The Gulfstream G650 Is General Dynamics' Profit Engine

For more than a century, General Dynamics has helped the U.S. military fight its wars, most recently by supplying M1 Abrams battle tanks and nuclear-powered submarines that fire Trident missiles. The company’s best weapon for combating defense cuts, though, is a corporate jet coveted by chief executives and the wealthy.

The waiting time for delivery of a $64.5 million G650, the flagship plane of General Dynamics’ Gulfstream Aerospace unit, is almost four years, and well-heeled customers are willing to pay a premium to get their hands on the world’s biggest and fastest business jet even quicker. “It’s the must-have airplane if you’re in the top end of the spectrum,” says Steve Varsano, founder of London-based Jet Business, who has sold two pre-owned G650s since November for several millions more than the sticker price.