda to management) any plan or commitment, whether or not
           legally binding, to create any additional material employee benefit
           plan or to materially modify or change any Parent Corporation Plan
           affecting any employee or terminated employee of the Parent
           Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries, but excluding any such action
           that does not materially increase the liability of the Parent
           Corporation or its Subsidiaries.

           (b)    With respect to each Employee Welfare Benefit Plan or Employee
       Pension Benefit Plan that the Parent Corporation or any of its
       Subsidiaries maintains or ever has maintained, or to which any of them
       contributes, ever has contributed or ever has been required to
       contribute:

                  (i)     no such Employee Pension Benefit Plan (other than any
           Multiemployer Plan) has been completely or partially terminated
           (other than any termination that would not have a Parent Corporation
           Material Adverse Effect, no reportable event (as defined in Section
           4043 of ERISA) as to which notices would be required to be filed with
           the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation has occurred but has not yet
           been so reported (excluding any such failure to report which would
           not have a Parent Corporation Material Adverse Effect), and no
           proceeding by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to terminate
           such Employee Pension Benefit Plan (other than any Multiemployer
           Plan) has been instituted; and

                  (ii)    there have been no non-exempt prohibited transactions
           (as defined in Section 406 of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code)
           with respect to such plan, no fiduciary has any liability for breach
           of fiduciary duty or any other failure to act or comply in connection
           with the administration or investment of the assets of such plan, and
           no action, suit, proceeding, hearing or, to the Parent Corporation's
           knowledge, investigation with respect to the administration or the
           investment of the assets of such plan (other than routine claims for
           benefits) is pending or, to the Parent Corporation's knowledge,
           threatened, but excluding, from each of the foregoing, events or
           circumstances that would not have a Parent Corporation Material
           Adverse Effect.

           (c)    None of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will
       trigger any withdrawal or termination liability under any Multiemployer
       Plan set forth in the Parent Corporation Disclosure Letter, which
       liability would have a Parent Corporation Material Adverse Effect.

           (d)    Other than pursuant to a Parent Corporation Plan, neither the
       Parent Corporation nor any of its Subsidiaries has any obligation to
       provide medical, health, life insurance or other welfare benefits for
       current or future retired or terminated employees, their spouses or their
       dependents (other than in accordance with Section


                                      -28-
<PAGE>   35


       4980B of the Code), except for obligations that would not have a Parent
       Corporation Material Adverse Effect.

           (e)    No Parent Corporation Plan contains any provision that would
       prohibit the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, would give rise
       to any severance, termination or other payments as a result of the
       transactions contemplated by this Agreement (alone or together with the
       occurrence of any other event), or would cause any payment, acceleration
       or increase in benefits provided by any Parent Corporation Plan as a
       result of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (alone or
       together with the occurrence of any other event), but excluding from this
       paragraph (e) any payment, acceleration or increase which is not
       material.

           (f)    Any individual who is classified as a non-employee for
       purposes of receiving benefits (such as an independent contractor, leased
       employee, consultant or special consultant) regardless of treatment for
       other purposes, is not unintentionally eligible to participate in any
       Parent Corporation Plan, except where such treatment would not have a
       Parent Corporation Material Adverse Effect.

           Section 5.12 Environmental Matters. With respect to the current and
former operations and properties of the Parent Corporation and its Subsidiaries,
and in each case except for matters which, individually or in the aggregate,
would not have a Parent Corporation Material Adverse Effect, (a) the Parent
Corporation and its Subsidiaries have complied in all respects with all
Environmental Laws in connection with the ownership, use, maintenance and
operation of all real property owned or leased by them and otherwise in
connection with their operations, (b) neither the Parent Corporation nor any of
its Subsidiaries has any liability, whether contingent or otherwise, under any
Environmental Law, (c) no notices of any violation or alleged violation of,
non-compliance or alleged noncompliance with or any liability under, any
Environmental Law have been received by the Parent Corporation or any of its
Subsidiaries since January 1, 1994, (d) there are no administrative, civil or
criminal writs, injunctions, decrees, orders or judgments outstanding or any
administrative, civil or criminal actions, suits, claims, proceedings or, to the
Parent Corporation's knowledge, investigations pending or, to the Parent
Corporation's knowledge, threatened, relating to compliance with or liability
under any Environmental Law affecting the Parent Corporation or any of its
Subsidiaries and (e) to the knowledge of the Parent Corporation, no material
changes or alterations in the practices or operations of the Parent Corporation
or any of its Subsidiaries as presently conducted are anticipated to be required
in the future in order to permit the Parent Corporation and its Subsidiaries to
continue to comply in all material respects with all applicable Environmental
Laws.

           Section 5.13 Title. The Parent Corporation and its Subsidiaries now
have and at the Effective Time will have good and, in the case of real property,
marketable title to all the properties and assets purported to be owned by them,
free and clear of all Liens except Permitted Liens.

           Section 5.14 Intellectual Property Matters. The Parent Corporation
and its Subsidiaries own or have the right to use pursuant to valid license,
sublicense, agreement or


                                      -29-
<PAGE>   36


permission all items of Intellectual Property necessary for their operations as
presently conducted and as presently proposed to be conducted, except where the
failure to have such rights, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a
Parent Corporation Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Parent Corporation nor
any of its Subsidiaries has received any charge, complaint, claim, demand or
notice alleging any interference, infringement, misappropriation or violation of
the Intellectual Property rights of any third party, except for interferences,
infringements, misappropriations and violations which, individually or in the
aggregate, would not have a Parent Corporation Material Adverse Effect. To the
Parent Corporation's knowledge, no third party has interfered with, infringed
upon, misappropriated or otherwise come into conflict with any Intellectual
Property rights of the Parent Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries, except for
misappropriations and violations which, individually or in the aggregate, would
not have a Parent Corporation Material Adverse Effect..

           Section 5.15 Year 2000 Compliance Matters. Except for matters which,
individually and in the aggregate, would not have a Parent Corporation Material
Adverse Effect, all computer systems and computer software used by the Parent
Corporation and its Subsidiaries and all computer systems and computer software
incorporated in products manufactured by the Parent Corporation and its
Subsidiaries (a) recognize, or are being adapted so that, prior to December 31,
1999, they will recognize, the advent of the year 2000 without any material
adverse change in operation associated with such recognition, (b) can correctly
recognize and manipulate, or are being adapted so that, prior to December 31,
1999, they can recognize and manipulate, date information relating to dates
prior to, on and after January 1, 2000 and (c) to the Parent Corporation's
knowledge, can suitably interact with other year 2000 compliant computer systems
and computer software in a way that does not compromise their ability to
correctly recognize the advent of the year 2000 or to recognize and manipulate
date information relating to dates prior to, on or after January 1, 2000. The
costs of the adaptations to computer systems and computer software being made by
the Parent Corporation and its Subsidiaries in order to achieve year 2000
compliance are not presently expected to have a Parent Corporation Material
Adverse Effect.

           Section 5.16 Labor Matters. There are no controversies pending or, to
the Parent Corporation's knowledge, threatened between the Parent Corporation or
any of its Subsidiaries and any of their current or former employees or any
labor or other collective bargaining unit representing any such employee that
could reasonably be expected to result in a material labor strike, dispute,
slow-down or work stoppage or otherwise which, individually or in the aggregate,
would have a Parent Corporation Material Adverse Effect. The Parent Corporation
is not aware of any organizational effort presently being made or threatened by
or on behalf of any labor union with respect to employees of the Parent
Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries. To the Parent Corporation's knowledge,
as of the date of this Agreement no executive, key employee or group of
employees of the Parent Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries has any plan to
terminate employment with the Parent Corporation and its Subsidiaries, which
termination would have a Parent Corporation Material Adverse Effect.

           Section 5.17 Company Common Stock Ownership. Neither the Parent
Corporation nor any of its Subsidiaries owns any shares of Company Common Stock
or any


                                      -30-
<PAGE>   37


securities exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into shares of Company
Common Stock.

           Section 5.18 Accounting and Tax Matters. Neither the Parent
Corporation nor any of its Subsidiaries has taken or agreed to take any action
that would prevent accounting for the Merger in accordance with the pooling of
interests method of accounting under the requirements of APB No. 16 or prevent
the Merger from constituting a reorganization within the meaning of Section
368(a) of the Code.

                                    ARTICLE 6

                                    COVENANTS

           Section 6.1 General. Each of the parties will use its respective best
efforts to take all action and to do all things necessary, proper or advisable
to consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.

           Section 6.2 Notices and Consents. Each of the parties prior to the
Closing Date will give all notices to third parties and governmental entities
and will use its respective best efforts to obtain all third party and
governmental consents and approvals that are required in connection with the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Within five business days following
the execution and delivery of this Agreement, each of the parties will file a
Notification and Report Form and related material with the Federal Trade
Commission and the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice
under the HSR Act, will use its respective best efforts to obtain early
termination of the applicable waiting period and will make all further filings
pursuant thereto that may be necessary, proper or advisable. The foregoing will
not be deemed to require the Parent Corporation to enter into any agreement,
consent decree or other commitment requiring the Parent Corporation or any of
its Subsidiaries to divest or hold separate any assets (including any assets of
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries) or to take any other action that would
have a Parent Corporation Material Adverse Effect.

           Section 6.3 Interim Conduct of the Company. Except as expressly
contemplated by this Agreement, as set forth in the Company Disclosure Letter,
as required by law or by the terms of any contract in effect on the date of this
Agreement or as the Parent Corporation may approve, which approval will not be
unreasonably withheld, from and after the date of this Agreement through the
Closing Date, the Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to,
conduct its operations in accordance with its ordinary course of business,
consistent with past practice, and in accordance with such covenant will not,
and will not cause or permit any of its Subsidiaries to:

           (a)    amend its charter or bylaws or file any certificate of
       designation or similar instrument with respect to any shares of its
       authorized but unissued capital stock;


                                      -31-
<PAGE>   38


           (b)    authorize or effect any stock split or combination or
       reclassification of shares of its capital stock;

           (c)    declare or pay any dividend or distribution with respect to
       its capital stock (other than dividends payable by a Subsidiary of the
       Company to the Company or another Subsidiary), issue or authorize the
       issuance of any shares of its capital stock (other than in connection
       with the exercise of currently outstanding Stock Options and any other
       Stock Options issued in accordance with this Agreement) or any other
       securities exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into shares of
       its capital stock, or repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire for value
       any shares of its capital stock or any other securities exercisable or
       exchangeable for or convertible into shares of its capital stock;

           (d)    merge or consolidate with any entity;

           (e)    sell, lease or otherwise dispose of any of its capital assets,
       including any shares of the capital stock of any of its Subsidiaries,
       other than sales, leases or other dispositions of machinery, equipment,
       tools, vehicles and other operating assets no longer required in its
       operations made in the ordinary course of business, consistent with past
       practice;

           (f)    liquidate, dissolve or effect any recapitalization or
       reorganization in any form;

           (g)    acquire any interest in any business (whether by purchase of
       assets, purchase of stock, merger or otherwise) or enter into any joint
       venture;

           (h)    create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any indebtedness for
       borrowed money (including capital lease obligations), other than
       indebtedness existing as of the date of this Agreement, borrowings under
       existing credit lines in the ordinary course of business, consistent with
       past practice, and intercompany indebtedness among the Company and its
       Subsidiaries arising in the ordinary course of business, consistent with
       past practice;

           (i)    create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien (other than
       Permitted Liens) affecting any of its material assets or properties;

           (j)    except as required as the result of changes in United States
       generally accepted accounting principles, change any of the accounting
       principles or practices used by it or revalue in any material respect any
       of its assets or properties, other than write-downs of inventory or
       accounts receivable in the ordinary course of business, consistent with
       past practice;

           (k)    except as required under the terms of any collective
       bargaining agreement in effect as of the date of this Agreement, grant
       any general or uniform 


                                      -32-
<PAGE>   39


       increase in the rates of pay of its employees or grant any general or
       uniform increase in the benefits under any bonus or pension plan or other
       contract or commitment;

           (l)    except for any increase required under the terms of any
       collective bargaining agreement or consulting or employment agreement in
       effect on the date of this Agreement, increase the compensation payable
       or to become payable to officers and salaried employees with a base
       salary in excess of $75,000 per year or increase any bonus, insurance,
       pension or other benefit plan, payment or arrangement made to, for or
       with any such officers or salaried employees;

           (m)    enter into any material contract or commitment or engage in
       any material transaction with any affiliated person or entity (other than
       the Company or its Subsidiaries) or enter into any material contract or
       commitment or engage in any material transaction with any unaffiliated
       person or entity which, to the Company's knowledge, is reasonably likely
       to result in a material financial loss to the Company and its
       Subsidiaries taken as a whole;

           (n)    make any material Tax election or settle or compromise any
       material Tax liability;

           (o)    pay, discharge or satisfy any claims, liabilities or
       obligations other than the payment, discharge and satisfaction in the
       ordinary course of business of liabilities reflected or reserved for in
       the consolidated financial statements of the Company or otherwise
       incurred in the ordinary course of business, consistent with past
       practice;

           (p)    settle or compromise any material pending or threatened suit,
       action or proceeding; or

           (q)    commit to do any of the foregoing.

