WASHINGTON — The Federal Trade Commission has requested additional information from Falls Church-based Northrop Grumman and Dulles-based Orbital ATK Inc. regarding their planned $9.2 billion merger.
Northrop Grumman announced an agreement to acquire satellite and rocket maker Orbital ATK in September.
Second requests sometimes signal regulator concern about a proposed merger. But Northrop and Orbital both say the request for additional information was expected and is part of the regulatory process.
Both companies still expect the merger to close in the first half of 2018.
Northrop’s acquisition includes $7.8 billion in cash and the assumption of $1.4 billion in Orbital ATK debt.
Northrop’s acquisition of Orbital ATK will create a company with 80,000 employees worldwide.
ATK has said that being acquired by Northrop accelerates its product development and creates new career path opportunities for its employees.
Orbital ATK is the result of the 2015 merger of Orbital Sciences Corp. and the aerospace and defense groups of Alliant Techsystems Inc.
