General Dynamics has about $1 billion in sales under protest, the company's chief executive said today. However, Phebe Novakovic told analysts during a morning call the company is "quite comfortable" due to the historical precedent that winners tend to hold onto their protested programs. "We've also seen a slowing in the execution of the contract awards, and we suspect that will resolve through the course of next year," she said. "Our rate of growth will be . . . in...