Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2008
Commitments and Contingencies (Amounts in Paragraphs)
Environmental liabilities recorded in other current liabilities	$ 106,000,000
Environmental liabilities recorded in other long-term liabilities	207,000,000
Low-end of the range of reasonably possible future costs for environmental remediation sites	277,000,000
High-end of the range of reasonably possible future costs for environmental remediation sites	671,000,000
Financial Arrangements
Unused standby letters of credit	196,000,000
Bank guarantees	192,000,000
Surety bonds outstanding	150,000,000
Guarantee for HII's Economic Development Revenue Bonds	84,000,000
Operating leases
Rental expense for operating leases, excluding discontinued operations and net of immaterial amounts of sublease rental income	448,000,000	502,000,000	530,000,000
Total minimum rental commitments	1,400,000,000
Minimum rental commitment due in 2011	347,000,000
Minimum rental commitment due in 2012	269,000,000
Minimum rental commitment due in 2013	194,000,000
Minimum rental commitment due in 2014	167,000,000
Minimum rental commitment due in 2015	138,000,000
Minimum rental commitment due thereafter	$ 263,000,000

Financial instruments issued by a bank, on behalf of the company and in favor of a beneficiary, which substitutes the bank's credit worthiness for that of the company.

Name:	noc_BankGuarantee
Namespace Prefix:	noc
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Commitments and Contingencies Numeric Abstract.

+ Details

Name:	noc_CommitmentsAndContingenciesNumericAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	noc
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Financial arrangements.

+ Details

Name:	noc_FinancialArrangementsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	noc
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Guarantee by company to make payments of principal and interest to a lender on another party's debt if that party fails to comply with the terms of the borrowing arrangement.

+ Details

Name:	noc_LoanGuaranteeForSubsidiaryTwo
Namespace Prefix:	noc
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Financial instruments issued by a bank, on behalf of the company and in favor of a beneficiary, which substitutes the bank's credit worthiness for that of the company. Letters of Credit are usually issued in conformance with a set of governing rules.

+ Details

Name:	noc_StandbyUnusedLettersOfCredit
Namespace Prefix:	noc
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Financial instruments issued by an insurance company, on behalf of the company and in favor of a beneficiary, which substitutes the insurance company's credit worthiness for that of the company.

+ Details

Name:	noc_SuretyBondOutstanding
Namespace Prefix:	noc
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Carrying value of the obligation (known or estimated) arising from requirements to perform activities to remediate one or more sites, payable in twelve months or in the next operating cycle if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Statement of Position (SOP)
-Number 96-1
-Paragraph 161, 163

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 5
-Paragraph 9

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 20
-Article 5

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB)
-Number 43
-Chapter 3
-Section A
-Paragraph 8

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccruedEnvironmentalLossContingenciesCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Carrying value of the obligation (known or estimated) arising from requirements to perform activities to remediate one or more sites, payable after twelve months or beyond the next operating cycle if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 24
-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Statement of Position (SOP)
-Number 96-1
-Paragraph 161, 163

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccruedEnvironmentalLossContingenciesNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Rental expense incurred for leased assets including furniture and equipment which has not been recognized in costs and expenses applicable to sales and revenues; for example, cost of goods sold or other operating costs and expenses.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 13
-Paragraph 15

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 13
-Paragraph 16
-Subparagraph c

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LeaseAndRentalExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LeasesOperatingAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The estimated maximum amount of possible loss from the contingency.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name FASB Interpretation (FIN)
-Number 14
-Paragraph 3

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 5
-Paragraph 9, 10, 11, 12

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingencyRangeOfPossibleLossMaximum
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The estimated minimum amount of possible loss from the contingency.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingencyRangeOfPossibleLossMinimum
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The total of future contractually required payments on leases defined as operating.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 13
-Paragraph 122

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 13
-Paragraph 16
-Subparagraph b(i)

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

For leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year, required rental payments due within one year of the balance sheet date relating to leases defined as operating.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

For leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year, required rental payments due within the fifth year of the balance sheet date relating to leases defined as operating.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFiveYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

For leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year, required rental payments due within the fourth year of the balance sheet date relating to leases defined as operating.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFourYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

For leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year, required rental payments due within the third year of the balance sheet date relating to leases defined as operating.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInThreeYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

For leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year, required rental payments due within the second year of the balance sheet date relating to leases defined as operating.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInTwoYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

For leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year, required rental payments due after the fifth year from the balance sheet date on leases defined as operating.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueThereafter
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant