9810081
B236136

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
BEFORE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

In the Matter of

TRW Inc., a corporation.

Docket No. C-3790

COMPLAINT

The Federal Trade Commission ("Commission"), having reason to believe that respondent, TRW Inc. ("TRW"), a corporation subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission, has agreed to acquire all of the voting securities of BDM International Inc. ("BDM"), a corporation subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission, in violation of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act ("FTC Act"), as amended, 15 U.S.C. § 45, and that such acquisition, if consummated, would violate Section 7 of the Clayton Act, as amended, 15 U.S.C. § 18, and Section 5 of the FTC Act, as amended, 15 U.S.C. § 45; and it appearing to the Commission that a proceeding in respect thereof would be in the public interest, hereby issues its Complaint, stating its charges as follows:

I. RESPONDENT

1. Respondent TRW is a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Ohio, with its principal executive offices located at 1900 Richmond Road, Cleveland, Ohio, 44124.

II. ACQUIRED COMPANY

2. BDM is a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Delaware, with its principal executive offices located at 1501 BDM Way, McLean, Virginia, 22102.

III. JURISDICTION

3. TRW and BDM are, and at all times relevant herein have been, engaged in commerce as "commerce" is defined in Section 1 of the Clayton Act, as amended, 15 U.S.C. § 12, and are corporations whose business is in or affects commerce as "commerce" is defined in Section 4 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, as amended, 15 U.S.C. § 44.

IV. THE ACQUISITION

4. On November 20, 1997, TRW and BDM entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger whereby TRW will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of BDM for approximately $942 million (the "Acquisition").

V. THE RELEVANT MARKETS

5. The relevant lines of commerce in which to analyze the effects of the acquisition are: (a) the research, development, manufacture and sale of a ballistic missile defense system for the United States Department of Defense ("BMD System"); and (b) the provision of systems engineering and technical assistance services to the United States Ballistic Missile Defense Organization ("SETA Services").

6. The United States is the relevant geographic area in which to analyze the effects of the acquisition in both relevant lines of commerce.

VI. STRUCTURE OF THE MARKETS

7. The market for the research, development, manufacture and sale of a BMD System is highly concentrated whether measured by the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index ("HHI") or the two-firm and four-firm concentration ratios ("concentration ratios"). Respondent is a member of one of only two teams competing to supply a BMD System to the United States Department of Defense.

8. The market for SETA Services is highly concentrated whether measured by the HHI or by concentration ratios. BDM has been the only provider of SETA Services since 1994.

9. Respondent, through the Acquisition, would be engaged in both the research, development, manufacture and sale of a BMD System and the provision of SETA Services.

VII. BARRIERS TO ENTRY

10. New entry into the market for the research, development, manufacture and sale of a BMD System would be difficult and unlikely. The time required to develop the necessary expertise to manufacture a BMD System would far exceed two years. The cost to develop the necessary technology to manufacture a BMD System would be prohibitively high.

11. New entry into the market for the provision of SETA Services would be untimely. The Department of Defense intends to award a BMD System procurement contract within the next six months. It would not be possible for a firm to develop the necessary expertise to provide SETA Services in that time.

VIII. EFFECTS OF THE ACQUISITION

12. The effects of the Acquisition, if consummated, may be substantially to lessen competition or to tend to create a monopoly in the market for a BMD System in the United States in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act, as amended, 15 U.S.C. § 18, and Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, as amended, 15 U.S.C. § 45, in the following ways, among others:

a. Respondent may gain access to competitively sensitive non-public information concerning the other BMD System manufacturers, so that actual competition between respondent and the other BMD System manufacturers will be reduced; and

b. Respondent may be in a position to disadvantage the other BMD System manufacturers, so that actual competition between respondent and the other BMD System manufacturers will be reduced.

IX. VIOLATIONS CHARGED

13. The Acquisition described in Paragraph 4, if consummated, would constitute a violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act, as amended, 15 U.S.C. § 18, and Section 5 of the FTC Act, as amended, 15 U.S.C. § 45.

14. The Agreement and Plan of Merger described in Paragraph 4 constitutes a violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act, as amended, 15 U.S.C. § 45.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Federal Trade Commission has caused this Complaint to be signed by the Secretary and its official seal to be affixed, at Washington, D.C. this sixth day of April, 1998.

By the Commission.

Donald S. Clark
Secretary

SEAL