           Section 6.4 Interim Conduct of the Parent Corporation. Except as the
Company may approve, which approval will not be unreasonably withheld, from and
after the date of this Agreement through the Closing Date, the Parent
Corporation will not declare or pay any dividend or distribution with respect to
its capital stock (other than the declaration and payment of regular quarterly
cash dividends in amounts consistent with past practice).

           Section 6.5 Preservation of Organization. Subject to compliance with
the provisions of Section 6.3, the Company will, and will cause each of its
Subsidiaries to, use its best efforts to preserve its business organization
intact in all material respects, to keep available to the Company and its
Subsidiaries after the Closing Date the present officers and employees of the
Company and its Subsidiaries as a group and to preserve the present
relationships of the Company and its Subsidiaries with suppliers and customers
and others having business relations with the Company and its Subsidiaries, in
each case so that there will not be a Company Material Adverse Effect.


                                      -33-
<PAGE>   40


           Section 6.6 Full Access. Each party will, and will cause its
Subsidiaries and its and their representatives to, afford the other party and
the representatives of the other party reasonable access, upon reasonable notice
at all reasonable times to all premises, properties, books, records, contracts
and documents of or pertaining to such party and its Subsidiaries. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company acknowledges and agrees
that the Parent Corporation and its representatives and agents may, with prior
notice to the Company and subject to the prior approval of the Company (which
will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), conduct customary environmental
assessments of the real property and facilities owned or leased by the Company
and its Subsidiaries. Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither party will be
required to provide access or to disclose information where such access or
disclosure would contravene any law or contract or would result in the waiver of
any legal privilege or work-product protection. Any information disclosed will
be subject to the provisions of the Confidentiality Agreement between the
Company and the Parent Corporation (the "Confidentiality Agreement").

           Section 6.7 Notice of Developments. Each party will give prompt
written notice to the other party of any material development affecting such
party or any of its Subsidiaries. Each party will give prompt written notice to
the other of any material development affecting the ability of the parties to
consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. No such written
notice of a material development will be deemed to have amended any of the
disclosures set forth in the Company Disclosure Letter or the Parent Disclosure
Letter, to have qualified the representations and warranties contained herein
and to have cured any misrepresentation or breach of warranty that otherwise
might have existed hereunder by reason of such material development.

           Section 6.8 Acquisition Proposals.

           (a)    The Company and each of its Subsidiaries, and each of their
       respective directors, officers, employees, agents and representatives,
       will immediately cease any discussions or negotiations presently being
       conducted with respect to any Acquisition Proposal (as defined in Section
       6.8(g)). The Company and its Subsidiaries will not and will use their
       best efforts to cause their respective directors, officers, employees,
       agents and representatives not to (i) initiate or solicit, directly or
       indirectly, any inquiries with respect to, or the making of, any
       Acquisition Proposal or (ii) except as expressly permitted in accordance
       with Section 6.8(b), engage in any negotiations or discussions with,
       furnish any information or data to or enter into any letter of intent,
       agreement in principle, acquisition agreement or similar agreement with
       any party relating to any Acquisition Proposal. The Company will be
       responsible for any breach of the provisions of this Section 6.8 by any
       director, officer, employee, agent or representative of the Company or
       any of its Subsidiaries.

           (b)    Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 6.8(a) but subject
       to the other provisions of this Section 6.8, the Company may engage in
       discussions or negotiations with, furnish information and data to,
       withdraw, modify or amend its recommendation and approval of the Merger
       and enter into a letter of intent, agreement in principle, acquisition
       agreement or similar agreement with any party that submits an Acquisition


                                      -34-
<PAGE>   41


       Proposal to the Company after the date of this Agreement and on or prior
       to June 30, 1999 (the "Applicable Period") which the Board of Directors
       of the Company by majority vote determines in its good faith judgment
       could reasonably be expected to result in a Superior Acquisition Proposal
       (as defined in Section 6.8(h)).

           (c)    Nothing in this Section 6.8 will prevent the Board of
       Directors of the Company from taking, and disclosing to the Company's
       stockholders, a position contemplated by Rules 14d-9 and 14e-2
       promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act with respect to any
       publicly announced unsolicited tender offer or otherwise from making any
       disclosure to its stockholders if, in its good faith judgment based on
       the opinion of outside legal counsel, failure to so disclose would be
       inconsistent with its obligations under applicable law; provided that the
       Board of Directors will not recommend that the stockholders of the
       Company tender their shares of Company Common Stock in connection with
       any such tender offer unless (i) such tender offer is determined to be a
       Superior Acquisition Proposal in accordance with the provisions of
       Section 6.8(h) and (ii) the Company has provided the Parent Corporation
       with not less than five business days prior written notice of any such
       action.

           (d)    The Company will within 24 hours after its receipt of any
       Acquisition Proposal provide the Parent Corporation with a copy of such
       Acquisition Proposal or, in connection with any non-written Acquisition
       Proposal, a written statement setting forth in reasonable detail the
       terms and conditions of such Acquisition Proposal, including the identity
       of the acquiring party. The Company will promptly inform the Parent
       Corporation of the status and content of any discussions or negotiations
       involving any Acquisition Proposal. In connection with any determination
       by the Board of Directors of the Company that an Acquisition Proposal is
       a Superior Acquisition Proposal, the Company will within 24 hours after
       the making of such determination provide the Parent Corporation with a
       written summary in reasonable detail of the reasons for such
       determination.

           (e)    In no event will the Company provide any non-public
       information regarding the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any party
       making an Acquisition Proposal unless such party enters into a written
       confidentiality agreement containing confidentiality provisions
       substantially similar to those contained in the Confidentiality
       Agreement. In the event the Company enters into any confidentiality
       agreement with a party pursuant to the provisions of this Section 6.8(e)
       that does not include terms and conditions that are substantially similar
       to those contained in the sixth paragraph of the Confidentiality
       Agreement (the "Standstill Provisions"), then the Parent Corporation and
       its Subsidiaries will be released from their obligations under the
       Standstill Provisions to the same extent as such party.

           (f)    The Company will not enter into any letter of intent,
       agreement in principle, acquisition agreement or similar agreement with
       respect to any Superior Acquisition Proposal unless (i) the Company has
       provided the Parent Corporation with not less than five business days
       prior written notice of such action and (ii) such action


                                      -35-
<PAGE>   42


       is taken by the Company concurrently with or after the termination of
       this Agreement in accordance with the provisions of Section 8.1(e).

           (g)    The term "Acquisition Proposal" as used in this Agreement
       means any bona fide proposal, whether or not in writing, made by a party
       to acquire beneficial ownership (as defined under Rule 13(d) promulgated
       under the Securities Exchange Act) of all or a material portion of the
       assets of, or any material equity interest in, the Company and
       Subsidiaries taken as a whole pursuant to a merger, consolidation or
       other business combination, sale of shares of capital stock, sale of
       assets, tender or exchange offer or similar transaction involving the
       Company or any of its Subsidiaries, including any single or multi-step
       transaction or series of related transactions that is structured to
       permit such party to acquire such beneficial ownership.

           (h)    The term "Superior Acquisition Proposal" as used in this
       Agreement means an unsolicited written Acquisition Proposal that the
       Board of Directors of the Company by majority vote determines in its good
       faith judgment after consulting with the Company's outside financial and
       legal advisors (i) is reasonably capable of being completed, taking into
       account all legal, financial, regulatory and other aspects of such
       proposal, and (ii) presents to the Company and its stockholders more
       favorable financial and other terms, taken as a whole, than the Merger.

           (i)    No action taken in respect of an Acquisition Proposal or a
       Superior Acquisition Proposal which is permitted by the provisions of
       this Section 6.8, including any withdrawal, modification or amendment of
       the recommendation and approval of the Merger by the Board of Directors
       of the Company and the public announcement thereof permitted by the
       provisions of this Section 6.8, will constitute a breach of any other
       provision of this Agreement.

           Section 6.9 Indemnification.

           (a)    From and after the Closing Date, the Parent Corporation will
       cause the Surviving Corporation to indemnify, defend and hold harmless
       each person who is now, or has been at any time prior to the Effective
       Time, an officer or director of the Company or any of its present or
       former Subsidiaries or corporate parents (collectively, the "Indemnified
       Parties") from and against all losses, claims, damages and expenses
       (including reasonable attorney's fees and expenses) arising out of or
       relating to actions or omissions, or alleged actions or omissions,
       occurring at or prior to the Effective Time to the fullest extent
       permitted from time to time by the Delaware Act or any other applicable
       laws as presently or hereafter in effect.

           (b)    Any determination required to be made with respect to whether
       any Indemnified Party may be entitled to indemnification will, if
       requested by such Indemnified Party, be made by independent legal counsel
       selected by the Indemnified Party and reasonably satisfactory to the
       Surviving Corporation.


                                      -36-
<PAGE>   43


           (c)    For a period of six years after the Closing Date, the Parent
       Corporation will cause to be maintained in effect the policies of
       directors and officers liability insurance and fiduciary liability
       insurance currently maintained by the Company with respect to claims
       arising from or relating to actions or omissions, or alleged actions or
       omissions, occurring on or prior to the Closing Date. The Parent
       Corporation may at its discretion substitute for such policies currently
       maintained by the Company directors and officers liability insurance and
       fiduciary liability insurance policies with reputable and financially
       sound carriers providing for no less favorable coverage. Notwithstanding
       the provisions of this Section 6.9(c), the Parent Corporation will not be
       obligated to make annual premium payments with respect to such policies
       of insurance to the extent such premiums exceed 200 percent of the annual
       premiums paid by the Company as of the date of this Agreement. If the
       annual premium costs necessary to maintain such insurance coverage exceed
       the foregoing amount, the Parent Corporation will maintain the most
       advantageous policies of directors and officers liability insurance and
       fiduciary liability insurance obtainable for an annual premium equal to
       the foregoing amount.

           (d)    To the fullest extent permitted from time to time under the
       law of the State of Delaware, the Parent Corporation will cause the
       Surviving Corporation to pay on an as-incurred basis the reasonable fees
       and expenses of each Indemnified Party (including reasonable fees and
       expenses of counsel) in advance of the final disposition of any action,
       suit, proceeding or investigation that is the subject of the right to
       indemnification, subject to reimbursement in the event such Indemnified
       Party is not entitled to indemnification.

           (e)    The certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the Surviving
       Corporation will contain the same provisions providing for exculpation of
       director and officer liability and indemnification on the same basis as
       set forth in the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the Company
       in effect on the date of this Agreement. For a period of six years after
       the Closing Date, the Parent Corporation will cause the Surviving
       Corporation to maintain in effect such provisions in the certificate of
       incorporation and bylaws of the Surviving Corporation providing for
       exculpation of director and officer liability and indemnification to the
       fullest extent permitted from time to time under the law of the State of
       Delaware, which provisions will not be amended, except as required by
       applicable law or except to make changes permitted by applicable law that
       would enlarge the scope of the Indemnified Parties' indemnification
       rights thereunder. The foregoing will not be deemed to restrict the right
       of the Surviving Corporation to modify the provisions of its certificate
       of incorporation or bylaws relating to exculpation of director and
       officer liability or indemnification with respect to events or
       occurrences after the Closing Date so long as such modifications do not
       adversely affect the rights of the Indemnified Parties hereunder.

           (f)    In the event of any action, suit, investigation or proceeding,
       the Indemnified Party will be entitled to control the defense thereof
       with counsel of its own choosing reasonably acceptable to the Parent
       Corporation, and the Parent Corporation


                                      -37-
<PAGE>   44


       and the Surviving Corporation will cooperate in the defense thereof;
       provided that neither the Parent Corporation nor the Surviving
       Corporation will be liable for the fees of more than one counsel for all
       Indemnified Parties, other than local counsel, unless the use of a single
       counsel would present conflict of interest issues which would make it
       impracticable for all Indemnified Parties to be represented by a single
       counsel, and provided further that neither the Parent Corporation nor the
       Surviving Corporation will be liable for any settlement effected without
       its written consent (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld).

           (g)    The rights of each Indemnified Party hereunder will be in
       addition to any other rights such Indemnified Party may have under the
       certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the Surviving Corporation or
       any of their respective Subsidiaries, under the law of the State of
       Delaware or otherwise. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained
       in this Agreement or otherwise, the provisions of this Section 6.9 will
       survive the consummation of the Merger, and each Indemnified Party will,
       for all purposes, be a third party beneficiary of the covenants and
       agreements contained in this Section 6.9 and, accordingly, will be
       treated as a party to this Agreement for purposes of the rights and
       remedies relating to enforcement of such covenants and agreements and
       will be entitled to enforce any such rights and exercise any such
       remedies directly against the Parent Corporation and the Surviving
       Corporation. The Parent Corporation will cause the Surviving Corporation
       to pay all reasonable expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees,
       that may be incurred by an Indemnified Party in enforcing the indemnity
       and other obligations provided for in this Section 6.9.

