Quarterly Data (Details) (USD $) In Millions, except Share data in Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013	Sep. 28, 2013	Jun. 29, 2013	Mar. 30, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Sep. 29, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Summary of quarterly data
Total revenues	$ 3,506	$ 2,904	$ 2,839	$ 2,855	$ 3,362	$ 3,000	$ 3,019	$ 2,856	$ 12,104	$ 12,237	$ 11,275
Corporate expenses and other, net	(57)	(34)	(20)	(55)	(43)	(38)	(20)	(47)	(166)	(148)	(114)
Income tax expense	(52)	(47)	(49)	(28)	(54)	(67)	(82)	(57)	(176)	(260)	(95)
Income from continuing operations	171	98	114	115	146	142	173	120	498	581	242
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	(4)	1	(1)	4	2	9	(1)	(2)		8
Net income	167	99	113	119	148	151	172	118	498	589	242
Severance Costs			28
Basic earnings per share
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.60	$ 0.35	$ 0.41	$ 0.42	$ 0.52	$ 0.51	$ 0.61	$ 0.43	$ 1.78	$ 2.07	$ 0.87
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	$ (0.01)		$ (0.01)	$ 0.02	$ 0.01	$ 0.03		$ (0.01)		$ 0.03
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.59	$ 0.35	$ 0.4	$ 0.44	$ 0.53	$ 0.54	$ 0.61	$ 0.42	$ 1.78	$ 2.10	$ 0.87
Basic weighted-average shares outstanding	282,308	281,525	280,163	273,200	277,780	281,813	281,114	280,022	279,299	280,182	277,684
Diluted earnings per share
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.60	$ 0.35	$ 0.40	$ 0.40	$ 0.50	$ 0.48	$ 0.58	$ 0.41	$ 1.75	$ 1.97	$ 0.79
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	$ (0.01)			$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.03		$ (0.01)		$ 0.03
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.59	$ 0.35	$ 0.40	$ 0.41	$ 0.51	$ 0.51	$ 0.58	$ 0.40	$ 1.75	$ 2.00	$ 0.79
Diluted average shares outstanding	282,707	281,710	283,824	288,978	291,562	296,920	295,547	294,632	284,428	294,663	307,255
Segment profit margins
Segment profit margin (as a percent)	8.80%	7.20%	7.50%	8.20%	8.40%	9.40%	10.30%	9.10%
Common stock information
Price range: High (in dollars per share)	$ 37.43	$ 29.81	$ 30.22	$ 31.30	$ 26.75	$ 28.80	$ 29.18	$ 28.29
Price range: Low (in dollars per share)	$ 26.17	$ 25.36	$ 24.87	$ 23.94	$ 22.84	$ 22.15	$ 21.97	$ 18.37
Dividends declared per share	$ 0.02	$ 0.02	$ 0.02	$ 0.02	$ 0.02	$ 0.02	$ 0.02	$ 0.02	$ 0.08	$ 0.08	$ 0.08
Manufacturing group
Summary of quarterly data
Interest Expense, net for Manufacturing group	(27)	(29)	(30)	(37)	(38)	(35)	(35)	(35)	(123)	(143)	(140)
Income from continuing operations									470	534	464
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes										8
Net income									470	542	464
Cessna
Summary of quarterly data
Total revenues	923	593	560	708	901	778	763	669
Segment profit margins
Segment profit margin (as a percent)	3.60%	(3.90%)	(8.90%)	(1.10%)	2.60%	3.90%	4.60%	(0.90%)
Bell
Summary of quarterly data
Total revenues	1,375	1,162	1,025	949	1,149	1,075	1,056	994
Segment profit margins
Segment profit margin (as a percent)	12.90%	11.30%	13.20%	13.60%	15.40%	15.30%	14.40%	14.60%
Textron Systems
Summary of quarterly data
Total revenues	409	405	422	429	571	400	389	377
Segment profit margins
Segment profit margin (as a percent)	9.80%	8.60%	8.10%	8.90%	6.30%	5.30%	10.30%	9.30%
Industrial
Summary of quarterly data
Total revenues	773	711	801	727	706	683	756	755
Segment profit margins
Segment profit margin (as a percent)	7.00%	7.30%	9.90%	7.80%	6.10%	5.60%	8.10%	9.70%
Finance group
Summary of quarterly data
Total revenues	26	33	31	42	35	64	55	61
Segment profit	2	13	15	19	2	28	22	12	49	64	(333)
Segment profit margins
Segment profit margin (as a percent)	7.70%	39.40%	48.40%	45.20%	5.70%	43.80%	40.00%	19.70%
Operating segment
Summary of quarterly data
Segment profit	307	208	213	235	281	282	310	259	963	1,132	591
Operating segment | Cessna
Summary of quarterly data
Segment profit			28
Charge related to an award in an arbitration proceeding					27
Operating segment | Cessna | Manufacturing group
Summary of quarterly data
Segment profit	33	(23)	(50)	(8)	23	30	35	(6)	(48)	82	60
Operating segment | Bell | Manufacturing group
Summary of quarterly data
Segment profit	178	131	135	129	177	165	152	145	573	639	521
Operating segment | Textron Systems | Manufacturing group
Summary of quarterly data
Segment profit	40	35	34	38	36	21	40	35	147	132	141
Operating segment | Industrial | Manufacturing group
Summary of quarterly data
Segment profit	$ 54	$ 52	$ 79	$ 57	$ 43	$ 38	$ 61	$ 73	$ 242	$ 215	$ 202