LLL L3 Technologies, Inc.

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A
(Rule 14a-101)

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN PROXY STATEMENT
SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Filed by the Registrant ☒

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant o

Check the appropriate box:

L3 Technologies, Inc.
(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

600 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10016

Dear Fellow Shareholder:

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I cordially invite you to attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of L3 Technologies, Inc., to be held at 2:30 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, on Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park, located at Two West Street, New York, New York 10004. This year we are also offering a virtual shareholder experience through which you can view the meeting and vote online at LLL.onlineshareholdermeeting.com. The question and answer session will include both live questions from shareholders attending the meeting at the physical location as well as questions submitted to us in advance at www.proxyvote.com. We will respond to as many inquiries as time allows. The notice and proxy statement for the Annual Meeting are attached to this letter and describe the business to be conducted at the Annual Meeting.

In accordance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, we sent a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials on or about March 27 , 2017 to our shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 13, 2017. We also provided access to our proxy materials over the Internet beginning on that date. If you received a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials by mail and did not receive, but would like to receive, a printed copy of our proxy materials, you should follow the instructions for requesting such materials included on page 6 of this proxy statement or in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials.

To have your vote recorded, you should vote over the Internet or by telephone. In addition, if you have requested or received a paper copy of the proxy materials, you may vote by signing, dating and returning the proxy card sent to you in the envelope accompanying the proxy materials sent to you. We encourage you to vote by any of these methods even if you currently plan to attend the Annual Meeting. By doing so, you will ensure that your shares are represented and voted at the Annual Meeting. If you decide to attend, you can still vote your shares in person if you wish. If you wish to attend the Annual Meeting in person, you will need to register and request an admission ticket in advance. You can register and request a ticket by following the instructions set forth on page 9 of this proxy statement.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I thank you for your cooperation and look forward to seeing you on May 9, 2017.

March 27 , 2017

Very truly yours,
 

Michael T. Strianese
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

SHAREHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

In recent years, we have made a concerted effort to engage with our shareholders both during and outside the proxy season in order to have a better understanding of their perspectives on our Company, including matters of corporate governance, as well as our strategies and performance. This dialogue, in which both management and directors participate, as appropriate, has helped inform the Board’s decision-making and ensures our interests remain well-aligned with those of our shareholders.

The Company has a strong record of adopting provisions or modifying practices to reflect shareholder input. During 2016, the Board, on its own initiative, adopted a proxy access bylaw in October 2016, and modified the bylaw in December 2016, to reflect constructive input received from our investors. In addition, in response to investor feedback, we enhanced our corporate governance disclosure in our proxy statement to provide additional information regarding:

We also regularly attend investor conferences and hold one-on-one meetings with shareholders and potential investors throughout the United States. In addition, we have telephonic calls with shareholders and analysts on a periodic basis, review correspondence submitted by shareholders to management and/or the Board, and have discussions with proxy advisory services. In 2016, these outreach efforts resulted in dialogue with shareholders representing over 40% in the aggregate of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock.

Shareholders may access investor information about the Company through our website at http://www.L3T.com/investor-relations.

SUMMARY OF 2016 BUSINESS PERFORMANCE

PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

For more information regarding L3’s 2016 performance, please review our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION PROGRAM SUMMARY

2016 Target Pay and Incentive Plan Payouts

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT
THE 2017 ANNUAL MEETING AND VOTING  

On or about March 27 , 2017, we either mailed you a notice (the “Notice”) notifying you how to vote online and how to electronically access a copy of this Proxy Statement, our Summary Annual Report and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 (together referred to as the “Proxy Materials”) or mailed you a complete set of the Proxy Materials. If you have not received but would like to receive printed copies of these documents, including a proxy card in paper format, you should follow the instructions for requesting such materials contained in the Notice.

This Proxy Statement is being made available to the holders of our Common Stock in connection with the solicitation of proxies for use at the Annual Meeting to be held at The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park, located at Two West Street, New York, New York 10004 at 2:30 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, on Tuesday, May 9, 2017. The proxies are solicited by our Board of Directors on our behalf for use at the Annual Meeting and any adjournments or postponements of the Annual Meeting.

Shareholders not attending our Annual Meeting may choose to vote their shares of Common Stock by allowing someone else to cast votes on their behalf. We are soliciting your voting instructions (that is, your proxy) on behalf of our Board of Directors for use at the Annual Meeting and any adjournments or postponements of the Annual Meeting. The proxies we are soliciting designate Michael T. Strianese, Christopher E. Kubasik, Ralph G. D’Ambrosio and Ann D. Davidson (the “Proxyholders”) as the persons who would individually be authorized to vote your shares in accordance

with your instructions. Alternatively, if you own your shares of our Common Stock directly in your name in our stock records (a “shareholder of record”) maintained by Computershare Trust Company, N.A. (“Computershare”), you may appoint a person (who need not be a shareholder), other than the Proxyholders, to represent you at the Annual Meeting by completing another proper proxy. Such completed proxy should be returned in the envelope provided to you for that purpose (if you have requested or received a paper copy of the Proxy Materials).