           Section 6.10 Public Announcements. The initial press release
announcing the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will be a joint press
release. Thereafter, the Parent Corporation and the Company will consult with
one another before issuing any press releases or otherwise making any public
announcements with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
and, except as may be required by applicable law or by the rules and regulations
of the New York Stock Exchange, will not issue any such press release or make
any such announcement prior to such consultation.

           Section 6.11 Preservation of Programs and Agreements. From and after
the date of this Agreement through the Closing Date, neither party nor any of
its Subsidiaries will enter into any agreement which such party knows or has
reason to know is reasonably likely to cause a major customer of the other party
or any of its Subsidiaries to terminate any material program or agreement.

           Section 6.12 Actions Regarding Antitakeover Statutes. If any fair
price, moratorium, control share acquisition or other form of antitakeover
statute, rule or regulation is or becomes applicable to the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement, the Board of Directors of the Company will grant
such approvals and take such other actions as may be required so that the
transactions contemplated hereby may be consummated as promptly as practicable
on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.


                                      -38-
<PAGE>   45


           Section 6.13 Standstill Provisions. The restrictions on the Parent
Corporation and the Acquisition Corporation contained in the Standstill
Provisions are hereby waived by the Company to the extent reasonably required to
permit the Parent Corporation and the Acquisition Corporation to comply with
their obligations or enforce their rights under this Agreement.

           Section 6.14 Defense of Orders and Injunctions. In the event either
party becomes subject to any order or injunction of a court of competent
jurisdiction which prohibits the consummation of the transactions contemplated
by this Agreement, each party will use its best efforts to overturn or lift such
order or injunction. The foregoing will not be deemed to require the Parent
Corporation to enter into any agreement, consent decree or other commitment
requiring the Parent Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries to divest or hold
separate any assets or to take any other action that would have a Parent
Corporation Material Adverse Effect.

           Section 6.15 Affiliate Letters. Promptly following the date of this
Agreement, the Company will deliver to the Parent Corporation a list of the
names and addresses of those persons who were, or will be, in the Company's
reasonable judgment, "affiliates" of the Company within the meaning of Rule
145(c) under the Securities Act as of the record date for the Company
Stockholders Meeting. The Company will use its best efforts to deliver to the
Parent Corporation a letter, in substantially the form of Exhibit A-1 attached
to this Agreement, from each person identified in the foregoing list. Promptly
following the date of this Agreement, the Parent Corporation will deliver to the
Company a list of the names and addresses of those persons who were or will be,
in the Parent Corporation's reasonable judgment, "affiliates" of the Parent
Corporation within the meaning of Rule 145(c) under the Securities Act as of the
record date for the Parent Corporation Stockholders Meeting. The Parent
Corporation will use its best efforts to deliver to the Company a letter, in
substantially the form of Exhibit A-2 attached to this Agreement, from each
person identified in the foregoing list. The Parent Corporation will be entitled
to place appropriate legends on the certificates evidencing the Parent Common
Stock held by or issued to persons delivering such letters and to issue stop
transfer instructions to the transfer agent for the Parent Common Stock
consistent with the terms of such letters.

           Section 6.16 Preservation of Accounting and Tax Treatment. From and
after the date of this Agreement (a) the Parent Corporation and the Company and
their respective Subsidiaries will use their best efforts to cause the Merger to
be accounted for as a pooling of interests in accordance with APB No. 16 and to
constitute a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code and
(b) neither the Parent Corporation nor the Company, nor any of their respective
Subsidiaries, will knowingly take or omit to take any action that would prevent
the accounting for the Merger in accordance with the pooling of interests method
of accounting under the requirements of APB No. 16 or prevent the Merger from
constituting a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code.

           Section 6.17 Accountant's Comfort Letters. Each party will use its
best efforts to cause to be delivered to the other party two letters from its
independent public accountants, one dated a date within two business days before
the date on which the Registration Statement becomes effective and one dated the
Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably


                                      -39-
<PAGE>   46


satisfactory to the recipient and customary in scope and substance for comfort
letters delivered by independent accountants in connection with registration
statements similar to the Registration Statement.

           Section 6.18 Registration Agreement. On or prior to the Closing Date,
the Parent Corporation will enter into an agreement, in the form of the
Registration Agreement attached to the Company Disclosure Letter, with certain
stockholders of the Company to provide such stockholders with registration
rights with respect to the Parent Common Stock to be received in the Merger and
will have complied with the provisions thereof referring to actions to be taken
prior to the date of such Registration Agreement.

           Section 6.19 New York Stock Exchange Quotation. The Parent
Corporation will use its best efforts to cause the Parent Common Stock issuable
in the Merger or otherwise pursuant to the terms of this Agreement to be
approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange, subject to official notice
of issuance, as promptly as practicable after the date of this Agreement and in
any event prior to the Closing Date.

           Section 6.20 Publishing Financial Results. The Parent Corporation
will prepare and publicly release, as soon as practicable and in any event
within 10 business days following the end of the first accounting month ending
at least 30 days after the Closing Date, a report filed with the SEC on Form 8-K
or any other public filing, statement or announcement which includes the
combined financial results (including combined sales and net income) of the
Parent Corporation and the Company for a period of at least 30 days of combined
operations of the Parent Corporation and the Company following the Closing Date.

           Section 6.21 Employee Benefit Matters.

           (a)    Subject to the provisions of any collective bargaining
       agreement to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party as
       of the date of this Agreement, until (or in respect of the period ending
       on) December 31, 2000, the Parent Corporation will cause to be maintained
       for the employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the Closing
       Date (collectively, the "Continuing Employees") salary levels not less
       than the salary levels provided by the Company and its Subsidiaries as of
       the Closing Date and benefits and benefit levels (including cash
       incentive compensation benefits and benefit levels) which are
       substantially comparable to the benefits and benefit levels provided by
       the Company and its Subsidiaries through the Company Plans as of the
       Closing Date. The foregoing covenant will not apply to any equity-based
       compensation plan or arrangement.

           (b)    The Continuing Employees will be credited with their years of
       service with the Company and its Subsidiaries for purposes of determining
       eligibility and vesting (but not benefit accrual) under any employee
       benefit plans, programs, arrangements and employment practices of the
       Parent Corporation and its Subsidiaries in which the Continuing Employees
       participate following the Closing Date. To the extent that any such
       employee benefit plan, program, arrangement or employment practice in
       which a Continuing Employee participates following the Closing Date


                                      -40-
<PAGE>   47


       provides medical, dental, vision or other welfare benefits, the Parent
       Corporation will cause all pre-existing condition exclusions, waiting
       periods and actively at work requirements thereunder to be waived for
       such Continuing Employee and his or her covered dependents and the Parent
       Corporation will cause any eligible expenses incurred by such Continuing
       Employee on or before the Closing Date to be taken into account
       thereunder for purposes of satisfying any deductible, coinsurance and
       maximum out-of-pocket requirements applicable to such Continuing Employee
       and his or her covered dependents for the applicable plan year.

           (c)    The Company agrees that an independent trustee, either a bank
       or a trust company, will act with respect to the Merger on behalf of each
       Company Plan (and its participants) that holds Company Common Stock in
       accordance with the terms and conditions of such Plan.

           Section 6.22 Directors of the Surviving Corporation. Until at least
the first anniversary of the Closing Date, the Parent Corporation will, and will
cause the Surviving Corporation to, take all actions necessary to cause Theodore
J. Forstmann to be elected as a director and the non-executive Chairman of the
Board of Directors of the Surviving Corporation and to cause Sandra J. Horbach
to be elected as a member of the Board of Directors of the Surviving Corporation
effective as of the Effective Time. Notwithstanding that they will be directors
of the Surviving Corporation and not directors of the Parent Corporation, the
foregoing individuals will be entitled as directors of the Surviving Corporation
after the Effective Time to exculpation, indemnification and reimbursement of
expenses pursuant to terms and conditions identical to the terms and conditions
applicable to the directors of the Parent Corporation included in the
Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Parent Corporation and will be
entitled to coverage under the directors and officers liability and fiduciary
liability insurance policies and any indemnification agreements maintained or
entered into by the Parent Corporation on the same terms as applicable to the
directors of the Parent Corporation.

                                    ARTICLE 7

                  CONDITIONS TO THE CONSUMMATION OF THE MERGER

           Section 7.1 Conditions to the Obligations of Each Party. The
respective obligation of each party to effect the Merger is subject to the
satisfaction at or prior to the Closing Date of each of the following
conditions:

           (a)    the Company will have obtained the Company Stockholder
       Approval;

           (b)    the Parent Corporation will have obtained the Parent
       Corporation Stockholder Approval;

           (c)    the Registration Statement will have been declared effective
       in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act, and no stop
       order suspending such 


                                      -41-
<PAGE>   48


       effectiveness will have been issued and remain in effect, and the Parent
       Corporation will have received all state securities law authorizations
       necessary to issue the Parent Common Stock pursuant to the Merger;

           (d)    the Parent Common Stock to be issued to the stockholders of
       the Company pursuant to the Merger will have been approved for listing on
       the New York Stock Exchange, subject only to official notice of issuance;

           (e)    all applicable waiting periods under the HSR Act will have
       terminated or expired;

           (f)    all other consents, authorizations, orders and approvals of or
       filings with any governmental commission, board or other regulatory
       authority (other than in its capacity as a customer of the Company or its
       Subsidiaries) required in connection with the consummation of the
       transactions contemplated by this Agreement will have been obtained or
       made, except where the failure to obtain or make such consents,
       authorizations, orders, approvals or filings would not, from and after
       the Closing Date, individually or in the aggregate have a Company
       Material Adverse Effect; and

           (g)    neither party will be subject to any order or injunction of a
       court of competent jurisdiction in the United States which prohibits the
       consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

           Section 7.2 Conditions to the Obligation of the Company. The
obligation of the Company to effect the Merger is subject to the satisfaction at
or prior to the Closing Date of each of the following conditions:

           (a)    the representations and warranties of the Parent Corporation
       set forth in Section 5 will be true and correct in all material respects
       at and as of the Closing Date as though then made, except as contemplated
       by this Agreement and except that any representation or warranty made as
       of a date other than the date of this Agreement will continue on the
       Closing Date to be true and correct in all material respects as of the
       specified date;

           (b)    each of the Parent Corporation and the Acquisition Corporation
       will have in all material respects performed and complied with all of its
       obligations under this Agreement required to be performed by it at or
       prior to the Closing Date;

           (c)    the Company will have received a written opinion, dated as of
       the Closing Date, from Deloitte & Touche LLP, the Company's independent
       public accountants, to the effect that they concur with the Company's
       conclusion that no conditions exist that would preclude the Company's
       ability to be a party to a business combination with the Parent
       Corporation to be accounted for using the pooling of interests method of
       accounting in accordance with the requirements of APB No. 16; and


                                      -42-
<PAGE>   49


           (d)    the Company will have received a written opinion, dated as of
       the Closing Date, from Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, counsel
       to the Company, to the effect that the Merger will be treated for federal
       income tax purposes as a reorganization within the meaning of Section
       368(a) of the Code. In rendering the foregoing opinion, counsel will be
       permitted to rely upon and assume the accuracy of representations
       provided by the parties in substantially the forms attached as Exhibits
       B-1 and B-2 to this Agreement.

           The Parent Corporation and the Acquisition Corporation will furnish
the Company with a customary bring down certificate with respect to the
satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Sections 7.2(a) and (b).

           Section 7.3 Conditions to the Obligation of the Parent Corporation
and the Acquisition Corporation. The obligation of the Parent Corporation and
the Acquisition Corporation to effect the Merger is subject to the satisfaction
at or prior to the Closing Date of each of the following conditions:

           (a)    the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in
       Section 4 will be true and correct in all material respects at and as of
       the Closing Date as though then made, except as contemplated by this
       Agreement and except that any representation or warranty made as of a
       date other than the date of this Agreement will continue on the Closing
       Date to be true and correct in all material respects as of the specified
       date;

           (b)    the Company will have in all material respects performed and
       complied with all of its obligations under this Agreement required to be
       performed by it at or prior to the Closing Date;

           (c)    the Parent Corporation will have received a written opinion,
       dated as of the Closing Date, from Arthur Andersen LLP, the Parent
       Corporation's independent public accountants, to the effect that the
       business combination between the Parent Corporation and the Company
       contemplated by this Agreement should be treated as a "pooling of
       interests" in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles as
       described in APB No. 16; and

           (d)    the Parent Corporation will have received a written opinion,
       dated as of the Closing Date, from Jenner & Block, counsel to the Parent
       Corporation, to the effect that the Merger will be treated for federal
       income tax purposes as a reorganization within the meaning of Section
       368(a) of the Code. In rendering the foregoing opinion, counsel will be
       permitted to rely upon and assume the accuracy of representations
       provided by the parties in substantially the forms attached as Exhibits
       B-1 and B-2 to this Agreement.


