SUMMARY OF QUARTERLY RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED) (Details 5) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 203,892	$ 212,451	$ 148,605	$ 174,116	$ 212,267	$ 231,129	$ 230,766	$ 289,141	$ 329,148	$ 295,434
Restricted cash	69,381	68,853	68,833	68,829	68,749	68,681	68,584
Marketable securities	4,055	4,049					7,895	18,872
Accounts receivable - net	379,002	385,937	410,762	355,977	348,971	318,649	287,513	249,063
Recoverable income taxes	7,885	6,673	5,600	4,817	7,083	15,150	16,576	27,268
Inventories - net	59,746	42,377	39,787	42,517	42,095	46,665	53,214	45,876
Deferred income taxes and other current assets		17,870	17,719	25,116		16,948	19,458	16,681
Total current assets	742,599	738,210	691,306	671,372	701,111	697,222	684,006	646,901
Long-term contract receivables	19,021	19,698	20,678	21,308	21,918	22,774	23,514	24,064
Long-term capitalized costs	68,963	58,598	50,776	40,146	26,875	13,695
Property, plant and equipment, net	56,305	54,770	54,732	55,434	55,327	56,166	55,525	52,045
Goodwill	134,851	183,895	185,589	173,734	146,933	146,597	146,812	146,413	146,355
Purchased intangibles, net	57,542	58,517	62,930	54,188	39,374	42,836	46,493	50,147
Other assets		20,974	19,507	21,390		20,135	20,426	19,624
Total assets	1,108,375	1,134,662	1,085,518	1,037,572	1,014,550	999,425	976,776	939,194	963,650
Current liabilities:
Short-term borrowings			25,000	25,000
Trade accounts payable	40,310	31,293	33,322	29,001	49,071	40,341	42,785	31,554
Customer advances	84,307	79,961	60,993	80,003	75,951	109,546	106,862	115,241
Accrued compensation and other current liabilities	43,394	114,223	128,217	122,419	52,680	84,431	84,977	89,095
Income taxes payable	12,731	12,334	12,417	13,712	24,747	28,273	24,620	21,924
Current portion of long-term debt	557	529	527	4,563	4,561	4,545	4,556	4,539
Total current liabilities	245,915	238,340	260,476	274,698	263,099	267,136	263,800	262,353
Long-term debt	102,363	102,380	52,502	2,814	6,942	6,995	7,191	7,233
Other long-term liabilities	6,006	67,040	68,543	66,533	7,142	68,325	69,972	67,757
Shareholders' equity:
Common stock	15,825	14,208	12,633	12,574	12,574	12,574	12,574	12,574
Retained earnings	740,002	780,397	762,016	735,574	721,333	702,630	675,235	652,587		551,765
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(2,803)	(31,725)	(34,650)	(18,567)	(20,658)	(22,053)	(15,761)	(27,024)
Treasury stock at cost	(36,078)	(36,078)	(36,078)	(36,078)	(36,078)	(36,078)	(36,078)	(36,078)
Shareholders' equity related to Cubic	716,946	726,802	703,921	693,503	677,171	657,073	635,970	602,059
Noncontrolling interest in variable interest entity	134	100	76	24	(49)	(104)	(157)	(208)
Total shareholders' equity	717,080	726,902	703,997	693,527	677,122	656,969	635,813	601,851
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	1,108,375	1,134,662	1,085,518	1,037,572	1,014,550	999,425	976,776	939,194
Previously Reported
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	203,892	212,451	148,605	174,116	212,267	231,129	230,766	289,141	329,148	295,434
Restricted cash	69,381	68,853	68,833	68,829	68,749	68,681	68,584
Marketable securities	4,055	4,049					7,895	18,872
Accounts receivable - net	376,143	388,436	414,066	359,301	350,697	323,118	292,704	254,811
Recoverable income taxes	7,885	6,673	5,600	4,817	7,083	15,150	16,576	27,268
Inventories - net	54,400	48,312	50,992	53,095	52,366	49,622	51,398	43,341
Deferred income taxes and other current assets		17,035	16,754	24,243		16,708	19,218	16,441
Total current assets	734,394	745,809	704,850	684,401	712,726	704,408	687,141	649,874
