Northrop Grumman has petitioned the Federal Trade Commission to reopen and set aside the 2018 consent order that governs how it supplies solid rocket motors to rival missile primes, arguing that conditions in the market have changed enough that the order is no longer needed.
The petition, filed April 2, targets the modified decision and order the FTC imposed in December 2018 as a condition of Northrop's acquisition of Orbital ATK. That order requires Northrop to supply SRMs to competing prime contractors on a non-discriminatory basis, maintain firewalls between its rocket-motor business and the rest of the company, and submit to a Department of Defense-appointed compliance officer with broad inspection and interview authority. It runs through June 5, 2038.
Northrop's core argument: the FTC's 2018 complaint rested on the premise that Orbital ATK was one of only two U.S. companies capable of producing solid rocket motors for most government missile programs, and that new entry would be slow and expensive. Northrop says that premise has collapsed. The petition identifies eight new SRM enterprises that have entered the market since the order, including Anduril, X-Bow Systems, Ursa Major, Firehawk Aerospace, Castelion, Avio USA, a Lockheed Martin–General Dynamics partnership, and a Kratos-RAFAEL joint venture called Prometheus Energetics. Incumbents L3Harris/Aerojet and Nammo have also expanded, according to the filing.
Beyond headcount, Northrop argues that additive manufacturing has sharply reduced SRM tooling and development timelines, and that the Pentagon has directly funded alternative suppliers, accelerated qualification programs, and revised acquisition practices to promote multi-sourcing. Together, the company says, these shifts undercut the barriers-to-entry finding that underpinned the original order.
Northrop also contends the order now actively harms competition and the public interest. It says the firewall and non-discrimination obligations impose costs, slow missile work, and put Northrop at a disadvantage against larger tactical-missile primes — chiefly Lockheed Martin and RTX — that face no comparable constraints. The company argues the restrictions can also deter joint investment in new SRM technology, because some jointly developed work must be made available on non-discriminatory terms.
If the FTC grants the petition, the practical consequences are concrete. Northrop would shed its obligation to offer SRMs and related services to rival primes on a non-discriminatory basis. The firewall regime, including dedicated customer teams, information-separation controls, and restrictions on personnel movement, would dissolve. The DoD-backed compliance officer's authority to inspect records, investigate complaints, and retain advisors at Northrop's expense would end, along with recurring reporting and corporate-change notification duties.
The FTC has opened a public comment window on the petition, with submissions due by May 4, 2026. The Commission has said it will vote after the comment period closes. LitNews has not yet located publicly viewable rival or defense-stakeholder comments on the petition.