                                      -43-
<PAGE>   50


           The Company will furnish the Parent Corporation with a customary
bring down certificate with respect to the satisfaction of the conditions set
forth in Sections 7.3(a) and (b).

                                    ARTICLE 8

                        TERMINATION, AMENDMENT AND WAIVER

           Section 8.1 Termination. This Agreement may be terminated and the
Merger may be abandoned at any time prior to the Effective Time (notwithstanding
the receipt of the Company Stockholder Approval or the Parent Corporation
Stockholder Approval):

           (a)    with the written consent of the Parent Corporation and the
       Company;

           (b)    by the Parent Corporation or the Company if any court of
       competent jurisdiction or other governmental agency has issued a final
       order, decree or ruling or taken any other final action restraining,
       enjoining or otherwise prohibiting the consummation of the Merger, and
       such order, decree, ruling or other action is or has become
       nonappealable;

           (c)    by the Parent Corporation if (i) the Company has materially
       breached any of its representations or warranties set forth in this
       Agreement and such breach is not cured within 45 days after the date
       written notice of such breach is given by the Parent Corporation to the
       Company, (ii) the Company has materially breached any of its covenants or
       agreements contained in this Agreement and such breach is not cured
       within 45 days after the date written notice of such breach is given by
       the Parent Corporation to the Company, (iii) the Board of Directors of
       the Company has withdrawn or amended in any manner adverse to the Parent
       Corporation and the Acquisition Corporation its recommendation and
       approval of the Merger, (iv) the Company Stockholder Approval has not
       been obtained at a meeting duly called for such purpose or (v) the Merger
       has not been consummated on or before December 31, 1999 (unless the
       failure of the Merger to have been consummated results primarily from the
       Parent Corporation or the Acquisition Corporation breaching any
       representation, warranty, covenant or agreement contained in this
       Agreement);

           (d)    by the Company if (i) the Parent Corporation has materially
       breached any of its representations or warranties set forth in this
       Agreement and such breach is not cured within 45 days after the date
       written notice of such breach is given by the Company to the Parent
       Corporation, (ii) the Parent Corporation or the Acquisition Corporation
       has materially breached any of its covenants or agreements contained in
       this Agreement and such breach is not cured within 45 days after the date
       written notice of such breach is given by the Company to the Parent
       Corporation, (iii) the Parent Stockholder Approval has not been obtained
       at a meeting duly called for such purpose or (iv) the Merger has not been
       consummated on or before December 31, 1999 (unless the failure of the
       Merger to have been consummated results primarily from the Company
       breaching any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement contained
       in this Agreement); or


                                      -44-
<PAGE>   51


           (e)    by the Company if a party has made a Superior Acquisition
       Proposal and the Company enters into any letter of intent, agreement in
       principle, acquisition agreement or other agreement with respect to such
       Superior Acquisition Proposal in accordance with the provisions of
       Section 6.8; provided that termination of this Agreement pursuant to this
       Section 8.1(e) will not become effective until the payment by the Company
       to the Parent Corporation of the termination fee provided in Section 8.3.

           (f)    by the Parent Corporation or the Company prior to the third
       trading day preceding the Company Stockholders Meeting if the Average
       Stock Price of the Parent Common Stock is less than $63 per share. The
       "Average Stock Price" means the average of the Daily Per Share Prices (as
       hereinafter defined) for the fifteen consecutive trading days ending on
       the fifth trading day prior to the Company Stockholders Meeting. The
       "Daily Per Share Price" for any trading day means the weighted average of
       the per share selling prices (as reported on the New York Stock Exchange
       Composite Transaction Tape) for that day.

           Section 8.2 Effect of Termination. In the event of the termination
and abandonment of this Agreement pursuant to Section 8.1, this Agreement will
forthwith become void and will be deemed to have terminated without liability to
any party (except for any liability of any party then in wilful breach of any
covenant or agreement); provided that the provisions of the Confidentiality
Agreement and Section 8.3 of this Agreement will continue in full force and
effect notwithstanding such termination and abandonment.

           Section 8.3 Termination Fee.

           (a)    If (i) the Parent Corporation terminates this Agreement
       pursuant to the provisions of Section 8.1(c)(iii) or Section 8.1(c)(iv)
       and the Company enters into an agreement with respect to a Third Party
       Acquisition (as defined in Section 8.3(b)), or a Third Party Acquisition
       occurs within 12 months after the date of such termination, and such
       agreement was entered into, or such Third Party Acquisition was publicly
       announced, concurrently with or prior to the date of the termination of
       this Agreement or (ii) the Company terminates this Agreement pursuant to
       the provisions of Section 8.1(e), then, in each case, the Company will
       pay to the Parent Corporation, within one business day following the
       occurrence of such event (in the case of a termination under clause (i)
       above) or the delivery of notice of such termination (in the case of a
       termination under clause (ii) above), a termination fee equal to $150
       million (the "Termination Fee"), payable by wire transfer of immediately
       available funds to an account designated by the Parent Corporation.

           (b)    The term "Third Party Acquisition" as used in this Agreement
       means (i) the acquisition of the Company by merger or otherwise by any
       person (including for purposes of this Section 8.3(b) any "person" or
       "group" as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act) or
       entity other than the Parent Corporation or the Acquisition Corporation,
       (ii) the acquisition by any person or entity other than the Parent
       Corporation or the Acquisition Corporation of more than 50 percent of the


                                      -45-
<PAGE>   52


       consolidated assets (determined based on book or fair market value) of
       the Company and its Subsidiaries, (iii) the acquisition by any person or
       entity other than the Parent Corporation or the Acquisition Corporation
       of more than 50 percent of the outstanding shares of Company Common
       Stock, (iv) the adoption by the Company of any plan of liquidation or the
       declaration by the Company of any extraordinary dividend or distribution
       (including any distribution of any shares of the capital stock of any
       material Subsidiary) of cash or property constituting more than 50
       percent of the consolidated assets (determined based on book or fair
       market value) of the Company and its Subsidiaries or (v) the purchase by
       the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of more than 50 percent of the
       outstanding shares of Company Common Stock.

           (c)    Except as specifically provided in this Section 8.3, each
       party will bear its own expenses incurred in connection with the
       transactions contemplated by this Agreement, whether or not such 
       transactions are consummated.

           (d)    In the event of any breach of the covenants set forth in
       Section 6.8, nothing contained in this Section 8.3 will prevent the
       Parent Corporation or the Acquisition Corporation from challenging, by
       injunction or otherwise, the termination or attempted termination of this
       Agreement pursuant to the provisions of Section 8.1 (e), but acceptance
       by the Parent Corporation of the payment of the Termination Fee will
       constitute a full and complete waiver by the Parent Corporation of all of
       its rights under this Section 8.3(d) or otherwise.

           (e)    The Company acknowledges that the agreements regarding the
       payment of fees contained in this Section 8.3 are an integral part of the
       transactions contemplated by this Agreement and that, in the absence of
       such agreements, the Parent Corporation and the Acquisition Subsidiary
       would not have entered into this Agreement. The Company accordingly
       agrees that in the event the Company fails to pay the Termination Fee
       promptly, the Company will in addition to the payment of such amount also
       pay to the Parent Corporation all of the reasonable costs and expenses
       (including reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses) incurred by the
       Parent Corporation in the enforcement of its rights under this Section
       8.3, together with interest on such amount at a rate of 10 percent per
       annum from the date upon which such payment was due, to and including the
       date of payment. Provided that the Company was not in breach of the
       provisions of Section 6.8, payment of the Termination Fee will constitute
       full and complete satisfaction, and will constitute the Parent
       Corporation's sole and exclusive remedy for any loss, liability, damage
       or claim arising out of or in connection with any such termination of
       this Agreement or the facts and circumstances resulting in or related to
       this Agreement.

                                    ARTICLE 9

                                  MISCELLANEOUS

           Section 9.1 Nonsurvival of Representations. The representations and
warranties contained in this Agreement will not survive the Merger or the
termination of this Agreement.


                                      -46-
<PAGE>   53


           Section 9.2 Remedies. The parties agree that irreparable damage would
occur in the event that the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in
accordance with their specific terms. It is accordingly agreed that the parties
will be entitled to specific performance of the terms of this Agreement, without
posting a bond or other security, this being in addition to any other remedy to
which they are entitled at law or in equity.

           Section 9.3 Successors and Assigns. No party hereto may assign or
delegate any of such party's rights or obligations under or in connection with
this Agreement without the written consent of the other party hereto. Except as
otherwise expressly provided herein, all covenants and agreements contained in
this Agreement by or on behalf of any of the parties hereto or thereto will be
binding upon and enforceable against the respective successors and assigns of
such party and will be enforceable by and will inure to the benefit of the
respective successors and permitted assigns of such party.

           Section 9.4 Amendment. This Agreement may be amended by the execution
and delivery of an written instrument by or on behalf of the Parent Corporation,
the Acquisition Corporation and the Company at any time before or after the
Company Stockholder Approval and the Parent Corporation Stockholder Approval;
provided that after the date of the Company Stockholder Approval, no amendment
to this Agreement will be made without the approval of stockholders of the
Company to the extent such approval is required under the Delaware Act.

           Section 9.5 Extension and Waiver. At any time prior to the Effective
Time, the parties may extend the time for performance of or waive compliance
with any of the covenants or agreements of the other parties to this Agreement
and may waive any breach of the representations or warranties of such other
parties. No agreement extending or waiving any provision of this Agreement will
be valid or binding unless it is in writing and is executed and delivered by or
on behalf of the party against which it is sought to be enforced.

           Section 9.6 Severability. Whenever possible, each provision of this
Agreement will be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under
applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement is held to be prohibited
by or invalid under applicable law, such provision will be ineffective only to
the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder
of this Agreement.

           Section 9.7 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed
simultaneously in two or more counterparts, any one of which need not contain
the signatures of more than one party, but all such counterparts taken together
will constitute one and the same Agreement.

           Section 9.8 Descriptive Headings. The descriptive headings of this
Agreement are inserted for convenience only and do not constitute a part of this
Agreement.

           Section 9.9 Notices. All notices, demands or other communications to
be given or delivered under or by reason of the provisions of this Agreement
will be in writing and will be deemed to have been given when delivered
personally to the recipient or when sent to the


                                      -47-
<PAGE>   54


recipient by telecopy (receipt confirmed), one business day after the date when
sent to the recipient by reputable express courier service (charges prepaid) or
three business days after the date when mailed to the recipient by certified or
registered mail, return receipt requested and postage prepaid. Such notices,
demands and other communications will be sent to the Parent Corporation and the
Company at the addresses indicated below:

            If to the Parent
            Corporation:             General Dynamics Corporation
                                     3190 Fairview Park Drive
                                     Falls Church, Virginia 22041-4523
                                     Attention:   David A. Savner, Esq.
                                                  Senior Vice President and
                                                  General Counsel
                                     Facsimile No: (703) 876-3125


            With a copy (which
            will not constitute
            notice) to:              Jenner & Block
                                     601 13th Street, N.W.
                                     Washington, D.C. 20005
                                     Attention:   Craig A. Roeder, Esq.
                                     Facsimile No: (202) 639-6066


            If to the Company:       Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
                                     500 Gulfstream Road
                                     Savannah, Georgia   31402
                                     Attention:   Ira Berman, Esq.
                                                  Senior Vice President and
                                                  General Counsel
                                     Facsimile No: (912) 965-4764


            With a copy (which
            will not constitute
            notice) to:              Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson
                                     One New York Plaza
                                     New York, New York   10004
                                     Attention:   Stephen Fraidin, P.C.
                                                  Aviva Diamant, Esq.
                                     Facsimile No: (212) 859-4000

or to such other address or to the attention of such other party as the
recipient party has specified by prior written notice to the sending party.


                                      -48-
<PAGE>   55


           Section 9.10 No Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement will not
confer any rights or remedies upon any person or entity other than the Parent
Corporation, the Acquisition Corporation and the Company and their respective
successors and permitted assigns, except that the respective beneficiaries of
the provisions of Sections 1.9, 6.9, 6.18, 6.20 and 6.22 will, for all purposes,
be third party beneficiaries of the covenants and agreements contained therein
and, accordingly, will be treated as a party to this Agreement for purposes of
the rights and remedies relating to enforcement of such covenants and agreements
and will be entitled to enforce any such rights and exercise any such remedies
directly against the Parent Corporation and the Surviving Corporation.

           Section 9.11 Entire Agreement. This Agreement (including the
Confidentiality Agreement and the other documents referred to herein)
constitutes the entire agreement among the parties and supersedes any prior
understandings, agreements or representations by or among the parties, written
or oral, that may have related in any way to the subject matter hereof.

           Section 9.12 Construction. The language used in this Agreement will
be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual
intent and no rule of strict construction will be applied against any party. The
use of the word "including" in this Agreement means "including without
limitation" and is intended by the parties to be by way of example rather than
limitation.