Our Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on March 13, 2017 as the Record Date for the Annual Meeting. Only shareholders of record at the Record Date are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting or at any adjournments or postponements thereof, in person or by proxy.

At the Record Date, there were 77,810,212 shares of our Common Stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. Each holder of Common Stock is entitled to one vote for each share of our Common Stock held by such holder.

By Internet: If you are a shareholder of record, or if you own shares of Common Stock through L3’s 401(k) plan, you can vote at www.proxyvote.com, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You will need the 16-digit Control Number included on your Notice or your paper voting instruction form (if you received a paper copy of the Proxy Materials).

By Telephone: If you are a shareholder of record, or if you own shares of Common Stock through L3’s 401(k) plan, you can vote using a touch-tone telephone by calling 1-800-690-6903, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You will need the 16-digit Control Number included on your Annual Meeting Notice card or your paper voting instruction form (if you received a paper copy of the Proxy Materials).

By Mail: If you have received a paper copy of the Proxy Materials by mail, you may complete, sign, date and return by mail the paper proxy card or voting instruction form sent to you in the envelope provided to you with your Proxy Materials or voting instruction form.

In Person: All shareholders of record may vote in person at the meeting. Street name holders must obtain a legal proxy from their broker, bank or other nominee and bring the legal proxy to the meeting in order to vote in person at the meeting. For more detail, please see Question 13.

The Internet and telephone voting procedures, which comply with Delaware law and the Securities and Exchange

Commission (the “SEC”) rules, are designed to authenticate shareholders’ identities, to allow shareholders to vote their shares and to confirm that their instructions have been properly recorded.

Through your Bank, Broker or Other Nominee: If you hold your shares through a bank or brokerage firm (i.e. in “street name” as you are not a registered holder), you may vote by

submitting your voting instructions to your bank, broker or other nominee. In most instances, you will be able to do this over the Internet, by telephone, or by mail as indicated above. Please refer to the information from your bank, broker or other nominee on how to submit voting instructions.

See also “Proxy Statement Summary – Casting Your Vote” on page 1 .

If you are a shareholder of record, proxies submitted over the Internet or by telephone as described above must be received by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, on May 8, 2017.

If you own your shares of our Common Stock through L3’s 401(k) plan, proxies submitted over the Internet or by telephone as described above must be received by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, on May 5, 2017.

If you hold your shares in street name, proxies submitted over the Internet or by telephone as described above must be received by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, on May 8, 2017.

Proxies submitted by mail, as described above, must be received no later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, on May 8, 2017, if you are a shareholder of record, or by 8:00 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time, on May 5, 2017, if you own your shares through L3’s 401(k) plan.

Notwithstanding the above, if you hold your shares in street name and you submit voting instructions to your bank, broker or other nominee, your instructions must be received by the bank, broker or other nominee prior to the deadline set forth in the information from your bank, broker or other nominee on how to submit voting instructions.

In order for us to conduct the meeting, the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our Common Stock represented in person or by proxy shall constitute a quorum at the Annual Meeting.

Your shares are counted as present at the meeting if you attend the meeting and vote in person or if you properly return a proxy by Internet, telephone or mail.

Abstentions and instances where brokers are prohibited from exercising discretionary authority for beneficial owners who have not returned a proxy (so-called “broker non-votes”) will be counted for purposes of determining a quorum.

Shareholders of Record: If you are a shareholder of record (see Question 3), your shares will not be voted if you do not provide your proxy unless you vote in person at the meeting. It is important that you vote your shares.

Holders of Common Stock through L 3’s 401(k) plan: If you own shares of our Common Stock through L3’s 401(k) plan and you do not provide voting instructions, the shares in your 401(k) plan account will be voted by the trustee of the 401(k) plan in the same proportion as the shares of Common Stock held by the 401(k) plan for which voting instructions have been received from other participants in the plan, except as otherwise required by law. It is, therefore, important that you vote your shares.

Street Name Holders: If your shares are held in street name (see Question 4) and you do not provide voting instructions, your shares may be voted by your broker, bank or other nominee but only under certain circumstances. Specifically,

under New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) rules, shares held in the name of your broker, bank or other nominee may be voted by your broker, bank or other nominee on certain “routine” matters if you do not provide voting instructions. Only the Auditor Ratification Proposal is considered a “routine” matter for which brokers, banks or other nominees may vote uninstructed shares. The other proposals to be voted on at the meeting (specifically, the election of director nominees, the Supermajority Proposal, the Cash Incentive Plan Proposal, the Say-on-Pay Proposal, and the Say-on-Frequency Proposal) are not considered “routine” under NYSE rules, so the broker, bank or other nominee cannot vote your shares on any of these proposals unless you provide voting instructions for each of these matters. If you do not provide voting instructions on a “non-routine” matter, your shares will not be voted on that matter, which is referred to as a “broker non-vote.” It is, therefore, important that you vote your shares.

