EXHIBIT 5.1

                    Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
                               Four Times Square
                               New York, NY 10036

                                                               December 14, 2001

DRS Technologies, Inc.
5 Sylvan Way
Parsippany, New Jersey 07054

Re:  DRS Technologies, Inc. Registration on Form S-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:

    We have acted as special counsel to DRS Technologies, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the preparation of the
Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed on the date hereof with the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the "462(b) Registration Statement") pursuant to
Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), which
relates to the public offering by the Company of up to an additional 575,000
shares (including 75,000 shares subject to an over-allotment option) (the
"Shares") of the Company's common stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Common
Stock"). The 462(b) Registration Statement relates to the Company's Registration
Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-73912) filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission") on November 21, 2001 under the Act,
Amendment No. 1 to such Registration Statement filed with the Commission on
November 29, 2001 and Amendment No. 2 to such Registration Statement filed with
the Commission on December 11, 2001 and declared effective by the Commission on
December 14, 2001 relating to 3,450,000 shares of Common Stock (including
450,000 shares subject to an over-allotment option) (such Registration
Statement, as so declared effective, being hereinafter referred to as the
"Registration Statement").

    This opinion is being furnished in accordance with the requirements of Item
601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"Act").

    In connection with this opinion, we have examined originals or copies,
certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of (i) the Registration
Statement; (ii) the 462(b) Registration Statement; (iii) the executed
Underwriting Agreement, dated December 14, 2001 (the "Underwriting Agreement")
entered into by and among the Company, as issuer, Bear, Stearns &. Co., Inc. and
First Union Securities, Inc. as underwriters (the "Underwriters") and the
Selling Stockholders named therein (each, a "Selling Stockholder") the form of
which was filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement; (iv) the executed
Custody Agreements and Power of Attorney entered into among each Selling
Stockholder, the Attorneys-in-Fact and the Custodian; (v) a specimen certificate
representing the Common Stock; (vi) the Certificate of Incorporation of the
Company, as presently in effect, (vii) the By-Laws of the Company, as presently
in effect; and (viii) certain resolutions of the Board of Directors of the
Company authorizing the offering and related matters (the "Resolutions"). We
have also examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our
satisfaction, of such records of the Company and such agreements, certificates
of public officials, certificates of officers or other representatives of the
Company and others, and such other documents, certificates and records as we
have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinions set forth
herein.

    In our examination, we have assumed the legal capacity of all natural
persons, the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents
submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original

documents of all documents submitted to us as certified, conformed or
photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter
documents. In making our examination of documents executed or to be executed by
parties other than the Company, we have assumed that such parties had or will
have the power, corporate or other, to enter into and perform all obligations
thereunder and have also assumed the due authorization by all requisite action,
corporate or other, and execution and delivery by such parties of such documents
and the validity and binding effect thereof on such parties. As to any facts
material to the opinions expressed herein which we have not independently
established or verified, we have relied upon statements and representations of
officers and other representatives of the Company and others. In rendering to
opinions set forth below, we have assumed that the certificates evidencing the
Shares will conform to the specimen certificate examined by us.

    Members of our firm are admitted to the bar in the State of New York, and we
do not express any opinion as to the laws of any other jurisdiction other than
the corporate laws of the State of Delaware, and we do not express any opinion
as to the effect of any other laws on the opinions stated herein.

    Based upon and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that when
(i) the 462(b) Registration Statement becomes effective under the Act and
(ii) certificates representing the Shares in the form of the specimen
certificate examined by us have been manually signed by an authorized officer of
the transfer agent and registrar for the Common Stock and registered by such
transfer agent and registrar, and have been delivered to and paid for by the
Underwriters at a price per share not less than the per share par value of the
Common Stock as contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement and the Resolutions,
the issuance and sale of the Shares will have been duly authorized, and the
Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

    We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as an
exhibit to the 462(b) Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not
thereby admit that we are included in the category of persons whose consent is
required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the
Commission.

                                          Very truly yours,

                                          /s/ Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher &
                                          Flom LLP