           Section 9.13 Submission to Jurisdiction. Each of the parties to this
Agreement submits to the jurisdiction of any state or federal court sitting in
Wilmington, Delaware, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to
this Agreement, agrees that all claims in respect of the action or proceeding
may be heard and determined in any such court, and agrees not to bring any
action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement in any other
court. Each of the parties to this Agreement waives any defense of inconvenient
forum to the maintenance of any action or proceeding so brought and waives any
bond, surety or other security that might be required of any other party with
respect thereto.

           Section 9.14 GOVERNING LAW. ALL QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE
CONSTRUCTION, VALIDITY AND INTERPRETATION OF THIS AGREEMENT AND THE SCHEDULES
HERETO WILL BE GOVERNED BY THE INTERNAL LAW, AND NOT THE LAW OF CONFLICTS, OF
THE STATE OF DELAWARE.


                                    * * * * *


                                      -49-
<PAGE>   56


                                    * * * * *


           IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered
this Agreement on the date first written above.


                          GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION,


                          By /s/ NICHOLAS D. CHABRAJA
                            --------------------------------------
                                  Nicholas D. Chabraja
                                  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer


                          TARA ACQUISITION CORPORATION


                          By /s/ DAVID A. SAVNER
                            --------------------------------------
                                  David A. Savner
                                  President


                          GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORPORATION


                          By /s/ THEODORE J. FORSTMANN
                            --------------------------------------
                                  Theodore J. Forstmann
                                  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer



<PAGE>   57


                                                                     EXHIBIT A-1



                        FORM OF COMPANY AFFILIATE LETTER



General Dynamics Corporation
3190 Fairview Park Drive
Falls Church, Virginia 22042-4523


Ladies and Gentlemen:

           General Dynamics Corporation, a Delaware corporation, Tara
Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and Gulfstream Aerospace
Corporation, a Delaware corporation, are parties to an Agreement and Plan of
Merger dated as of May 16, 1999 (the "Merger Agreement"). All capitalized terms
used but not defined in this letter will have the respective meanings give such
terms in the Merger Agreement.

           The undersigned, a record holder and beneficial owner of shares of
Company Common Stock, is entitled to receive shares of Parent Common Stock in
connection with the Merger. The undersigned acknowledges that the undersigned
may be deemed an "affiliate" of the Company within the meaning of Rule 145
("Rule 145") promulgated under the Securities Act or Accounting Series Releases
130 and 135, as amended, of the SEC (the "Releases"). Nothing contained in this
letter, however, is intended or should be construed as an admission that the
undersigned is an affiliate of the Company or as a waiver of any rights that the
undersigned may have to object to any claim that the undersigned is such an
affiliate on or after the date of this letter.

           If in fact the undersigned were an affiliate of the Company under the
Securities Act, the undersigned's ability to sell, assign or transfer the Parent
Common Stock received by the undersigned pursuant to the Merger may be
restricted unless such transaction is registered under the Securities Act or an
exemption from such registration is available. The undersigned (i) understands
that such exemptions are limited and that, except as provided for in the Merger
Agreement and the registration agreement referred to in the Merger Agreement,
the Parent Corporation is not under any obligation to effect any such
registration and (ii) has obtained advice of counsel to the extent the
undersigned has felt necessary as to the nature and conditions of such
exemptions, including information with respect to the applicability to the sale
of such securities of Rules 144 and 145(d) promulgated under the Securities Act.

           The undersigned agrees with the Parent Corporation that the
undersigned will not sell, assign or transfer any shares of Parent Common Stock
received by the undersigned in exchange for shares of Company Common Stock
pursuant to the Merger except (i) pursuant to an effective registration
statement under the Securities Act, (ii) in conformity with Rule 145 


<PAGE>   58


promulgated under the Securities Act or (iii) in a transaction that, in the
opinion of counsel reasonably satisfactory to Parent or as described in a
"no-action" or interpretive letter from the staff of the SEC, is not required to
be registered under the Securities Act.

           The undersigned further agrees with Parent Corporation that, until
after such time as a report including results covering at least 30 days of
combined operations of the Company and the Parent Corporation has been published
by the Parent Corporation or the Merger Agreement has been terminated in
accordance with its terms, the undersigned will not reduce its risk (within the
meaning of the Releases) with respect to (i) any shares of Company Common Stock
held by it or (ii) any shares of Parent Common Stock received by it in the
Merger. The Parent Corporation will promptly notify the undersigned when such
report has been published by the Parent Corporation.

           The Parent Corporation will prepare and publicly release, as soon as
practicable and in any event within 10 business days following the end of the
first accounting month ending at least 30 days after the Closing Date, a report
filed with the SEC on Form 8-K or any other public filing, statement or
announcement which includes the combined financial results (including combined
sales and net income) of the Parent Corporation and the Company for a period of
at least 30 days of combined operations of the Parent Corporation and the
Company following the Closing Date.

           In the event of a sale or other disposition pursuant to Rule 145 of
Parent Common Stock received by the undersigned in the Merger, the undersigned
will supply the Parent Corporation with evidence of its compliance with Rule 145
by delivering to the Parent Corporation a letter in the form of Annex I hereto.
The undersigned understands that the Parent Corporation may instruct its
transfer agent to withhold the transfer of any Parent Common Stock disposed of
by the undersigned, but that upon receipt of such evidence of compliance the
transfer agent will effectuate the transfer of the Parent Common Stock sold as
indicated in the letter.

           The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the Parent Common Stock
issued to the undersigned will all be in certificated form and that appropriate
legends will be placed on certificates representing Parent Common Stock received
by the undersigned in the Merger or held by a transferee thereof, which legends
will be removed by delivery of substitute certificates upon receipt of an
opinion in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Parent Corporation
or a "no action" or interpretive letter from the staff of the SEC to the effect
that such legends are no longer required for purposes of the Securities Act or
upon the receipt of the letters referred to in the preceding paragraph.

           The Parent Corporation covenants that for so long and to the extent
necessary to permit the undersigned to sell the shares of Parent Common Stock
pursuant to Rule 145 and, to the extent applicable, Rule 144 under the
Securities Act, the Parent Corporation will (i) use its best efforts to file, on
a timely basis, all reports and data required to be filed by it with the SEC
pursuant to Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act and to furnish to the
undersigned upon request a written statement as to whether the Parent
Corporation has complied with such reporting requirements during the 12 months
preceding any proposed sale of shares of Parent

                                      A-1-2
<PAGE>   59


Common Stock by the undersigned under Rule 145 and (ii) otherwise take such
action as may be reasonably available to permit the sale or other disposition of
the Parent Common Stock by the undersigned under Rule 145 in accordance with the
terms thereof..

           The undersigned acknowledges that the undersigned has carefully read
this letter and understands the requirements hereof and the limitations imposed
upon the distribution, sale, transfer or other disposition of Parent Common
Stock and that the receipt by the Parent Corporation of this letter is a
material inducement and a condition to the Parent Corporation's obligation to
consummate the Merger.

                                    Very truly yours,


Dated:


                                      A-1-3
<PAGE>   60


                                     ANNEX I
                                 TO EXHIBIT A-1



General Dynamics Corporation
3190 Fairview Park Drive
Falls Church, Virginia 22042-4523

Ladies and Gentlemen:

           On ___________, the undersigned sold the shares of the Common Stock,
par value $1.00 per share , of General Dynamics Corporation (the "Parent
Corporation") described below (the "Shares"). The Shares were received by the
undersigned in connection with the merger of Tara Acquisition Corporation, a
subsidiary of the Parent Corporation, with and into Gulfstream Aerospace
Corporation.

           Based upon the most recent report or statement filed by the Parent
Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Shares sold by the
undersigned were within the prescribed limitations set forth in Rule 144(e)
promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act").

           The undersigned hereby represents that the Shares were sold in
"brokers' transactions" within the meaning of Section 4(4) of the Securities Act
or in transactions directly with a "market maker" as that term is defined in
Section 3(a)(38) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The
undersigned further represents that the undersigned has not solicited or
arranged for the solicitation of orders to buy the Shares, and that the
undersigned has not made any payment in connection with the offer or sale of the
Shares to any person other than to the broker who executed the order in respect
of such sale.


                                        Very truly yours,



Dated:


                                      A-1-4
<PAGE>   61


                                                                     EXHIBIT A-2


                   FORM OF PARENT CORPORATION AFFILIATE LETTER



Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
500 Gulfstream Road
Savannah, Georgia 31402-2206

General Dynamics Corporation
3190 Fairview Park Drive
Falls Church, Virginia 22042-4523


Ladies and Gentlemen:

           General Dynamics Corporation, a Delaware corporation, Tara
Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and Gulfstream Aerospace
Corporation, a Delaware corporation, are parties to an Agreement and Plan of
Merger dated as of May 16 , 1999 (the "Merger Agreement"). All capitalized terms
used but not defined in this letter will have the respective meanings give such
terms in the Merger Agreement.

           The undersigned is the record holder and beneficial owner of shares
of Parent Common Stock. The undersigned acknowledges that the undersigned may be
deemed an "affiliate" of the Parent Corporation within the meaning of Accounting
Series Releases 130 and 135, as amended, of the SEC (the "Releases"). Nothing
contained in this letter, however, is intended or should be construed as an
admission that the undersigned is an affiliate of the Parent Corporation or as a
waiver of any rights that the undersigned may have to object to any claim that
the undersigned is such an affiliate on or after the date of this letter.

           The undersigned agrees with Parent Corporation that, until after such
time as a report including results covering at least 30 days of combined
operations of the Company and the Parent Corporation has been published by the
Parent Corporation or the Merger Agreement has been terminated in accordance
with its terms, the undersigned will not reduce its risk (within the meaning of
the Releases) with respect to any shares of Parent Common Stock held of record
or owned beneficially by the undersigned. The Parent Corporation will promptly
notify the undersigned when such report has been published by the Parent
Corporation.


<PAGE>   62


           The undersigned acknowledges that the undersigned has carefully read
this letter and understands the requirements hereof and the limitations imposed
upon the distribution, sale, transfer or other disposition of Parent Common
Stock and that the receipt by the Parent Corporation of this letter is a
material inducement and a condition to the Company's obligation to consummate
the Merger.

                                        Very truly yours,



Dated:


                                      A-2-2
<PAGE>   63


                                                                     EXHIBIT B-1


                       FORM OF COMPANY TAX REPRESENTATIONS

                           [Letterhead of the Company]

                                    [ ], 1999


Jenner & Block
601 13th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.  20005

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson
One New York Plaza
New York, New York  10004

Ladies and Gentlemen:

           In connection with the legal opinions to be delivered pursuant to
Sections 7.2(d) and 7.3(d)of the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger
Agreement") dated as of May 16, 1999, by and among General Dynamics Corporation,
a Delaware corporation (the "Parent Corporation"), Tara Acquisition Corporation,
a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Parent Corporation
(the "Acquisition Corporation"), and Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a
Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and in connection with the filing with the
Securities Exchange Commission (the "SEC") of the registration statement on Form
S-4 (the "Registration Statement") relating to the Merger Agreement, which
includes the joint proxy statement/prospectus of the Parent Corporation and the
Company, the undersigned certifies and represents on behalf of the Parent
Corporation and the Acquisition Corporation, after due inquiry and
investigation, as follows (any capitalized term used but not defined herein
having the meaning given to such term in the Merger Agreement):

           1. The facts relating to the contemplated merger (the "Merger") of
the Acquisition Corporation with and into the Company as described in the
Registration Statement and the documents described in the Registration
Statement, as amended through the date hereof, are, insofar as such facts
pertain to the Company, true, correct and complete in all material respects. The
Merger will be consummated in accordance with the Merger Agreement.

           2. The formula set forth in the Merger Agreement pursuant to which
each issued and outstanding share of common stock of the Company, par value $.01
per share ("Company Common Stock") will be converted into the right to receive
Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the Parent Corporation ("Parent
Common Stock") is the result of arm's length bargaining and such formula was
designed to result in the fair market value of the Parent Common Stock


<PAGE>   64


received by the stockholders of the Company approximately equaling the aggregate
fair market value of the Company Common Stock surrendered in the exchange..

           3. Cash payments, if any, to be made to stockholders of the Company
in lieu of fractional shares of Parent Common Stock that would otherwise be
issued to such stockholders in the Merger represent a mere mechanical rounding
off and will be made solely for the purpose of saving the Parent Corporation the
expense and inconvenience of issuing and transferring fractional shares of
Parent Common Stock, and do not represent separately bargained for
consideration. The total cash consideration that will be paid in the Merger to
stockholders of the Company in lieu of fractional shares of Parent Common Stock
will not exceed one percent of the total consideration that will be issued in
the Merger to stockholders of the Company in exchange for their shares of
Company Common Stock. The fractional share interests of each stockholder of the
Company will be aggregated, and no stockholder of the Company, with the possible
exception of stockholders whose holdings are in separate accounts or with
different brokers, will receive cash in lieu of fractional shares in an amount
greater than one full share of Parent Common Stock.

