Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Operating activities:
Net income	$ 968	$ 966	$ 911
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment	173	164	158
Amortization of intangibles and other assets	74	67	60
Deferred income tax provision	107	111	74
Stock-based employee compensation expense	64	82	74
Contributions to employee savings plans in L-3 Holdings' common stock	137	143	139
Amortization of pension and postretirement benefit plans net loss and prior service cost	48	41	52
Amortization of bond discounts (included in interest expense)	4	24	23
Amortization of deferred debt issue costs (included in interest expense)	9	12	11
Non-cash portion of debt retirement charge	11	5
Goodwill impairment charge	43
Equity in losses (earnings) of unconsolidated subsidiaries	12	(8)	(4)
Other non-cash items	2	(2)	1
Subtotal	1,652	1,605	1,499
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, excluding acquired and divested amounts:
Billed receivables	56	(109)	107
Contracts in process	(89)	(136)	(79)
Inventories	(14)	2	14
Accounts payable, trade	(30)	(2)	(118)
Accrued employment costs	(40)	22	(59)
Accrued expenses	48	47	(39)
Advance payments and billings in excess of costs incurred	(15)	63	(15)
Income taxes	(1)	78	27
Excess income tax benefits related to share-based payment arrangements	(2)	(7)	(4)
Other current liabilities	17	23	9
Pension and postretirement benefits	(83)	(78)	43
All other operating activities	(15)	(47)	22
Subtotal	(168)	(144)	(92)
Net cash from operating activities	1,484	1,461	1,407
Investing activities:
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(20)	(756)	(90)
Proceeds from sale of a business	1	2
Capital expenditures	(192)	(181)	(186)
Dispositions of property, plant and equipment	6	10	4
Investments in equity investees		(23)
Other investing activities	2	3
Net cash used in investing activities	(203)	(945)	(272)
Financing activities:
Proceeds from sale of senior notes	1,143	797	996
Repayment of borrowings under term loan facility			(650)
Redemption of senior subordinated notes	(1,150)	(800)	(750)
Redemption of CODES	(11)
Borrowings under revolving credit facility	625	13
Repayment of borrowings under revolving credit facility	(625)	(13)
Common stock repurchased	(958)	(834)	(505)
Dividends paid on L-3 Holdings' common stock	(188)	(184)	(165)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	22	60	24
Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan	46	68	70
Debt issue costs	(11)	(7)	(22)
Excess income tax benefits related to share-based payment arrangements	2	7	4
Other financing activities	(15)	(25)	(7)
Net cash used in financing activities	(1,120)	(918)	(1,005)
Effect of foreign currency exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(4)	(7)	19
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	157	(409)	149
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of the year	607	1,016	867
Cash and cash equivalents, end of the year	$ 764	$ 607	$ 1,016