The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is seeking public comment on a petition filed by Northrop Grumman Corporation. The petition requests the Commission to reopen and set aside a final consent order that was established following Northrop Grumman’s acquisition of aerospace and defense contractor Orbital ATK in 2018.

The final consent order, issued in December 2018, was a response to FTC allegations that the acquisition was anticompetitive. It mandated that Northrop Grumman supply solid rocket motors (SRMs) to its competitors on a non-discriminatory basis. Additionally, the order imposed strict information protection obligations, requiring Northrop Grumman to maintain a separation between its SRM business and other operations through a firewall.

Furthermore, the order allows the Department of War to appoint a compliance officer to oversee Northrop Grumman’s adherence to the order and its reporting requirements. Northrop Grumman's petition argues that the consent order is no longer necessary to maintain competition and that its continuation is not in the public interest.

The public has a 30-day window, until May 4, 2026, to submit comments regarding the petition. Instructions for filing comments can be found on Regulations.gov. After the comment period concludes, the FTC will vote to determine the outcome of the petition.