           4. Neither the Company nor any corporation related to the Company has
acquired or redeemed or has any present plan or intention to acquire or redeem
any Company Common Stock in contemplation of the Merger, after the Merger, or
otherwise as part of a plan of which the Merger is a part. To the best knowledge
of the management of the Company, neither the Parent Corporation nor any
corporation that is related to the Parent Corporation has a present plan or
intention to purchase Company Common Stock or any Parent Common Stock. For
purposes of this representation letter, two corporations will be treated as
related to one another if immediately prior to or immediately after the Merger
(a) the corporations are members of the same affiliated group (within the
meaning of Section 1504 of the Internal revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
"Code"), but determined without regard to Section 1504(b) of the Code) or (b)
one corporation owns 50 percent or more of the total combined voting power of
all classes of stock of the other corporation that are entitled to vote or 50
percent or more of the total value of shares of all classes of stock of the
other corporation (applying the attribution rules of Section 318 of the Code, as
modified pursuant to Section 304(c)(3)(B) of the Code).

           5. The Company has not made, and does not have any present plan or
intention to make, any distributions (other than regular, normal dividends made
in the ordinary course of business) prior to, in contemplation of or otherwise
in connection with, the Merger.

           6. The Parent Corporation, the Acquisition Corporation, the Company
and holders of Company Common Stock will each pay their respective expenses, if
any, incurred in connection with the Merger.

           7. Immediately following the Merger, the Company will hold (a) at
least 90 percent of the fair market value of the net assets and at least 70
percent of the fair market value of the gross assets that were held by the
Company immediately prior to the Merger and (b) at least 90 percent of the fair
market value of the net assets and at least 70 percent of the fair market value
of the gross assets that were held by the Acquisition Corporation immediately
prior to the Merger. For purposes of this representation, amounts paid to
stockholders who receive cash or other property


                                      B-1-2
<PAGE>   65


(including cash in lieu of fractional shares of Parent Common Stock) in
connection with the Merger, assets of the Company used to pay its reorganization
expenses and all redemptions and distributions made by the Company (other than
regular, normal dividends made in the ordinary course of business) immediately
preceding, or in contemplation of, the Merger will be included as assets held by
the Company immediately prior to the Merger.

           8. At the Effective Time, the Company will not have outstanding any
warrants, options, convertible securities or any other type of right pursuant to
which any person could acquire Company Common Stock that, if exercised or
converted, would affect Parent Corporation's acquisition or retention of control
of the Company as defined in Section 368(c) of the Code.

           9. In connection with the Merger, Company Common Stock will be
converted solely into Parent Common Stock (except for cash paid in lieu of
fractional shares of Parent Common Stock).

           10. The Company is not an investment company as defined in Section
368(a)(2)(F)(iii) and (iv) of the Code.

           11. The Company will not take any position on any federal, state or
local income or franchise tax return, or take any other tax reporting position,
that is inconsistent with the treatment of the Merger as a reorganization within
the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code, unless otherwise required by a
"determination" (as defined in Section 1313(a)(1) of the Code) or by applicable
state or local tax law (and then only to the extent required by such applicable
state or local tax law).

           12. None of the compensation received by any stockholder-employee of
the Company in respect of periods at or prior to the Effective Time represents
separate consideration for, or is allocable to, any of its Company Common Stock.
None of the Parent Common Stock that will be received by stockholder-employees
in the Merger represents separately bargained for consideration or is allocable
to any employment agreement or arrangement. The compensation paid to any
stockholder-employees will be commensurate with amounts paid to third parties.

           13. There is no intercorporate indebtedness existing between the
Parent Corporation (or any of its subsidiaries, including the Acquisition
Corporation) and the Company (or any of its subsidiaries) that was issued or
acquired, or will be settled, at a discount.

           14. The Company is not under the jurisdiction of a court in a Title
11 or similar case within the meaning of Section 368(a)(3)(A) of the Code.

           15. It is the Company's present intention to pay all transfer taxes
attributable to the Merger out of the Company's own funds (and not out of funds
provided, directly or indirectly, by the Parent Corporation).

           16. The Merger Agreement, the Registration Statement and the other
documents described in the Registration Statement, all as amended through the
date hereof, represent the entire understanding of the Company with respect to
the Merger.


                                      B-1-3
<PAGE>   66


           17. No assets of the Company have been sold, transferred or otherwise
disposed of which would prevent the Parent Corporation from continuing the
"historic business" of the Company or from using a significant portion of the
"historic business assets" of the Company in a business following the Merger (as
such terms are defined in Treasury Regulations Section 1.368-1(d)).

           18. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has constituted
either a "distributing corporation" or a "controlled corporation" (within the
meaning of Section 355(a)(1)(A) of the Code) in a distribution of stock
qualifying for tax-free treatment under Section 355 of the Code and subject to
355(e) of the Code (a) in the two years prior to the date of the Merger
Agreement or (b) in a distribution which could otherwise constitute part of a
"plan" or "series of related transactions" (within the meaning of Section 355(e)
of the Code) in conjunction with the Merger.

           19. As of the time of the Merger, the fair market value of the assets
of the Company will equal or exceed the sum of its liabilities, plus the amount
of liabilities, if any, to which such assets are subject.

           20. The undersigned is authorized to make all the representations set
forth herein.

           The undersigned acknowledges that (a) the opinions to be delivered
pursuant to Sections 7.2(d) and 7.3(d) of the Merger Agreement will be based on
the accuracy of the representations set forth herein and on the accuracy of the
representations and warranties and the satisfaction of the covenants and
obligations contained in the Merger Agreement and the various other documents
related thereto and (b) such opinions will be subject to certain limitations and
qualifications including that it may not be relied upon if any such
representations or warranties are not accurate or if any such covenants or
obligations are not satisfied in all material respects.


                                      B-1-4
<PAGE>   67


           The undersigned acknowledges that such opinions will not address any
tax consequences of the Merger or any action taken in connection therewith
except as expressly set forth in such opinions.

                                       Very truly yours,

                                       GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORPORATION

                                       By
                                         --------------------------
                                               [Name and Title]


                                      B-1-5
<PAGE>   68


                                                                     EXHIBIT B-2


                 FORM OF PARENT CORPORATION TAX REPRESENTATIONS

                     [Letterhead of the Parent Corporation]

                                    [ ], 1999



Jenner & Block
601 13th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.  20005

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson
One New York Plaza
New York, New York  10004

Ladies and Gentlemen:

           In connection with the legal opinions to be delivered pursuant to
Sections 7.2(d) and 7.3(d) of the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger
Agreement") dated as of May 16, 1999, by and among General Dynamics Corporation,
a Delaware corporation (the "Parent Corporation"), Tara Acquisition Corporation,
a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Parent Corporation
(the "Acquisition Corporation"), and Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a
Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and in connection with the filing with the
Securities Exchange Commission (the "SEC") of the registration statement on Form
S-4 (the "Registration Statement") relating to the Merger Agreement, which
includes the joint proxy statement/prospectus of the Parent Corporation and the
Company, the undersigned certifies and represents on behalf of the Parent
Corporation and the Acquisition Corporation, after due inquiry and
investigation, as follows (any capitalized term used but not defined herein
having the meaning given to such term in the Merger Agreement):

           1. The facts relating to the contemplated merger (the "Merger") of
the Acquisition Corporation with and into the Company as described in the
Registration Statement and the documents described in the Registration
Statement, as amended through the date hereof, are, insofar as such facts
pertain to the Parent Corporation and the Acquisition Corporation, true, correct
and complete in all material respects. The Merger will be consummated in
accordance with the Merger Agreement.

           2. The formula set forth in the Merger Agreement pursuant to which
each issued and outstanding share of common stock of the Company, par value $.01
per share ("Company 


<PAGE>   69


Common Stock") will be converted into the right to receive Common Stock, par
value $1.00 per share, of the Parent Corporation ("Parent Common Stock") is the
result of arm's length bargaining and such formula was designed to result in the
fair market value of the Parent Common Stock received by the stockholders of the
Company approximately equaling the aggregate fair market value of the Company
Common Stock surrendered in the exchange.

           3. Cash payments, if any, to be made to stockholders of the Company
in lieu of fractional shares of Parent Common Stock that would otherwise be
issued to such stockholders in the Merger represent a mere mechanical rounding
off and will be made solely for the purpose of saving the Parent Corporation the
expense and inconvenience of issuing and transferring fractional shares of
Parent Common Stock, and do not represent separately bargained for
consideration. The total cash consideration that will be paid in the Merger to
stockholders of the Company in lieu of fractional shares of Parent Common Stock
will not exceed one percent of the total consideration that will be issued in
the Merger to stockholders of the Company in exchange for their shares of
Company Common Stock. The fractional share interests of each stockholder of the
Company will be aggregated, and no stockholder of the Company, with the possible
exception of stockholders whose holdings are in separate accounts or with
different brokers, will receive cash in lieu of fractional shares in an amount
greater than one full share of Parent Common Stock.

           4. The Parent Corporation has no present plan or intention, following
the Merger, to reacquire, or to cause any corporation that is related to the
Parent Corporation to acquire, any Parent Common Stock. To the best knowledge of
the management of the Parent Corporation, no corporation that is related to the
Parent Corporation has a present plan or intention to purchase any Parent Common
Stock. For purposes of this representation letter, two corporations will be
treated as related to one another if immediately prior to or immediately after
the Merger (a) the corporations are members of the same affiliated group (within
the meaning of Section 1504 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the "Code"), but determined without regard to Section 1504(b) of the Code) or
(b) one corporation owns 50 percent or more of the total combined voting power
of all classes of stock of the other corporation that are entitled to vote or 50
percent or more of the total value of shares of all classes of stock of the
other corporation (applying the attribution rules of Section 318 of the Code, as
modified pursuant to Section 304(c)(3)(B) of the Code).

           5. The Parent Corporation has no present plan or intention to make
any distributions after the Merger to holders of Parent Common Stock (other than
regular, normal dividends made in the ordinary course of business).

           6. The Parent Corporation has no present plan or intention to cause
distributions with respect to the Company Common Stock (other than regular,
normal dividends made in the ordinary course of business.)

           7. Neither the Parent Corporation nor the Acquisition Corporation
(nor any other subsidiary of the Parent Corporation) has acquired, or, except as
a result of the Merger, will acquire, or has owned in the past five years, any
Company Common Stock.


                                     B-2-2
<PAGE>   70


           8. Prior to the Merger, the Parent Corporation will own all the
capital stock of the Acquisition Corporation and will be in control of
Acquisition Corporation within the meaning of Section 368(c) of the Code. The
Parent Corporation has no present plan or intention to cause the Company to
issue additional shares of its stock that would result in the Parent Corporation
owning less than all the capital stock of the Company after the Merger.

           9. The Parent Corporation has no present plan or intention, following
the Merger, to liquidate the Company, to merge the Company with and into another
corporation, to sell or otherwise dispose of any of the stock of the Company, to
cause the Company to distribute to the Parent Corporation or any of its
subsidiaries any assets of the Company or the proceeds of any borrowings
incurred by the Company, or to cause the Company to sell or otherwise dispose of
any of the assets held by the Company at the time of the Merger, except for
dispositions of such assets in the ordinary course of business and transfers
described in Section 368(a)(2)(C) of the Code or Treasury Regulations Section
1.368-1(d).

           10. Immediately following the Merger, the Company will hold (a) at
least 90 percent of the fair market value of the net assets and at least 70
percent of the fair market value of the gross assets that were held by the
Company immediately prior to the Merger and (b) at least 90 percent of the fair
market value of the net assets and at least 70 percent of the fair market value
of the gross assets that were held by the Acquisition Corporation immediately
prior to the Merger. For purposes of this representation, amounts paid to
stockholders who receive cash or other property (including cash in lieu of
fractional shares of Parent Common Stock) in connection with the Merger, assets
of the Company used to pay its reorganization expenses and all redemptions and
distributions made by the Company (other than regular, normal dividends made in
the ordinary course of business) immediately preceding, or in contemplation of,
the Merger will be included as assets held by the Company immediately prior to
the Merger.

           11. The Parent Corporation, the Acquisition Corporation, the Company
and holders of Company Common Stock will each pay their respective expenses, if
any, incurred in connection with the Merger.

           12. Following the Merger, the Parent Corporation will cause the
Company to continue its "historic business" or to use a significant portion of
its "historic business assets" in a business (as such terms are defined in
Treasury Regulations Section 1.368-1(d)).

           13. Neither the Parent Corporation nor the Acquisition Corporation is
an investment company as defined in Section 368(a)(2)(F)(iii) and (iv) of the
Code.

           14. Neither the Parent Corporation nor the Acquisition Corporation
will take any position on any federal, state or local income or franchise tax
return, or take any other tax reporting position, that is inconsistent with the
treatment of the Merger as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a)
of the Code, unless otherwise required by a "determination" (as defined in
Section


                                     B-2-3
<PAGE>   71


1313(a)(1) of the Code) or by applicable state or local tax law (and then only
to the extent required by such applicable state or local tax law).

           15. None of the compensation received by any stockholder-employee of
the Company in respect of periods after the Effective Time represents separate
consideration for, or is allocable to, any of their Company Common Stock. None
of the Parent Common Stock that will be received by any stockholder-employee in
the Merger represents separately bargained for consideration or is allocable to
any employment agreement or arrangement. The compensation paid to any
stockholder-employees will be for services actually rendered and will be
commensurate with amounts paid to third parties.