Long-term contract receivables	19,249	19,850	20,830	21,460	22,070	22,850	23,590	24,140
Long-term capitalized costs	75,520	61,782	51,805	40,146	26,875	13,695
Property, plant and equipment, net	56,305	54,770	54,732	55,434	55,327	56,166	55,525	52,045
Goodwill	134,851	183,895	185,589	173,734	146,933	146,597	146,812	146,413
Purchased intangibles, net	57,542	58,517	62,930	54,188	39,374	42,836	46,493	50,147
Other assets		20,974	19,507	21,390		20,135	20,426	19,624
Total assets	1,106,955	1,145,597	1,100,243	1,050,753	1,026,317	1,006,687	979,987	942,243
Current liabilities:
Short-term borrowings			25,000	25,000
Trade accounts payable	39,016	31,293	33,322	29,001	47,917	40,341	42,785	31,554
Customer advances	103,187	107,256	92,178	107,913	100,764	127,190	119,647	124,244
Accrued compensation and other current liabilities	43,394	114,100	128,096	122,316	52,680	84,238	84,793	88,929
Income taxes payable	8,076	7,229	7,094	8,715	20,733	24,778	21,346	19,606
Current portion of long-term debt	557	529	527	4,563	4,561	4,545	4,556	4,539
Total current liabilities	256,923	260,407	286,217	297,508	282,643	281,092	273,127	268,872
Long-term debt	102,363	102,380	52,502	2,814	6,942	6,995	7,191	7,233
Other long-term liabilities	5,396	66,412	67,918	65,533	6,527	67,384	69,059	66,902
Shareholders' equity:
Common stock	15,825	14,208	12,633	12,574	12,574	12,574	12,574	12,574
Retained earnings	728,424	769,803	751,439	727,489	715,043	697,164	670,443	650,254		553,452
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(3,378)	(31,635)	(34,464)	(19,111)	(21,148)	(22,340)	(16,172)	(27,306)
Treasury stock at cost	(36,078)	(36,078)	(36,078)	(36,078)	(36,078)	(36,078)	(36,078)	(36,078)
Shareholders' equity related to Cubic	704,793	716,298	693,530	684,874	670,391	651,320	630,767	599,444
Noncontrolling interest in variable interest entity	134	100	76	24	(49)	(104)	(157)	(208)
Total shareholders' equity	704,927	716,398	693,606	684,898	670,342	651,216	630,610	599,236
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	1,106,955	1,145,597	1,100,243	1,050,753	1,026,317	1,006,687	979,987	942,243
Adjustments
Current assets:
Accounts receivable - net	2,859	(2,499)	(3,304)	(3,324)	(1,726)	(4,469)	(5,191)	(5,748)
Inventories - net	5,346	(5,935)	(11,205)	(10,578)	(10,271)	(2,957)	1,816	2,535
Deferred income taxes and other current assets		835	965	873		240	240	240
Total current assets	8,205	(7,599)	(13,544)	(13,029)	(11,615)	(7,186)	(3,135)	(2,973)
Long-term contract receivables	(228)	(152)	(152)	(152)	(152)	(76)	(76)	(76)
Long-term capitalized costs	(6,557)	(3,184)	(1,029)
Total assets	1,420	(10,935)	(14,725)	(13,181)	(11,767)	(7,262)	(3,211)	(3,049)
Current liabilities:
Trade accounts payable	1,294				1,154
Customer advances	(18,880)	(27,295)	(31,185)	(27,910)	(24,813)	(17,644)	(12,785)	(9,003)
Accrued compensation and other current liabilities		123	121	103		193	184	166
Income taxes payable	4,655	5,105	5,323	4,997	4,014	3,495	3,274	2,318
Total current liabilities	(11,008)	(22,067)	(25,741)	(22,810)	(19,544)	(13,956)	(9,327)	(6,519)
Other long-term liabilities	610	628	625	1,000	615	941	913	855
Shareholders' equity:
Retained earnings	11,578	10,594	10,577	8,085	6,290	5,466	4,792	2,333		(1,687)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	575	(90)	(186)	544	490	287	411	282
Shareholders' equity related to Cubic	12,153	10,504	10,391	8,629	6,780	5,753	5,203	2,615
Total shareholders' equity	12,153	10,504	10,391	8,629	6,780	5,753	5,203	2,615
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ 1,420	$ (10,935)	$ (14,725)	$ (13,181)	$ (11,767)	$ (7,262)	$ (3,211)	$ (3,049)