Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $) In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 29, 2012 item	Dec. 31, 2011	Jan. 01, 2011
Significant accounting policies
Number of borrowing groups	2
Gross favorable program profit adjustments	$ 88	$ 83	$ 98
Gross unfavorable program profit adjustments	73	29	20
Period of customization services	6 months
Collaborative arrangement profit sharing percentage allocation on cost-plus contracts	50.00%
Collaborative arrangement negotiated profit sharing percentage allocation on fixed-price contracts	50.00%
Percentage of gross intangible assets amortized	37.00%
Period for warranty and product maintenance programs, minimum	1 year
Period for warranty and product maintenance programs, maximum	5 years
Research and development costs	584	525	403
Contracts accounted for under percentage of completion method
Change in accounting estimate
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	15	54	78
Change in Accounting Estimate Financial Effect Increase in Income from Continuing Operations after taxes	$ 9	$ 34	$ 49
Income from continuing operations per diluted share	$ 0.03	$ 0.11	$ 0.16

Change in accounting estimate financial effect increase in earnings per share diluted.

No definition available.

Name:	txt_ChangeInAccountingEstimateFinancialEffectIncreaseInEarningsPerShareDiluted
Namespace Prefix:	txt_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Change in accounting estimate financial effect increase in income from continuing operations.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	txt_ChangeInAccountingEstimateFinancialEffectIncreaseInIncomeFromContinuingOperations
Namespace Prefix:	txt_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Change in accounting estimate financial effect increase in income from continuing operations before income taxes.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	txt_ChangeInAccountingEstimateFinancialEffectIncreaseInIncomeFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxes
Namespace Prefix:	txt_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Collaborative arrangement contract profit sharing percentage allocated.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	txt_CollaborativeArrangementContractProfitSharingPercentageAllocated
Namespace Prefix:	txt_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Collaborative arrangement contract profit sharing percentage allocated to party.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	txt_CollaborativeArrangementContractProfitSharingPercentageAllocatedToParty
Namespace Prefix:	txt_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Gross favorable program profit adjustments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	txt_GrossFavorableProgramProfitAdjustments
Namespace Prefix:	txt_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Gross unfavorable program profit adjustments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	txt_GrossUnfavorableProgramProfitAdjustments
Namespace Prefix:	txt_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of borrowing groups.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	txt_NumberOfBorrowingGroups
Namespace Prefix:	txt_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of gross intangible assets amortized using straight line method.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	txt_PercentageOfGrossIntangibleAssetsAmortizedUsingStraightLineMethod
Namespace Prefix:	txt_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Period for warranty and product maintenance programs, maximum.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	txt_PeriodForWarrantyAndProductMaintenanceProgramsMaximum
Namespace Prefix:	txt_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Period for warranty and product maintenance programs, minimum.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	txt_PeriodForWarrantyAndProductMaintenanceProgramsMinimum
Namespace Prefix:	txt_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Period of customization services.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	txt_PeriodOfCustomizationServices
Namespace Prefix:	txt_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	txt_SignificantAccountingPoliciesAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	txt_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ChangeInAccountingEstimateAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
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 Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 141

-Paragraph 51

-Subparagraph g

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 86

-Paragraph 11, 12

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: 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

Reference 4: 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 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 2

-Paragraph 12, 13

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

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