The Federal Trade Commission announced on Apr. 2 that it is seeking public comment on a petition from Northrop Grumman Corporation to reopen and set aside a final consent order related to its 2018 acquisition of Orbital ATK.
The request concerns an FTC order issued in December 2018, which addressed allegations that the acquisition was anticompetitive. The order required Northrop Grumman to supply solid rocket motors to competitors without discrimination and included information protection requirements, such as separating the operation of its solid rocket motor business from other company operations with a firewall. It also allowed the Department of War to appoint a compliance officer for oversight.
Northrop Grumman’s petition argues that the order is no longer needed to maintain competition and claims that keeping it in place does not serve the public interest.
Members of the public have until May 4, 2026, to submit comments regarding whether the consent order should be set aside. Comments can be filed through Regulations.gov, where they will also be posted once processed. After reviewing all submissions at the end of this period, the Commission will vote on how to proceed with Northrop Grumman's petition.
The FTC continues its work promoting competition and protecting consumers. Information about filing antitrust complaints or commenting on proposed mergers is available through official FTC channels.
