Heather Wilson: Air Force to Keep an Eye on Northrop-Orbital ATK Merger Plan

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson has said she has no concerns on Northrop Grumman™s (NYSE: NOC) proposal to acquire Orbital ATK (NYSE: OA) and that the service branch intends to monitor the transaction™s progress, Defense News reported Tuesday.

œObviously, we watch these things and make sure that no matter [what] happens when companies acquire other companies that the Air Force gets what it needs and that contracts are complied with, Wilson told Defense News in an interview.

Wilson said she was not surprised about the Northrop-Orbital ATK deal that came weeks after United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) agreed to purchase Rockwell Collins (NYSE: COL) through an estimated $30 billion transaction.

œThere™s a lot happening in defense and space at the moment, so it™s not a surprise to me that companies would be looking to acquire other companies, position themselves for the future; and in some ways it™s an indication of the health of the sector that there™s a lot going on, she added.

Northrop on Monday announced that it entered into a definitive agreement to buy Orbital ATK through a potential $9.2 billion deal in a push to expand technology offerings and facilitate innovation efforts.

Secretary Wilson will be addressing the Potomac Officer’s Club as the keynote speaker at the Space: Innovations, Programs and Policies Summit to be held Oct. 18, 2017 at the Ritz-Carlton in Tysons Corner, VA.

Click here to register.

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