L3Harris

L3Harris Technologies, Inc. is an American technology company that works on many important projects. It makes products for the government, defense, and commercial sectors. These products include systems that help control and manage operations, wireless equipment, special radios for communication, and equipment that helps airplanes fly better.

The company also creates tools that allow people to see in the dark, systems to gather important information, and devices used to watch over areas and find out what is happening from far away. L3Harris provides services for training and navigation, and makes antennas that can be used on the ground or in space.

L3Harris was created when two companies, L3 Technologies and Harris Corporation, joined together on June 29, 2019. After this joining, it became the sixth-largest defense contractor in the United States.

History

L3 Technologies and Harris Corporation

Main articles: L3 Technologies and Harris Corporation

The Harris Automatic Press Company started in Niles, Ohio in 1895 by Alfred S. Harris. For many years, it made printing presses and other printing tools. In 1967, it joined with Radiation, Inc. in Melbourne, Florida, which worked on technology for space missions. The company's main office moved to Melbourne in 1978. In 2015, Harris bought a competitor named Exelis Inc., making the company much bigger.

L-3 Communications began in 1997 when it bought some parts of Lockheed Martin. It was started by Frank Lanza and Robert LaPenta, who worked at Lockheed before. The company grew a lot by buying other companies and became one of the biggest suppliers to the U.S. government. In 2016, it changed its name to L3 Technologies to show what it does.

Post-merger

In October 2018, Harris and L3 said they would join together. To make this happen, Harris had to sell its night vision part because combining both would control too much of that market. The joining happened in June 2019, creating L3Harris Technologies, Inc., with its office in Melbourne, Florida. The new company was led by William M. Brown and later by Chris Kubasik.

L3Harris has worked on many projects for the U.S. government and other countries, including helping with border defense and space technology. In 2022, it talked about buying a company that makes special software, but stopped after the White House said no. In 2023, L3Harris bought Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings for $4.7 billion. In 2026, it plans to sell part of its rocket engine business and create a new company from the rest.

Business organization

As of 2026^[update], L3Harris is organized into three main business areas: Space & Mission Systems, Communications and Spectrum Dominance, and Missile Solutions. The company is guided by a 13-member board of directors, led by chair and CEO Chris Kubasik.

Space & Mission Systems focuses on space missions, sensors for satellite navigation, weather, and missile defense. It also works on ground systems for controlling and tracking space operations, as well as systems for air traffic and defense aviation.

Communications & Spectrum Dominance handles special types of communications and night vision technology.

Missile Solutions includes systems from Aerojet Rocketdyne and the RS-25 engine line. Plans are underway to sell part of this segment and create a new company by the end of 2026, with L3Harris keeping control and the US Government investing $1 billion.

Main article: Aerojet Rocketdyne

Products

L3Harris makes many useful tools and machines for different jobs. Some of their products include a mobile aviation training simulator called AVCATT, phone trackers named StingRay and Hailstorm, and a wireless communication system called OpenSky. They also create important computer parts for airplanes like the F-35 Lightning II and C-130J Super Hercules, as well as night vision devices that help people see in the dark. Their products are used by governments and many different industries around the world.

Controversies

L3Harris has faced several claims and agreements about money matters and how they treat their workers. These include claims about charging too much for parts for the Department of Defense and issues with fees in their retirement plans.

Financial Misconduct

False Claims Act Violations

L3Harris has been claimed to have charged the Department of Defense too much for parts by counting them in two different ways.

Settlements

L3Harris has paid money to agree to end these claims. They paid $62 million for claims about false statements and rules about talking about prices. They also paid $21.8 million for the claims about charging too much.

ERISA Lawsuits

A group of workers claimed L3Harris charged too much for managing their retirement money and did not watch the investments well. The company paid $650,000 to end this claim.

Employment Practices

Discriminatory Termination

A past worker successfully claimed he was let go because of a health issue. A court said a jury could decide this was unfair.

Retaliation Claims

Another worker is claiming he was let go for telling about a possible problem with another worker.

Other Issues

Export Violations

L3Harris paid $13 million to agree to end claims about breaking rules for sending things to other countries.

Spyware Controversy

L3Harris made technology used for watching people, which has caused worries about privacy.

Layoffs

L3Harris Technologies has been reducing its workforce to save money and improve efficiency. In April 2024, the company cut 5% of its global staff, affecting many jobs in places like Palm Bay and other offices.

In February 2025, 179 employees at the Rockwall facility in Texas lost their jobs because a specific aerial surveillance program ended. Most of these employees lived outside Texas and worked remotely from other countries.

These changes are part of larger adjustments in the defense and technology industries, as companies respond to economic challenges and supply chain issues. L3Harris is working to fix delays in satellite parts by switching to a new supplier.