Litigation, Investigations and Claims (Unaudited)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Disclosure Text Block Supplement [Abstract]
LITIGATION, INVESTIGATIONS AND CLAIMS	LITIGATION, INVESTIGATIONS AND CLAIMS Litigation On May 4, 2012, the company commenced an action, Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. v. United States, in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. This lawsuit relates to an approximately $875 million firm fixed price contract awarded to the company in 2007 by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for the construction and delivery of flats sequencing systems (FSS) as part of the postal automation program. The FSS have been delivered. Over the past two years, the company has submitted three certified claims to the USPS related to this program seeking approximately $179 million. Some of the company's claims are for unpaid portions of the contract price (approximately $63 million) and direct costs incurred. Other claims are based on the company's assertions that through various acts and omissions over the life of the contract, the USPS adversely affected the cost and schedule of performance and materially altered the company's obligations under the contract. With limited exceptions, the USPS Contracting Officer denied the company's three certified claims. On April 13, 2012, when the Contracting Officer denied most of the company's last two claims, he also asserted claims against the company in the net amount of approximately $341 million. The USPS claims appear to the company to be primarily that, due to delays in performance, the USPS was damaged because it did not realize certain cost savings it expected from deploying the systems earlier. The company's lawsuit seeks damages up to approximately $179 million under various theories of liability; it also disputes the claims asserted by the USPS Contracting Officer. The United States has not yet responded to the company's complaint, with an answer, counterclaim and/or other filing. Although the ultimate outcome of this litigation, including any possible loss, cannot be predicted or estimated at this time, the company intends vigorously to pursue this matter. The company is a party to various investigations, lawsuits, claims and other legal proceedings, including government investigations and claims, that arise in the ordinary course of our business. The nature of legal proceedings is such that we cannot assure the outcome of any particular matter. However, based on information available to the company to date and other than with respect to the FSS matter, which is discussed separately above, the company does not believe that the outcome of any matter pending against the company is likely to have a material adverse effect on the company's consolidated financial position as of September 30, 2012, or its annual results of operations or cash flows.

LITIGATION, INVESTIGATIONS AND CLAIMS

Litigation

On May 4, 2012, the company commenced an action, Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. v. United States, in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. This lawsuit relates to an approximately $875 million firm fixed price contract awarded to the company in 2007 by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for the construction and delivery of flats sequencing systems (FSS) as part of the postal automation program. The FSS have been delivered. Over the past two years, the company has submitted three certified claims to the USPS related to this program seeking approximately $179 million. Some of the company's claims are for unpaid portions of the contract price (approximately $63 million) and direct costs incurred. Other claims are based on the company's assertions that through various acts and omissions over the life of the contract, the USPS adversely affected the cost and schedule of performance and materially altered the company's obligations under the contract. With limited exceptions, the USPS Contracting Officer denied the company's three certified claims. On April 13, 2012, when the Contracting Officer denied most of the company's last two claims, he also asserted claims against the company in the net amount of approximately $341 million. The USPS claims appear to the company to be primarily that, due to delays in performance, the USPS was damaged because it did not realize certain cost savings it expected from deploying the systems earlier. The company's lawsuit seeks damages up to approximately $179 million under various theories of liability; it also disputes the claims asserted by the USPS Contracting Officer. The United States has not yet responded to the company's complaint, with an answer, counterclaim and/or other filing. Although the ultimate outcome of this litigation, including any possible loss, cannot be predicted or estimated at this time, the company intends vigorously to pursue this matter.

The company is a party to various investigations, lawsuits, claims and other legal proceedings, including government investigations and claims, that arise in the ordinary course of our business. The nature of legal proceedings is such that we cannot assure the outcome of any particular matter. However, based on information available to the company to date and other than with respect to the FSS matter, which is discussed separately above, the company does not believe that the outcome of any matter pending against the company is likely to have a material adverse effect on the company's consolidated financial position as of September 30, 2012, or its annual results of operations or cash flows.