           16. There is no intercorporate indebtedness existing between The
Parent Corporation (or any of its subsidiaries, including the Acquisition
Corporation) and the Company (or any of its subsidiaries) that was issued or
acquired, or will be settled, at a discount.

           17. Neither the Parent Corporation nor the Acquisition Corporation is
under the jurisdiction of a court in a Title 11 or similar case within the
meaning of Section 368(a)(3)(A) of the Code.

           18. Neither the Parent Corporation nor the Acquisition Corporation
(nor any other subsidiary of the Parent Corporation) has constituted either a
"distributing corporation" or a "controlled corporation" (within the meaning of
Section 355(a)(1)(A) of the Code) in a distribution of stock qualifying for
tax-free treatment under Section 355 of the Code and subject to Section 355(e)
of the Code (a) in the two years prior to the date of the Merger Agreement or
(b) in a distribution which could otherwise constitute part of a "plan" or
"series of related transactions" (within the meaning of Section 355(e) of the
Code) in conjunction with the Merger.

           19. In connection with the Merger, Company Common Stock will be
converted solely into Parent Common Stock (except for cash paid in lieu of
fractional shares of Parent Common Stock). For purposes of this representation,
Company Common Stock redeemed for cash or other property furnished directly or
indirectly by the Parent Corporation will be considered as acquired by the
Parent Corporation for other than Parent Common Stock. Further, no liabilities
of the Company or any holders of Company Common Stock will be assumed by the
Parent Corporation, nor will any of the Company Common Stock acquired by the
Parent Corporation in connection with the Merger be subject to any liabilities.

           20. The Merger Agreement, the Registration Statement and the other
documents described in the Registration Statement all as amended through the
date hereof represent the entire understanding of the Parent Corporation and the
Acquisition Corporation with respect to the Merger.

           21. The Acquisition Corporation is a corporation newly formed for the
purpose of participating in the Merger and at no time prior to the Merger has
had assets or liabilities (other than nominal assets contributed upon the
formation of the Acquisition Corporation, which assets are


                                      B-2-4
<PAGE>   72


not subject to any liabilities and will be held by Company as the surviving
corporation following the Merger) or business operations.

           22. The Merger is being undertaken for purposes of enhancing the
business of the Parent Corporation and for other good and valid business
purposes of the Parent Corporation.

           23. The undersigned is authorized to make all the representations set
forth herein on behalf of the Parent Corporation and the Acquisition
Corporation.

           The undersigned acknowledges that (a) the opinions to be delivered
pursuant to Sections 7.2(d) and 7.3(d) of the Merger Agreement will be based on
the accuracy of the representations set forth herein and on the accuracy of the
representations and warranties and the satisfaction of the covenants and
obligations contained in the Merger Agreement and the various other documents
related thereto and (b) such opinions will be subject to certain limitations and
qualifications including that it may not be relied upon if any such
representations or warranties are not accurate or if any such covenants or
obligations are not satisfied in all material respects.

           The undersigned acknowledges that such opinions will not address any
tax consequences of the Merger or any action taken in connection therewith
except as expressly set forth in such opinions.


                                       Very truly yours,

                                       GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION


                                       By
                                         -------------------------
                                             [Name and Title]


                                      B-2-5



<PAGE>   1
                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.41

                                                                  EXECUTION COPY



                                VOTING AGREEMENT



               VOTING AGREEMENT dated as of May 16, 1999 between General
Dynamics Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Parent Corporation"),
Forstmann Little & Co. Subordinated Debt and Equity Management Buyout
Partnership-IV, L.P. a New York limited partnership ("MBO IV"), Gulfstream
Partners, L.P., a New York limited partnership ("Gulfstream Partners"),
Gulfstream Partners II, L.P., a New York limited partnership ("Gulfstream
Partners II"), Nicholas C. Forstmann ("N. Forstmann") and Theodore J. Forstmann
("T. Forstmann").  MBO IV, Gulfstream Partners, Gulfstream Partners II, N.
Forstmann and T. Forstmann are referred to in this Agreement individually as a
"Stockholder" and collectively as the "Stockholders."

               Each of the Stockholders is the record holder and beneficial
owner of the number of  shares of the Common Stock, par value $.01 per share
(the "Company Common Stock"), of Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), indicated on Schedule 1 to this Agreement.

               The Parent Corporation, Tara Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware
corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Parent Corporation, and the
Company are parties to an Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of the date of
this Agreement (as in effect as of the date hereof, the "Merger Agreement").

               As a condition to its willingness to enter into the Merger
Agreement, the Parent Corporation has required that the Stockholders enter into
this Agreement for the purpose of evidencing certain agreements among the
parties relating to the voting and transfer of the Company Common Stock held by
the Stockholders.

               Except as otherwise provided herein, all capitalized terms used
in this Agreement will have the respective meanings provided in the Merger
Agreement.

               NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements
contained herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the value,
receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto
agree as follows:

               1.  Agreements Regarding Voting.   Each of the Stockholders
hereby agrees to vote all of the shares of Common Stock held of record or owned
beneficially by such Stockholder on the date of this Agreement or hereafter
acquired by such Stockholder in favor of the adoption of the Merger Agreement
and the approval of the Merger.  Each of the Stockholders acknowledges and
agrees that its or his obligations under this Section 1 are unconditional and
will remain in full force and effect for the period provided in this Agreement
notwithstanding that the Company may have received an Acquisition Proposal or
that the Board of Directors of the Company may have withdrawn or amended in a
manner adverse to the Parent Corporation its recommendation and approval of the
<PAGE>   2
Merger. Concurrently with the execution of this Agreement, each of the
Stockholders has executed and delivered to the Parent Corporation an
irrevocable proxy in the form of Exhibit A to this Agreement appointing the
officers of the Parent Corporation named therein as proxy for such Stockholder
to vote the shares of Company Common Stock held by such Stockholder in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

               2.   Conflicting Agreements.  Each of the Stockholders agrees
that such Stockholder will not grant any proxy or become party to any voting
trust or other agreement which is inconsistent with or conflicts with the
provisions of this Agreement or which grants to any other person or entity the
right, directly or indirectly, to vote or control the disposition of any of the
shares of Company Common Stock held by such Stockholder.

               3.  Representations and Warranties.  The Stockholders hereby 
represent and warrant to the Parent Corporation as follows:

               (a)     Each of MBO IV, Gulfstream and Gulfstream II is a
        limited partnership duly organized, validly existing and in good
        standing under the laws of the State of New York. Each of MBO IV,
        Gulfstream and Gulfstream II has full partnership power and authority
        and has taken all requisite action to enable it to execute and deliver
        this Agreement, to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and
        to perform its obligations hereunder.

               (b)     Each of N. Forstmann and T. Forstmann has full power and
        authority and has taken all requisite action to enable him to execute
        and deliver this Agreement, to consummate the transactions contemplated
        hereby and to perform his obligations hereunder.

               (c)     This Agreement constitutes the valid and legally binding
        obligation of each of the Stockholders, enforceable against each of the
        Stockholders in accordance with its terms and conditions.

               (d)     Neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement by
        the Stockholders, nor the performance by the Stockholders of their
        obligations hereunder, will constitute a violation of, be in conflict
        with, constitute or create (with or without notice or lapse of time or
        both) a default under, give rise to any right of termination,
        cancellation, amendment or acceleration with respect to, or result in
        the creation or imposition of any lien, encumbrance, security interest
        or other claim upon any property of any Stockholder (including the
        Company Common Stock owned by any Stockholder) pursuant to (i) the
        partnership agreement of any of the Stockholders that is a partnership,
        (ii) any constitutional provision, law, rule, regulation, permit,
        order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree to which any of the
        Stockholders is subject or (iii) any agreement or commitment to which
        any of the Stockholders is a party or by which any of the Stockholders
        or any of their respective properties (including the Company Common
        Stock owned by any Stockholder) is bound or subject.





                                      -2-
<PAGE>   3
               (e)     Each of the Stockholders is the record holder and full
        beneficial owner of all of the shares of Company Common Stock indicated
        as being owned by such Stockholder on Schedule 1 to this Agreement, no
        person or entity other than such Stockholder has any right, whether not
        shared, to vote or dispose of, or to control or direct the voting or
        disposition of, any of such shares, and all such shares are owned by
        such Stockholder, free and clear of any lien, encumbrance, security
        interest or other claim.

               (f)     Except for this Agreement, none of the Stockholders is a
        party to any voting trust, proxy or other agreement or understanding
        with respect to the voting of any capital stock of the Company.

               4.  Termination.  The restrictions set forth in this Agreement
will terminate and will be of no further force or effect upon the first to
occur of (a) the Effective Time of the Merger or (b) the date of the
effectiveness of the termination of the Merger Agreement in accordance with the
provisions of Section 8.1 thereof.

               5.  Miscellaneous.

               (a)     Any party having any rights under any provision of this
        Agreement will have all rights and remedies set forth in this Agreement
        and all rights and remedies that such party may have been granted at
        any time under any other agreement or contract and all of the rights
        that such party may have under any law.  Any such party will be
        entitled to enforce such rights specifically, without posting a bond or
        other security, to recover damages by reason of any breach of any
        provision of this Agreement and to exercise all other rights granted by
        law.

               (b)     No party hereto may assign or delegate any of such
        party's rights or obligations under or in connection with this
        Agreement without the written consent of the other party hereto. Except
        as otherwise expressly provided herein, all covenants and agreements
        contained in this Agreement by or on behalf of any of the parties
        hereto or thereto will be binding upon and enforceable against the
        respective successors and assigns of such party and will be enforceable
        by and will inure to the benefit of the respective successors and
        permitted assigns of such party.

               (c)     This Agreement may be amended by the execution and
        delivery of a written instrument by or on behalf of the Parent
        Corporation and each of the Stockholders.  No agreement amending or
        waiving any provision of this Agreement will be valid or binding unless
        it is in writing and is executed and delivered by or on behalf of the
        party against which it is sought to be enforced.

               (d)     Whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement will
        be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under
        applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement is held to be
        prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision will be
        ineffective only to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity,
        without invalidating the remainder of this Agreement.





                                      -3-
<PAGE>   4
               (e)     This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or
        more counterparts, any one of which need not contain the signatures of
        more than one party, but all such counterparts taken together will
        constitute one and the same Agreement.

               (f)     The descriptive headings of this Agreement are inserted
        for convenience only and do not constitute a part of this Agreement.

               (g)     All notices, demands or other communications to be given
        or delivered under or by reason of the provisions of this Agreement
        will be in writing and will be deemed to have been given when delivered
        personally to the recipient or when sent to the recipient by telecopy
        (receipt confirmed), one business day after the date when sent to the
        recipient by reputable express courier service (charges prepaid) or
        three business days after the date when mailed to the recipient by
        certified or registered mail, return receipt requested and postage
        prepaid.  Such notices, demands and other communications will be sent
        to the Parent Corporation and the Stockholders at the addresses
        indicated below:

               If to the Parent        
               Corporation:            General Dynamics Corporation
                                       3190 Fairview Park Drive
                                       Falls Church, Virginia 22041-4523
                                       Attention:    David A. Savner, Esq.
                                                     Senior Vice President and
                                                     General Counsel
                                       Facsimile No: (703) 876-3125
                                       
                                       
                                       
               With a copy (which      
               will not constitute     
               notice) to:             Jenner & Block
                                       601 13th Street, N.W.
                                       Washington, D.C.  20005
                                       Attention:   Craig A. Roeder, Esq.
                                       Facsimile No: (202) 639-6066
                                       
               If to a Stockholder:    To the address indicated on
                                       Schedule 1 to this Agreement

               With a copy (which      
               will not constitute     
               notice) to:             Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson
                                       One New York Plaza
                                       New York, New York 10004
                                       Attention:    Stephen Fraidin, P.C.
                                                     Aviva Diamant, Esq.
                                       Facsimile No: (212) 859-4000
                                       
                                       



                                      -4-
<PAGE>   5
        or to such other address or to the attention of such other party as the
        recipient party has specified by prior written notice to the sending
        party.

               (h)     This Agreement (including the Merger Agreement and the
        other documents referred to herein) constitutes the entire agreement
        among the parties and supersedes any prior understandings, agreements
        or representations by or among the parties, written or oral, that may
        have related in any way to the subject matter hereof.

               (i)     The language used in this Agreement will be deemed to be
        the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent and
        no rule of strict construction will be applied against any party.  The
        use of the word "including" in this Agreement means "including without
        limitation" and is intended by the parties to be by way of example
        rather than limitation. For purposes of this Agreement, the term
        "Company Common Stock" includes any equity securities issued or
        issuable directly or indirectly with respect to the outstanding shares
        of Company Common Stock by way of stock dividend or stock split or in
        connection with a combination of shares, recapitalization, merger,
        consolidation or other reorganization and any other shares of any class
        or series of capital stock of the Company held by a Stockholder.

