Debt (Details Textual) (USD $) In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended																									9 Months Ended					1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011 Office	Sep. 30, 2011	Oct. 20, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Oct. 20, 2011 4.90% Notes and Debentures due May 2014 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 4.90% Notes and Debentures due May 2014 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 4.90% Notes and Debentures due May 2014 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 3.55% Notes and Debentures due September 2016 [Member]	Sep. 20, 2011 3.55% Notes and Debentures due September 2016 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 3.55% Notes and Debentures due September 2016 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 4.25% Notes and Debentures due October 2016 [Member]	Sep. 20, 2011 4.25% Notes and Debentures due October 2016 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 4.25% Notes and Debentures due October 2016 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 4.875% Notes and Debentures due October 2021 [Member]	Sep. 20, 2011 4.875% Notes and Debentures due October 2021 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 4.875% Notes and Debentures due October 2021 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 5.55% Notes and Debentures due October 2021	Sep. 20, 2011 5.55% Notes and Debentures due October 2021	Dec. 31, 2010 5.55% Notes and Debentures due October 2021	Sep. 30, 2011 Notes and Debentured due August 2048 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Notes and Debentured due August 2048 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Notes and Debentures Various 2011 - 2022 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Notes and Debentures Various 2011 - 2022 [Member]	Oct. 20, 2011 6.125% Notes and Debentures due May 2019 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 6.125% Notes and Debentures due May 2019 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 6.125% Notes and Debentures due May 2019 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 7.40% Notes and Debentures due November 2025 [Member]	Oct. 21, 2011 7.40% Notes and Debentures due November 2025 [Member]	Oct. 20, 2011 7.40% Notes and Debentures due November 2025 [Member]	Sep. 20, 2011 7.40% Notes and Debentures due November 2025 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 7.40% Notes and Debentures due November 2025 [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Interest Rate Swap [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Exelis [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Xylem [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate of variable rate debt																						0.07%	0.19%
Weighted average interest rate of other debt instruments																								3.73%	4.86%
Public offering price as percentage of principal amount											99.809%			99.824%			99.935%			99.762%
Redemption price of Notes							$ 1,098																			$ 1,235
Debt instrument par value per share							$ 1,000																			$ 1,000
Maximum amount under cash tender offer to purchase debentures																																$ 100
Principal amount of debenture tendered																																88
Remaining amount on 2025 notes																														162
Cash and US Treasury securities deposited in a trust account																															6
Aggregate purchase price in a trust account					263
Loss on extinguishment of defeasance of tender offer																															107
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	325		(3)	(3)																														3
Loss on matured contracts																																		5
Loss on extinguishment of Tender Offer																													51
Capitalized debt issuance costs																																			6	9
Fair value of total debt, excluding the deferred gain on interest rate swaps		3,360	3,360	3,360		1,483		534	538	611		0	254		0	604		0	406		0	1	1	40	11		572	553	338				311
Debt (Textual) [Abstract]
Debt issuance costs				15
Principal payments required in year one		0	0	0
Principal payments required in year two		2	2	2
Principal payments required in year three		500	500	500
Principal payments required in year four		0	0	0
Principal payments required in year five		850	850	850
Principal payments required after five years		1,754	1,754	1,754
Current maturities of long-term debt		1,251	1,251	1,251		10
Equivalent percentage price of the principal amount to be paid in case of change in control triggering event				101.00%
Period during the exchange offer is to be completed				365 days
Annual interest rate on the Exelis and Xylem notes				0.25%
Period during which the registration default continues				90 days
Maximum additional interest rate for the registration default annually				1.00%
Payment related to capital lease obligation		66
Leased property amount			5
Transformation costs due to termination of capital lease			5
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	167
Aggregate notional amount of the four contracts		350	350	350
Gain from change in fair value of the contracts				$ 2