General Electric Co. has been awarded $1.68...

General Electric Co. has been awarded $1.68 billion in eight defense contracts, including $945.1 million for a new submarine combat system, the Pentagon said. The biggest GE award was for development of the Navy’s AN/BSY-2 submarine combat system, which the firm is developing for the SSN-21, the nation’s newest proposed class of attack subs. General Electric was the nation’s third-largest defense contractor in fiscal 1987 with $5.8 billion in Pentagon business. The firm ranked behind McDonnell Douglas ($7.7 billion) and General Dynamics ($7 billion).