CONSOLIDATING GUARANTOR AND NON-GUARANTOR FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Detail) - Summary of consolidated balance sheets (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2009
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	$ 209,654	$ 243,029	$ 169,802	$ 320,833
Accounts receivable, net of allowances	239,857	267,471
Contract costs and recognized income not yet billed, net of progress payments	70,777	74,737
Inventories, net	257,868	263,809
Prepaid and other current assets	47,472	48,828
Assets of discontinued operations	587	1,381
Total Current Assets	826,215	899,255
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, net	356,879	350,050	314,760
GOODWILL	358,372	357,888	361,304
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net	230,473	223,189
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	0	0
EQUITY INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
OTHER ASSETS	31,317	31,197
ASSETS OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	2,936	3,675
Total Assets	1,806,192	1,865,254	1,753,701
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Notes payable and current portion of long-term debt	17,703	25,164
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	252,041	285,921
Liabilities of discontinued operations	3,639	3,794
Total Current Liabilities	273,383	314,879
LONG-TERM DEBT, net of debt discounts	681,907	688,247
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLES	0	0
OTHER LIABILITIES	193,107	204,434
LIABILITIES OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	3,643	5,786
Total Liabilities	1,152,040	1,213,346
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	654,152	651,908	710,715	688,207
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	1,806,192	1,865,254
Parent Company [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	125,093	178,448	74,600	223,511
Accounts receivable, net of allowances	0	0
Contract costs and recognized income not yet billed, net of progress payments	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Prepaid and other current assets	(851)	1,839
Assets of discontinued operations	0	0
Total Current Assets	124,242	180,287
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, net	1,224	1,402
GOODWILL	0	0
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net	0	0
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	508,984	449,112
EQUITY INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES	2,143,427	2,844,527
OTHER ASSETS	49,718	54,354
ASSETS OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	0	0
Total Assets	2,827,595	3,529,682
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Notes payable and current portion of long-term debt	1,625	5,375
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	44,649	36,765
Liabilities of discontinued operations	0	0
Total Current Liabilities	46,274	42,140
LONG-TERM DEBT, net of debt discounts	655,023	649,812
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLES	0	0
OTHER LIABILITIES	68,827	79,655
LIABILITIES OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	0	0
Total Liabilities	770,124	771,607
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,057,471	2,758,075
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	2,827,595	3,529,682
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	34,782	15,164	57,113	37,865
Accounts receivable, net of allowances	187,487	190,986
Contract costs and recognized income not yet billed, net of progress payments	69,216	73,755
Inventories, net	194,618	194,355
Prepaid and other current assets	23,929	40,436
Assets of discontinued operations	0	0
Total Current Assets	510,032	514,696
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, net	244,261	224,193
GOODWILL	288,147	283,491
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net	164,633	155,242
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	648,347	278,344
EQUITY INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES	528,411	746,686
OTHER ASSETS	60,609	49,771
ASSETS OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	0	0
Total Assets	2,444,440	2,252,423
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Notes payable and current portion of long-term debt	1,032	4,350
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	167,230	199,742
Liabilities of discontinued operations	0	0
Total Current Liabilities	168,262	204,092
LONG-TERM DEBT, net of debt discounts	9,782	10,794
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLES	558,905	89,198
OTHER LIABILITIES	183,989	172,203
LIABILITIES OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	0	0
Total Liabilities	920,938	476,287
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,523,502	1,776,136
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	2,444,440	2,252,423
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	49,779	49,417	38,089	59,457
Accounts receivable, net of allowances	81,279	76,485
Contract costs and recognized income not yet billed, net of progress payments	1,561	982
Inventories, net	63,203	69,454
Prepaid and other current assets	21,958	1,913
Assets of discontinued operations	587	1,381
Total Current Assets	218,367	199,632
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, net	111,394	124,455
GOODWILL	70,225	74,397
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net	65,840	67,947
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	542,025	98,953
EQUITY INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES	2,650,084	2,397,258
OTHER ASSETS	8,187	14,270
ASSETS OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	2,936	3,675
Total Assets	3,669,058	2,980,587
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Notes payable and current portion of long-term debt	15,046	15,439
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	66,640	44,774
Liabilities of discontinued operations	3,639	3,794
Total Current Liabilities	85,325	64,007
LONG-TERM DEBT, net of debt discounts	17,102	27,641
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLES	1,149,748	737,211
OTHER LIABILITIES	27,489	39,774
LIABILITIES OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	3,643	5,786
Total Liabilities	1,283,307	874,419
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,385,751	2,106,168
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	3,669,058	2,980,587
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net of allowances	(28,909)	0
Contract costs and recognized income not yet billed, net of progress payments	0	0
Inventories, net	47	0
Prepaid and other current assets	2,436	4,640
Assets of discontinued operations	0	0
Total Current Assets	(26,426)	4,640
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, net	0	0
GOODWILL	0	0
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net	0	0
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	(1,699,356)	(826,409)
EQUITY INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES	(5,321,922)	(5,988,471)
OTHER ASSETS	(87,197)	(87,198)
ASSETS OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	0	0
Total Assets	(7,134,901)	(6,897,438)
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Notes payable and current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(26,478)	4,640
Liabilities of discontinued operations	0	0
Total Current Liabilities	(26,478)	4,640
LONG-TERM DEBT, net of debt discounts	0	0
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLES	(1,708,653)	(826,409)
OTHER LIABILITIES	(87,198)	(87,198)
LIABILITIES OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	0	0
Total Liabilities	(1,822,329)	(908,967)
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(5,312,572)	(5,988,471)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	$ (7,134,901)	$ (6,897,438)