Brian Bradley
NS&D Monitor
11/21/2014
After the failed Antares rocket launch late last month prompted ATK leadership to review the planned merger of its aerospace and defense businesses with the rocket’s manufacturer Orbital Sciences, ATK has decided to follow through with the move, the company announced this week. “Since the incident, the companies have conducted a thorough review and analysis of the launch failure and Orbital’s proposed recovery plan and long-term competitive position,” the company said in a statement. “Following this review, ATK’s board of directors continues to support the strategic merits of the transaction and recommends that ATK stockholders vote to approve the issuance of shares to Orbital stockholders. Orbital’s board of directors also continues to recommend that Orbital stockholders vote to approve the proposed transaction.” ATK has decided to move its special meeting, when stockholders will vote on the merger, from Dec. 9 to Jan. 27, and its merger closure date from Jan. 31 to sometime in February, according to the statement.
ATK’s defense arm builds propulsion systems for Minuteman 3 and Trident 2 missiles, and its Launch Systems division is one of four businesses composing the Consolidated Nuclear Security team that manages the Y-12 and Pantex facilities. “During the course of the last two weeks, both companies have diligently evaluated and analyzed information relating to the Antares incident and Orbital’s go-forward plan,” Mark DeYoung, ATK President and Chief Executive Officer, said in the statement. “We believe it was responsible and essential to conduct this special due diligence and as a result of our findings, management and our board of directors continue to endorse the previously announced transaction. The strategy to spin off our sporting business and merge our [aerospace and defense] businesses with Orbital supports long-term value creation, enhances the competitive position of both our sporting and A&D businesses, and makes long-term sense for our shareholders, employees, company, and our very diverse set of customers.”
DeYoung said during a Nov. 19 conference call that “ATK and its board have concluded, based on the information available at this time, that successful program execution of Orbital’s recovery plan is likely; the recovery plan risks are manageable. We believe this transaction creates long-term value by combining key capabilities from ATK and Orbital to meet the needs of our customers, increasing our competitiveness and delivering meaningful revenue and cost synergies.”
