Alliant Techsystems

Alliant Techsystems Inc., commonly abbreviated ATK, is an aerospace, defense, and commercial products company with its headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, in the United States. The company operates in 21 states, Puerto Rico, and internationally, and had fiscal year 2013 revenues of approx US$4.4 billion. The company was previously headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

History
ATK was formed in 1990 as a subsidiary of Honeywell Inc. as part of Honeywell's plan to exit the defense industry. Under the plan, Honeywell's defense businesses were transferred to ATK which was then spun off to Honeywell stockholders as a separate company.

In 1995 ATK entered the aerospace market with the acquisition of Hercules Inc. Aerospace division. Since then ATK has become a supplier of aerospace and defense products to the U.S. government and its allies, and to their contractors. ATK is also a supplier of ammunition and related accessories to law enforcement agencies and commercial customers.

In 2001, ATK acquired Thiokol, renaming it to ATK Launch Systems in 2006 (though it's still known within the industry by its original name). Thiokol was the sole manufacturer of the reusable Solid Rocket Motor used to launch the NASA Space Shuttle, which will be adapted to the Space Launch System. It also produces other solid-fuel propulsion systems, including the Star 48 upper stage. In addition, ATK manufactures the booster separation systems that release the motors away from the Shuttle orbiter and the main liquid fuel tank. Nearly every NASA planetary probe has used some form of propulsion from one of the company's divisions, and ATK also participated in the X-43A project. The company also produces the propulsion system used in the Trident D5 nuclear missile.

Alliant Techsystems and Humbert CTTS SAS were awarded an approximately US$14 million contract to provide Speer 9mm GoldDot ammunition to the French Gendarmerie, French Customs, French Corrections and all 250,000 police officers in France. ATK expanded its workforce during the United States ammunition shortage.

Acquisitions and mergers
Since 2000 ATK has grown as a result of both internal expansion and a series of acquisitions, including Thiokol propulsion, the ordnance business of Boeing and CCI/Speer, an ammunition manufacturer, and Federal Ammunition. In 2003 ATK purchased the General Applied Science Laboratory (GASL).

Major government contracts
On March 12, 2012, ATK announced that it was awarded an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) agreement from the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for .40 caliber ammunition. This contract has a base of 12 months, includes four option years, and will have a maximum volume of 450 million rounds of hollow point bullets.

ATK Aerospace

 * Headquartered in Magna, Utah

In November 2010, ATK was selected by NASA for consideration for potential contract awards for heavy lift launch vehicle system concepts, and propulsion technologies.

, ATK had proposed a new launch vehicle to NASA in the third round of the Commercial Crew Development (CCiCap) program, and proposed to launch the Liberty rocket – a commercial rocket and spacecraft designed to carry astronauts – on its first manned mission in 2015. Liberty was not selected when the proposal awards were announced in August 2012.

ATK Defense
ATK Defense comprises five business divisions.<ref name=ATKDefense20121026


 * ATK Armament Systems
 * ATK Armament Systems is a producer of medium caliber gun systems and ammunition, and the developer of the XM25, Individual Semi-Automatic Airburst System.
 * Headquartered in Clearfield, Utah
 * ATK Defense Electronic Systems
 * ATK Energetic Systems
 * ATK Missile Products
 * Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland
 * ATK Small Caliber Systems

ATK Sporting

 * Headquartered in Anoka, Minnesota