Article: United States: Northrop Sale of TASC Unit Shows Buyout Firms Return.

Byline: babalu03

KKR & Co. and General Atlantic LLC agreed to pay $1.65 billion for a government-consulting unit that Northrop Grumman Corp. is selling to comply with new conflict-of-interest regulations.

The sale will generate about $1.1 billion in cash after taxes, which Northrop will use to repurchase shares, the Los Angeles-based company said yesterday in a statement.

The transaction represents a return of buyout firms to the acquisitions market after a two-year dearth of purchases during the credit crisis. The purchase gives the buyers an opportunity to benefit from U.S. defense spending, which will reach $680 billion in budget year 2010.

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