FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS (Debt) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Carrying Value	$ 964,808	$ 966,298
Estimated Fair Value	998,576	978,652
Long-term Debt, Gross	950,408	950,668
Debt Issuance Costs, Net	(869)	(984)
Deferred Gain (Loss) on Discontinuation of Interest Rate Fair Value Hedge	15,269	16,614
5.51% Senior notes due 2017 [Member]
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Carrying Value	150,000	150,000
Estimated Fair Value	$ 150,888	154,509
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	5.51%
3.84% Senior notes due 2021 [Member]
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Carrying Value	$ 100,000	100,000
Estimated Fair Value	$ 103,949	102,463
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.84%
3.70% Senior notes due 2023 [Member]
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Carrying Value	$ 225,000	225,000
Estimated Fair Value	$ 232,186	226,946
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.70%
3.85% Senior notes due 2025 [Member]
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Carrying Value	$ 100,000	100,000
Estimated Fair Value	$ 103,517	100,338
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.85%
4.24% Senior notes due 2026 [Member]
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Carrying Value	$ 200,000	200,000
Estimated Fair Value	$ 211,242	203,592
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.24%
4.05% Senior notes due 2028 [Member]
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Carrying Value	$ 75,000	75,000
Estimated Fair Value	$ 77,751	74,630
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.05%
4.11% Senior Notes [Member]
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Carrying Value	$ 100,000	100,000
Estimated Fair Value	$ 104,235	99,876
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.11%
Other debt [Member]
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Carrying Value	$ 408	668
Estimated Fair Value	408	668
Long-term Debt, gross [Member]
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Estimated Fair Value	$ 984,176	$ 963,022

Amount, before unamortized (discount) premium and debt issuance costs, of long-term debt. Includes, but is not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, commercial loans, mortgage loans, convertible debt, subordinated debt and other types of debt.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, after accumulated amortization, of debt issuance costs. Includes, but is not limited to, legal, accounting, underwriting, printing, and registration costs.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930785&loc=d3e28555-108399

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.17)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredFinanceCostsNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount as of the balance sheet date of the unamortized adjustment to the carrying value of an interest-bearing hedged item made under an effective interest rate fair value hedge that is amortized upon discontinuation of the interest rate fair value hedge.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 25
-Section 35
-Paragraph 9
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82917030&loc=d3e75592-113984

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredGainLossOnDiscontinuationOfInterestRateFairValueHedge
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueBalanceSheetGroupingFinancialStatementCaptionsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, after unamortized (discount) premium and debt issuance costs, of long-term debt. Includes, but not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, debentures, mortgage loans and commercial paper. Excludes capital lease obligations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermDebt
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The fair value amount of long-term debt whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cw_SeniorNotesFiveFiftyOneMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cw_SeniorNotesThreeEightyFourMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cw_SeniorNotesThreeSeventyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cw_SeniorNotesThreeEightyFiveMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cw_SeniorNotesFourTwentyFourMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cw_SeniorNotesFourZeroFiveMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cw_SeniorNotesFourElevenMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_OtherDebtSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cw_LongtermDebtgrossMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: