Lag Basis for Reporting Income (Loss) from Nonconsolidated Affiliates

No definition available.

Name:	lll_LagBasisforReportingIncomeLossfromNonconsolidatedAffiliates
Namespace Prefix:	lll_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Performance-based Billings as Percent of Contract Price, Maximum

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lll_PerformancebasedBillingsasPercentofContractPriceMaximum
Namespace Prefix:	lll_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Progress Billings as Percent of Incurred Costs

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lll_ProgressBillingsasPercentofIncurredCosts
Namespace Prefix:	lll_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of revenue recognized from performance obligation satisfied or partially satisfied in previous reporting periods. Includes, but is not limited to, change in transaction price.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 270
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173487&loc=SL51747714-108306

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82913847&loc=SL49130549-203045

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ContractWithCustomerPerformanceObligationSatisfiedInPreviousPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount after tax of increase (decrease) to equity or (increase) decrease to net assets, resulting from the cumulative effect adjustment of a new accounting principle applied in the period of adoption.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of net income (loss) for the period available to each share of common stock or common unit outstanding during the reporting period and to each share or unit that would have been outstanding assuming the issuance of common shares or units for all dilutive potential common shares or units outstanding during the reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 225
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04(19))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879464&loc=d3e573970-122913

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96947427&loc=d3e1252-109256

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03(21))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 225
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04(23))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879574&loc=d3e536633-122882

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NewAccountingPronouncementsOrChangeInAccountingPrincipleLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The net result for the period of deducting operating expenses from operating revenues.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The aggregate costs incurred (1) in a planned search or critical investigation aimed at discovery of new knowledge with the hope that such knowledge will be useful in developing a new product or service, a new process or technique, or in bringing about a significant improvement to an existing product or process; or (2) to translate research findings or other knowledge into a plan or design for a new product or process or for a significant improvement to an existing product or process whether intended for sale or the entity's use, during the reporting period charged to research and development projects, including the costs of developing computer software up to the point in time of achieving technological feasibility, and costs allocated in accounting for a business combination to in-process projects deemed to have no alternative future use.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 730
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6420194&loc=d3e21568-108373

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 985
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6501960&loc=d3e128462-111756

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AdjustmentsForNewAccountingPronouncementsAxis=us-gaap_NewAccountingPronouncementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis=us-gaap_ShareholdersEquityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AdjustmentsForNewAccountingPronouncementsAxis=us-gaap_AccountingStandardsUpdate201409Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Basis of Presentation - Impact of Adoption of New Accounting Pronouncement (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 29, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 29, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jan. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cumulative effect adjustment of ASC 606 on January 1, 2018, net of taxes						$ 13
Progress billings as percent of incurred costs (percent)			80.00%
Performance-based billings as percent of contract price, maximum (percent)			90.00%
Operating income	$ 321	$ 294	$ 572	$ 531
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 4.72	$ 2.54	$ 7.26	$ 4.61
Performance obligations satisfied in prior periods	$ 71		$ 139
Research and development expense	$ 86		161
Lag basis for reporting income (loss) from nonconsolidated affiliates	3 months
Adjustments for New Accounting Pronouncement [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Operating income	$ 64	$ 42	$ 128	$ 84
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.61	$ 0.35	$ 1.22	$ 0.67
Shareholders' Equity [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cumulative effect adjustment of ASC 606 on January 1, 2018, net of taxes					$ 13