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Debt - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
12 Months Ended 0 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
May 13, 2014
Feb. 03, 2012
Feb. 02, 2011
Jul. 29, 2005
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Total aggregate borrowings under revolving credit facility         1,000,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity    
Uncommitted incremental revolving facilities and additional term loan facilities         500,000,000lll_LineOfCreditFacilityAdditionalBorrowingCapacity    
Base rate above the latest federal funds rate         0.50%lll_LineOfCreditFacilityBasisSpreadOnFederalFundRate    
Base rate above a Eurodollar Rate         1.00%lll_LineOfCreditFacilityBasisSpreadOnEurodollarRate    
Conversion of converted securities (161,000,000)us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodValueConversionOfConvertibleSecurities            
Ownership percentage 100.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage            
Maximum consolidated senior leverage ratio under revolving credit facility covenants 4.0lll_MaximumConsolidatedLeverageRatioUnderRevolvingCreditFacilityCovenants            
Minimum consolidated interest coverage ratio under revolving credit facility covenants 3.0lll_MinimumConsolidatedInterestCoverageRatioUnderRevolvingCreditFacilityCovenants            
Maximum consolidated interest coverage ratio under revolving credit facility covenants 3.5lll_MaximumConsolidatedSeniorLeverageRatioUnderRevolvingCreditFacilityCovenants            
Minimum aggregate amount of indebtedness, swap contracts or guarantees to trigger cross default provisions 50,000,000lll_MinimumAggregateAmountOfIndebtednessSwapContractsOrGuaranteesToTriggerCrossDefaultProvisions            
Maximum days to cure defaults triggering cross default provisions 10 days            
Minimum aggregate amount of senior notes accelerated to trigger cross default provisions 100,000,000lll_MinimumAggregateAmountOfSeniorNotesAcceleratedToTriggerCrossDefaultProvisions            
L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. [Member]              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Interest expense recognized 2,000,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseDebt
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
21,000,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseDebt
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
21,000,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseDebt
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
       
Ownership percentage 100.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
           
Senior Subordinated Notes [Member]              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Redemptions of debt 0us-gaap_RepaymentsOfSeniorDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorSubordinatedNotesMember
0us-gaap_RepaymentsOfSeniorDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorSubordinatedNotesMember
         
CODES Due 2035 [Member]              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Sale of 3% Convertible Contingent Debt Securities by L-3 Holdings             700,000,000lll_PrincipalAmountOfConvertibleDebtSold
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtSecuritiesMember
Interest rate on Senior Notes 3.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtSecuritiesMember
           
Repurchased debt           11,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRepurchaseAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtSecuritiesMember
 
Redemption price for CODES       1,000lll_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPrice
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtSecuritiesMember
     
Principal amount of CODES       1,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtSecuritiesMember
     
Conversion of converted securities       935,000,000us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodValueConversionOfConvertibleSecurities
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtSecuritiesMember
     
Redemption date Jun. 02, 2014            
Excess of conversion value over fair value of the debt component       161,000,000lll_DebtInstrumentConvertibleFairValueOfLiabilityComponent
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtSecuritiesMember
     
CODES Due 2035 [Member] | L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. [Member]              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Interest rate on Senior Notes 3.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtSecuritiesMember
3.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtSecuritiesMember
         
Remaining principal amount of convertible debt securities that have been classified as long-term debt   $ 689,000,000lll_RemainingConvertibleDebtSecuritiesThatHaveBeenClassifiedAsLongTermDebt
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtSecuritiesMember
         
Minimum [Member]              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Applicable spread on base rate option         0.25%lll_ApplicableSpreadOnBaseRateOption
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
   
Applicable spread on Eurodollar Rate option         1.25%lll_ApplicableSpreadOnEurodollarRateOption
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
   
Commitment fees calculated on the daily amounts of the available unused commitments         0.15%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityCommitmentFeePercentage
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
   
Letter of credit fees for performance and commercial letters of credit         0.675%lll_FeesForPerformanceAndCommercialLettersOfCredit
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
   
Letter of credit fees for financial letters of credit         1.25%lll_LetterOfCreditFeesForFinancialLettersOfCredit
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
   
Maximum [Member]              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Applicable spread on base rate option         1.00%lll_ApplicableSpreadOnBaseRateOption
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
   
Applicable spread on Eurodollar Rate option         2.00%lll_ApplicableSpreadOnEurodollarRateOption
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
   
Commitment fees calculated on the daily amounts of the available unused commitments         0.325%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityCommitmentFeePercentage
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
   
Letter of credit fees for performance and commercial letters of credit         1.20%lll_FeesForPerformanceAndCommercialLettersOfCredit
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
   
Letter of credit fees for financial letters of credit         2.00%lll_LetterOfCreditFeesForFinancialLettersOfCredit
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
   
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Revolving credit facility expiration date Feb. 03, 2017