Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 27, 2013	Sep. 28, 2012
Operating activities:
Net income	$ 588	$ 605
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax		(32)
Income from continuing operations	588	573
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment	122	124
Amortization of intangibles and other assets	36	41
Deferred income tax provision	45	50
Stock-based employee compensation expense	42	44
Contributions to employee savings plans in L-3 Holdings' common stock	90	104
Amortization of pension and postretirement benefit plans net loss and prior service cost	63	51
Amortization of bond discounts and deferred debt issue costs (included in interest expense)	5	5
Other non-cash items	1	9
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, excluding amounts from acquisitions, divestitures and discontinued operations:
Billed receivables	(117)	152
Contracts in process	(36)	(351)
Inventories	(55)	(83)
Other assets	(45)	28
Accounts payable, trade	65	47
Accrued employment costs	27	35
Accrued expenses	(41)	(137)
Advance payments and billings in excess of costs incurred	(109)	107
Income taxes	32	(6)
Excess income tax benefits related to share-based payment arrangements	(3)	(2)
Other current liabilities	(8)	(47)
Pension and postretirement benefits	(23)	(53)
All other operating activities	(62)	1
Net cash from operating activities from continuing operations	617	692
Investing activities:
Contribution received from the spin-off of Engility		335
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(2)	(349)
Proceeds from the sale of a business	4
Capital expenditures	(147)	(124)
Dispositions of property, plant and equipment	10	6
Other investing activities	(6)	(5)
Net cash used in investing activities from continuing operations	(141)	(137)
Financing activities:
Redemption of Senior Notes		(250)
Borrowings under revolving credit facility	1,382	199
Repayment of borrowings under revolving credit facility	(1,382)	(199)
Common stock repurchased	(404)	(504)
Dividends paid on L-3 Holdings' common stock	(151)	(149)
Proceeds from exercises of stock options	91	12
Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan	28	30
Debt issue costs		(6)
Excess income tax benefits related to share-based payment arrangements	3	2
Other financing activities	(13)	(18)
Net cash used in financing activities from continuing operations	(446)	(883)
Effect of foreign currency exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(2)	4
Cash from (used in) discontinued operations:
Operating activities		75
Financing activities		(1)
Cash from discontinued operations		74
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	28	(250)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of the period	349	764
Cash and cash equivalents, end of the period	$ 377	$ 514