Financial Information of L-3 Communications and Its Subsidiaries (Details 1) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2008
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 764	$ 607	$ 1,016	$ 867
Billed receivables, net	1,240	1,299
Contracts in process	2,629	2,548
Other current assets	611	624
Total current assets	5,244	5,078
Goodwill	8,697	8,730	8,190
Other assets	1,556	1,643
Investment in and amounts due from consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Total assets	15,497	15,451	14,875
Current liabilities	2,690	2,733
Current portion of long-term debt	0	11
Other current liabilities		2,722
Amounts due to consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	1,958	1,737
Long-term debt	4,125	4,126
Total liabilities	8,773	8,596
L-3 shareholders' equity	6,635	6,764
Noncontrolling interests	89	91
Total equity	6,724	6,855	6,660	5,941
Total liabilities and equity	15,497	15,451
L-3 Holdings (Parent) [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Billed receivables, net	0	0
Contracts in process	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Investment in and amounts due from consolidated subsidiaries	7,324	7,462
Total assets	7,324	7,462
Current liabilities	0
Current portion of long-term debt		11
Other current liabilities		0
Amounts due to consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Long-term debt	689	687
Total liabilities	689	698
L-3 shareholders' equity	6,635	6,764
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	6,635	6,764
Total liabilities and equity	7,324	7,462
L-3 Communications [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	644	257	797	720
Billed receivables, net	377	387
Contracts in process	866	801
Other current assets	281	295
Total current assets	2,168	1,740
Goodwill	1,850	1,796
Other assets	678	693
Investment in and amounts due from consolidated subsidiaries	8,552	8,973
Total assets	13,248	13,202
Current liabilities	865
Current portion of long-term debt		11
Other current liabilities		898
Amounts due to consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	1,623	1,403
Long-term debt	4,125	4,126
Total liabilities	6,613	6,438
L-3 shareholders' equity	6,635	6,764
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	6,635	6,764
Total liabilities and equity	13,248	13,202
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	2	3	4	2
Billed receivables, net	639	680
Contracts in process	1,463	1,525
Other current assets	135	161
Total current assets	2,239	2,369
Goodwill	5,575	5,653
Other assets	685	763
Investment in and amounts due from consolidated subsidiaries	3,037	2,356
Total assets	11,536	11,141
Current liabilities	1,352
Current portion of long-term debt		0
Other current liabilities		1,388
Amounts due to consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	234	235
Long-term debt	0	0
Total liabilities	1,586	1,623
L-3 shareholders' equity	9,950	9,518
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	9,950	9,518
Total liabilities and equity	11,536	11,141
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	229	482	364	228
Billed receivables, net	224	232
Contracts in process	300	222
Other current assets	195	168
Total current assets	948	1,104
Goodwill	1,272	1,281
Other assets	193	187
Investment in and amounts due from consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Total assets	2,413	2,572
Current liabilities	584
Current portion of long-term debt		0
Other current liabilities		571
Amounts due to consolidated subsidiaries	294	439
Other long-term liabilities	101	99
Long-term debt	0	0
Total liabilities	979	1,109
L-3 shareholders' equity	1,434	1,463
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	1,434	1,463
Total liabilities and equity	2,413	2,572
Eliminations [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	(111)	(135)	(149)	(83)
Billed receivables, net	0	0
Contracts in process	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(111)	(135)
Goodwill	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Investment in and amounts due from consolidated subsidiaries	(18,913)	(18,791)
Total assets	(19,024)	(18,926)
Current liabilities	(111)
Current portion of long-term debt		(11)
Other current liabilities		(135)
Amounts due to consolidated subsidiaries	(294)	(439)
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Long-term debt	(689)	(687)
Total liabilities	(1,094)	(1,272)
L-3 shareholders' equity	(18,019)	(17,745)
Noncontrolling interests	89	91
Total equity	(17,930)	(17,654)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (19,024)	$ (18,926)