General Dynamics (GD) has acquired the defense operations of Gayston Corporation, a privately held company that supplies precision metal components used in several munitions programs.

The value of the cash transaction, which General Dynamics expects to be accretive to earnings in 2013, has not been disclosed.

Gayston's defense operations employ 187 people at a state-of-the-art facility in Springboro, Ohio, which is optimized for aluminum impact extrusion manufacturing. Among its products, Gayston manufactures rocket motor tubes for the U.S. Army's Hydra-70 air-to-ground rocket program. It also provides liners and cartridges for 40mm ammunition rounds and components for 60-120mm mortar rounds to a variety of customers.

The defense operations of Gayston will become part of Charlotte, North Carolina.-based General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, a leading provider of high-performance weapon and armament systems, composite products and heavy-duty off-road axle and suspension systems to the U.S. military, allied forces and commercial customers.

“The acquisition of Gayston's defense operations expands our critical manufacturing capability to cost-efficiently produce high-precision parts in large quantities. The acquisition also provides us with more opportunities to participate in high-performance weapon system programs,” said Michael J. Mulligan, President of General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products.