               (i)       Each of the parties to this Agreement submits to the
        jurisdiction of any state or federal court sitting in Wilmington,
        Delaware, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to
        this Agreement, agrees that all claims in respect of the action or
        proceeding may be heard and determined in any such court, and agrees
        not to bring any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to
        this Agreement in any other court.  Each of the parties to this
        Agreement waives any defense of inconvenient forum to the maintenance
        of any action or proceeding so brought and waives any bond, surety or
        other security that might be required of any other party with respect
        thereto.

               (j)     ALL QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE CONSTRUCTION, VALIDITY AND
        INTERPRETATION OF THIS AGREEMENT WILL BE GOVERNED BY THE INTERNAL LAW,
        AND NOT THE LAW OF CONFLICTS, OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

                                   * * * * *





                                      -5-
<PAGE>   6
                                   * * * * *


        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this
Agreement on the date first written above.

                           GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION

                           By    /s/ DAVID A. SAVNER                     
                              -------------------------------------------
                                            David A. Savner
                                            Senior Vice President and
                                            General Counsel

                           FORSTMANN LITTLE & CO. SUBORDINATED
                           DEBT AND EQUITY MANAGEMENT BUYOUT
                           PARTNERSHIP - IV, L.P.

                           By       FLC XXIX PARTNERSHIP, L.P.
                           Its      General Partner

                           By     /s/ THEODORE J. FORSTMANN              
                              -------------------------------------------
                                    Theodore J. Forstmann
                                    General Partner

                           GULFSTREAM PARTNERS, L.P.

                           By       FLC XXI PARTNERSHIP
                           Its      General Partner

                           By     /s/ NICHOLAS C. FORSTMANN              
                              -------------------------------------------
                                    Nicholas C. Forstmann
                                    General Partner

                           GULFSTREAM PARTNERS II, L.P.

                           By       FLC XXIV PARTNERSHIP
                           Its      General Partner

                           By    /s/ THEODORE J. FORSTMANN               
                              -------------------------------------------
                                    Theodore J. Forstmann
                                    General Partner

<PAGE>   7

                            /s/ NICHOLAS C. FORSTMANN                
                        ---------------------------------------------
                        Nicholas C. Forstmann

                           /s/ THEODORE J. FORSTMANN                 
                        ---------------------------------------------
                        Theodore J. Forstmann






                                      -7-

<PAGE>   8

                                   SCHEDULE I


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Stockholder                                          Shares of Company Common Stock
- -----------                                          ------------------------------
<S>                                                  <C>
Forstmann Little & Co. Subordinated                  10,265,915
Debt and Equity Management Buyout                   
Partnership IV, L.P.                                
c/o  Forstmann Little & Co.                         
767 Fifth Avenue                                    
New York, New York 10153                            
Attention: Theodore J. Forstmann                    
Facsimile No: 212/759-9059                          
                                                    
Gulfstream Partners, L.P                             2,674,325
c/o  Forstmann Little & Co.                         
767 Fifth Avenue                                    
New York, New York 10153                            
Attention: Theodore J. Forstmann                    
Facsimile No: 212/759-9059                          
                                                    
Gulfstream Partners II, L.P.                         3,614,135
c/o  Forstmann Little & Co.                         
767 Fifth Avenue                                    
New York, New York 10153                            
Attention: Theodore J. Forstmann
Facsimile No: 212/759-9059
</TABLE>





                                      -8-

<PAGE>   9
                                                                      EXHIBIT A




                               IRREVOCABLE PROXY




         The undersigned, as the record holder and beneficial owner of the
below indicated shares of the Common Stock, par value $.01 per share (the
"Company Common Stock"), of Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), hereby revokes all previous proxies and appoints
Michael J. Mancuso and David A. Savner, and each of such persons acting alone,
as the true and lawful proxy and attorney-in-fact for the undersigned to vote
all shares of the Company Common Stock held by the undersigned in favor of the
adoption of the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of May 16, 1999 among
General Dynamics Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Parent
Corporation"), Tara Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware corporation and a
wholly-owned subsidiary of the Parent Corporation, and the Company (as in
effect as of the date hereof, the "Merger Agreement") and the merger
contemplated thereby (the "Merger") at any and all meetings of the stockholders
of the Company called to consider the Merger Agreement and/or the Merger, and
at any adjournments thereof, held on or after the date of the giving of this
proxy and prior to the date of the effectiveness of the termination of the
Merger Agreement in accordance with the provisions of Section 8.1 thereof, and
to execute on behalf of the undersigned any and all written consents of
stockholders of the Company to be executed on or after the date of the giving
of this proxy and prior to the date of the effectiveness of the termination of
the Merger Agreement in accordance with the terms of Section 8.1 thereof, with
the same effect as if the undersigned had personally voted such shares or had
personally signed such written consent.

         The undersigned authorizes and directs the proxy holder to file this
proxy with the Secretary of the Company and authorizes the proxy holder to
substitute another person as proxy holder and to file the substitution
instrument with the Secretary of the Company.





                                      -9-

<PAGE>   10

         This proxy is given pursuant to a Voting Agreement dated as of this
date among the undersigned, the Parent Corporation and certain other
stockholders of the Company (as in effect as of the date hereof, the "Voting
Agreement") and is being delivered as an inducement for the Parent Corporation
to enter into the Merger Agreement.  This proxy is therefore coupled with an
interest and may not be revoked without the written consent of the Parent
Corporation unless and until the Voting Agreement is terminated in accordance
with the provisions of Section 5 thereof.


Date:                     May 16, 1999

Number of Shares of
Company Common Stock:                    
                          ---------------


                                                 ----------------------------
                                                 Signature





                                      -10-


<TABLE> <S> <C>

<ARTICLE> 5
<LEGEND>
THIS SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM THE GENERAL
DYNAMICS CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET AS OF APRIL 4, 1999, AND THE
RELATED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF EARNINGS FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED APRIL 4,
1999 AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
</LEGEND>
<MULTIPLIER> 1,000,000
       
<S>                             <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   3-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          DEC-31-1999
<PERIOD-START>                             JAN-01-1999
<PERIOD-END>                               APR-04-1999
<CASH>                                             133
<SECURITIES>                                        52
<RECEIVABLES>                                      314
<ALLOWANCES>                                         0
<INVENTORY>                                      1,186
<CURRENT-ASSETS>                                 2,414
<PP&E>                                           1,749
<DEPRECIATION>                                   1,031
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                   5,106
<CURRENT-LIABILITIES>                            1,574
<BONDS>                                            162
                                0
                                          0
<COMMON>                                           312
<OTHER-SE>                                       2,177
<TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY>                     5,106
<SALES>                                          1,377
<TOTAL-REVENUES>                                 1,377
<CGS>                                            1,234
<TOTAL-COSTS>                                    1,234
<OTHER-EXPENSES>                                     0
<LOSS-PROVISION>                                     0
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                   3
<INCOME-PRETAX>                                    151
<INCOME-TAX>                                     (114)
<INCOME-CONTINUING>                                265
<DISCONTINUED>                                       0
<EXTRAORDINARY>                                      0
<CHANGES>                                            0
<NET-INCOME>                                       265
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                     2.09
<EPS-DILUTED>                                     2.07
        

</TABLE>

<PAGE>   1
                                                                      EXHIBIT 99


                                                    MONDAY, MAY 17, 1999

GENERAL DYNAMICS TO ACQUIRE GULFSTREAM
IN $5.3 BILLION STOCK DEAL

TRANSACTION WILL BE ACCRETIVE TO EARNINGS AND CASH FLOW

FALLS CHURCH, VA. AND SAVANNAH, GA. - General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) and Gulfstream
Aerospace Corporation (NYSE: GAC) announced today that they have entered into a
definitive agreement for General Dynamics to acquire Gulfstream Aerospace
Corporation in a one-for-one stock swap, valued at $71.44 per Gulfstream share,
or approximately $5.3 billion, based on General Dynamics' closing price on May
14, 1999. The transaction, which will be accounted for as a pooling of
interests, is expected to be tax-free to Gulfstream shareholders.

      The proposed acquisition, unanimously approved by the boards of directors
of both companies, is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval and
customary closing conditions. It is expected to be completed in the third
quarter of 1999.

       Gulfstream had 1998 revenues of $2.4 billion and earnings of $225.3
million. At the end of the first quarter of 1999, Gulfstream reported fully
diluted shares of approximately 74 million. On the same basis, General Dynamics
reported approximately 128 million shares. General Dynamics is expected to have
approximately 202 million shares outstanding after the acquisition is completed.

       "This transaction will be immediately -- and handsomely -- accretive to
earnings and cash flow, and a fine addition to General Dynamics," said Nicholas
D. Chabraja, General Dynamics chairman and chief executive officer. "Gulfstream,
our first major commercial acquisition, is squarely within the criteria we
established five years ago in our strategy for building shareholder value.
Beyond our defense core, that strategy calls for opportunistically pursuing
businesses where we can apply our core competencies in development, design and
production -- and Gulfstream is a perfect fit. As Gulfstream moves further into
computer aided design and manufacturing, our broad expertise in establishing
efficient manufacturing environments - plus our heritage in aircraft development
and production -- will add significant value.

      "Gulfstream is a superbly run company and it produces the best business
jets in the world," Chabraja added. "It has an innovative and effective
marketing organization and a team of talented, hardworking employees. Its lean
management structure and focus on operating excellence and customer satisfaction
make it a strong cultural fit with General Dynamics," Chabraja said. "This
transaction will create value for the shareholders of both companies, and
creates additional opportunities for Gulfstream employees."

      Theodore J. Forstmann, chairman and chief executive officer of Gulfstream,
said, "Running Gulfstream for the past six years has been easily the most
rewarding experience of my business

                                     (more)


<PAGE>   2

career. During this period, my partner Sandra Horbach and I, together with the
senior management and employees of Gulfstream, have built a company with a solid
financial structure, a large backlog, a totally dominant brand in the global
marketplace and very significant prospects for further growth. Gulfstream should
now be part of a larger enterprise. We have been offered a fair price, and, in
General Dynamics, have found a good home for this great American company and its
superb employees."

      "Gulfstream Aerospace would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of General
Dynamics," said Chabraja, "with no change to its existing management,
operations, facilities, or work force. I have asked Ted Forstmann to stay on as
chairman of Gulfstream, and I am delighted that he has accepted." W.W. Boisture,
Jr., will continue as president and chief operating officer, and Chris A. Davis
will continue as executive vice president and chief financial and administrative
officer.

      Forstmann Little & Co., which owns approximately 16.5 million Gulfstream
shares, or approximately 23 percent of Gulfstream's outstanding shares, has
agreed to vote its shares in favor of the transaction. Theodore Forstmann is a
senior partner of that company.

      Gulfstream Aerospace is the leading designer, developer, manufacturer and
marketer of the world's most technologically advanced business jet aircraft. It
has produced more than 1,000 aircraft for customers around the world since 1958.
Gulfstream offers a broad range of aircraft products and services to meet the
aviation needs of its customers, including the Gulfstream IV-SP, the ultra-long
range Gulfstream V, Gulfstream Shares, Gulfstream Financial Services, Gulfstream
Lease, Gulfstream Pre-Owned Aircraft Sales, Gulfstream Charter Services,
Gulfstream Management Services and Gulfstream ServiceCare.

      Gulfstream ended the first quarter of 1999 with a $4.1 billion backlog of
129 aircraft. The company has 7,800 employees, with operations in six states.

      General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, provides
sophisticated defense systems to the United States and its allies. Its products
include nuclear submarines, surface combatants, auxiliary ships, armored
vehicles and other combat systems, and information systems. The company has
29,000 employees and had 1998 sales of $5 billion.

      Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. is financial advisor to General Dynamics.
Merrill Lynch & Co. and Goldman, Sachs & Co. are financial advisors to
Gulfstream.

CONTACTS: General Dynamics: Investors - Ray Lewis / 703-876-3195
                            Media - Norine Lyons / 703-876-3190

          Gulfstream Aerospace: Investors - Tricia Bergeron / 912-965-3700
                                Media - Pat Coulter / 912-965-3005

          Forstmann Little: George Sard/Anna Cordasco @ Sard Verbinnen
                            & Co / 212-687-8080

                                     (more)


<PAGE>   3

GENERAL DYNAMICS ANALYST/PRESS MEETING AND CONFERENCE CALL
- ----------------------------------------------------------

9:30 A.M. MONDAY, MAY 17, 1999

THE EQUITABLE BUILDING

787 SEVENTH AVENUE (51ST STREET) IN THE ALEXANDER ROOM, 49TH FLOOR

DIAL-IN NUMBER: (U.S. AND CANADA) 1-800-852-5279

                 INTERNATIONAL CALLERS: 303-267-1006


A REPLAY OF THE CONFERENCE WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM 11 AM ON MAY 17 UNTIL 5 PM ON
MAY 24

U.S. AND CANADA:      1-800-625-5288

INTERNATIONAL CALLERS:    303-804-1855

ASK FOR RESERVATION NUMBER 547462



                                 (-30-)


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