CONSOLIDATING GUARANTOR AND NON-GUARANTOR FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Detail) - Summary of consolidated balance sheets (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	$ 116,922	$ 209,654	$ 164,879	$ 243,029
Accounts receivable, net of allowances	302,281	239,857
Contract costs and recognized income not yet billed, net of progress payments	95,039	70,777
Inventories, net	257,047	257,868
Prepaid and other current assets	54,911	47,472
Assets of discontinued operations	556	587
Total Current Assets	826,756	826,215
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, net	350,832	356,879
GOODWILL	358,334	358,372
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net	225,162	230,473
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	0	0
EQUITY INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
OTHER ASSETS	28,060	31,317
ASSETS OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	2,665	2,936
Total Assets	1,791,809	1,806,192
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Notes payable and current portion of long-term debt	19,522	17,703
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	266,311	252,041
Liabilities of discontinued operations	1,954	3,639
Total Current Liabilities	287,787	273,383
LONG-TERM DEBT, net of debt discounts	678,773	681,907
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLES	0	0
OTHER LIABILITIES	184,344	193,107
LIABILITIES OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	3,110	3,643
Total Liabilities	1,154,014	1,152,040
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	637,795	654,152
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	1,791,809	1,806,192
Parent Company [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	64,874	125,093	101,314	178,448
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	1,077	(851)
Assets of discontinued operations	0	0
Total Current Assets	65,951	124,242
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, net	1,071	1,224
GOODWILL	0	0
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net	0	0
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	566,985	508,984
EQUITY INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES	2,189,013	2,143,427
OTHER ASSETS	48,120	49,718
ASSETS OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	0	0
Total Assets	2,871,140	2,827,595
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Notes payable and current portion of long-term debt	1,312	1,625
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	40,300	44,649
Liabilities of discontinued operations	0	0
Total Current Liabilities	41,612	46,274
LONG-TERM DEBT, net of debt discounts	656,168	655,023
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLES	20,001	0
OTHER LIABILITIES	65,955	68,827
LIABILITIES OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	0	0
Total Liabilities	783,736	770,124
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,087,404	2,057,471
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	2,871,140	2,827,595
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	15,103	34,782	22,315	15,164
Accounts receivable, net of allowances	255,170	187,487
Contract costs and recognized income not yet billed, net of progress payments	94,690	69,216
Inventories, net	198,830	194,618
Prepaid and other current assets	18,472	23,929
Assets of discontinued operations	0	0
Total Current Assets	582,265	510,032
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, net	245,475	244,261
GOODWILL	288,147	288,147
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net	162,491	164,633
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	886,819	648,347
EQUITY INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES	538,547	528,411
OTHER ASSETS	58,423	60,609
ASSETS OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	0	0
Total Assets	2,762,167	2,444,440
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Notes payable and current portion of long-term debt	1,056	1,032
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	173,043	167,230
Liabilities of discontinued operations	0	0
Total Current Liabilities	174,099	168,262
LONG-TERM DEBT, net of debt discounts	9,547	9,782
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLES	840,936	558,905
OTHER LIABILITIES	177,783	183,989
LIABILITIES OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	0	0
Total Liabilities	1,202,365	920,938
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,559,802	1,523,502
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	2,762,167	2,444,440
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	36,945	49,779	41,250	49,417
Accounts receivable, net of allowances	79,925	81,274
Contract costs and recognized income not yet billed, net of progress payments	349	1,561
Inventories, net	57,997	63,203
Prepaid and other current assets	22,925	21,968
Assets of discontinued operations	556	587
Total Current Assets	198,697	218,372
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, net	104,286	111,394
GOODWILL	70,187	70,225
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net	62,671	65,840
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	614,488	542,025
EQUITY INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES	2,686,245	2,650,083
OTHER ASSETS	8,715	8,188
ASSETS OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	2,665	2,936
Total Assets	3,747,954	3,669,063
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Notes payable and current portion of long-term debt	17,154	15,046
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	73,345	66,640
Liabilities of discontinued operations	1,954	3,639
Total Current Liabilities	92,453	85,325
LONG-TERM DEBT, net of debt discounts	13,058	17,102
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLES	1,180,334	1,149,748
OTHER LIABILITIES	27,804	27,489
LIABILITIES OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	3,110	3,643
Total Liabilities	1,316,759	1,283,307
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,431,195	2,385,751
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	3,747,954	3,669,058
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net of allowances	(32,814)	(28,904)
Contract costs and recognized income not yet billed, net of progress payments	0	0
Inventories, net	220	47
Prepaid and other current assets	12,437	2,426
Assets of discontinued operations	0	0
Total Current Assets	(20,157)	(26,431)
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, net	0	0
GOODWILL	0	0
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net	0	0
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	(2,068,292)	(1,699,356)
EQUITY INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES	(5,413,805)	(5,321,921)
OTHER ASSETS	(87,198)	(87,198)
ASSETS OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	0	0
Total Assets	(7,589,452)	(7,134,906)
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Notes payable and current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(20,377)	(26,478)
Liabilities of discontinued operations	0	0
Total Current Liabilities	(20,377)	(26,478)
LONG-TERM DEBT, net of debt discounts	0	0
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLES	(2,041,271)	(1,708,653)
OTHER LIABILITIES	(87,198)	(87,198)
LIABILITIES OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	0	0
Total Liabilities	(2,148,846)	(1,822,329)
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(5,440,606)	(5,312,572)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	$ (7,589,452)	$ (7,134,901)