If a shareholder delivers a proxy pursuant to this solicitation but does not specify a choice with respect to any proposal set forth in this Proxy Statement, the underlying shares will be voted on that proposal in accordance with the recommendation of our Board of Directors. With respect to

any other matters that may properly come before the Annual Meeting, or any adjournment or postponement thereof, the underlying shares will be voted in accordance with the discretion of the Proxyholders.

Any proxy delivered pursuant to this solicitation is revocable at the option of the person(s) executing the proxy upon our receipt, prior to the time the proxy is voted, of a duly executed instrument revoking it, or of a duly executed proxy bearing a later date, or by such person(s) voting in person at the Annual Meeting. Unless revoked, all proxies representing shares entitled to vote that are delivered pursuant to this solicitation will be voted at the Annual Meeting and, where a choice has been specified on the proxy card, will be voted in accordance with such specification.

To revoke a proxy previously submitted over the Internet, by telephone or by mail, you may simply vote again at a later date, using the same procedures, in which case your later submitted vote will be recorded and your earlier vote revoked. You may also attend the Annual Meeting and vote in person.

If your shares are held in street name and you previously provided voting instructions to your broker, bank or other nominee, you should follow the instructions provided by your broker, bank or other nominee to revoke or change your voting instructions.

The vote required to approve all of the proposals listed herein assumes the presence of a quorum.

Please note that you may receive multiple copies of the Notice or Proxy Materials (electronically and/or by mail). These materials may not be duplicates as you may receive separate copies of the Notice or Proxy Materials for each type of account in which you hold shares of our Common

Stock. Please be sure to vote all of your shares in each of your accounts in accordance with the directions on the proxy card(s) and/or voting instruction form(s) that you receive. In the case of duplicate votes for shares in a particular account, your last vote is the one that counts.

The cost of this solicitation of proxies will be paid by the Company. The solicitation will be made primarily via the Internet and by mail, but our officers and regular employees may also solicit proxies by telephone, telegraph, facsimile,

or in person. We also have retained Georgeson Inc. to assist in soliciting proxies. We expect to pay Georgeson Inc. approximately $10,000 plus expenses in connection with its solicitation of proxies.

If you wish to attend the Annual Meeting and vote in person, you must be a shareholder on the Record Date and you must register and request an admission ticket in advance.

Tickets will be issued to registered and beneficial owners. If you hold your shares of our Common Stock through a bank or brokerage firm (i.e., you are not a registered holder), you may register and request an admission ticket by visiting www.proxyvote.com and following the instructions provided (you will need the 16-digit Control Number included on your Notice or your paper voting instruction form (if you received a paper copy of the Proxy Materials)). If you own your shares of our Common Stock directly in your name in our stock records maintained by Computershare, you may register and request an admission ticket by visiting www.proxyvote.com and following the instructions provided (you will need the 16-digit Control Number included on your Annual Meeting Notice card).

Requests for admission tickets will be processed in the order in which they are received and must be requested no later than May 8, 2017. Please note that seating is limited and admission to the meeting will be on a first-come, first-served

basis. On the day of the meeting, each shareholder will be required to present valid picture identification such as a driver’s license or passport with their admission ticket. Seating will begin at 2:00 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 2:30 p.m. Cameras (including cell phones with photographic capabilities), recording devices and other electronic devices will not be permitted at the in-person Annual Meeting. You will be required to enter through a security check point before being granted access to the Annual Meeting.

Even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we encourage you to vote in advance by Internet, telephone or (if you received a paper copy of the Proxy Materials) by mail so that your vote will be counted even if you later decide not to attend the Annual Meeting. Voting your proxy by the Internet, telephone or mail will not limit your right to vote at the Annual Meeting if you later decide to attend in person. If you own your shares of our Common Stock in street name and wish to vote in person at the Annual Meeting, you must request a legal proxy from your bank or broker or obtain a proxy from the record holder.

You may attend this year’s Annual Meeting via the Internet by visiting LLL.onlineshareholdermeeting.com. The accompanying Proxy Materials include instructions on how to enter and participate in the meeting and how you may vote your shares of our Common Stock. To submit your

question in advance, please log on to www.proxyvote.com. You will need your 16-digit control number included on your Notice or your paper voting instruction form (if you received a paper copy of the Proxy Materials) to enter and participate at the meeting.

PROPOSALS REQUIRING YOUR VOTE  

PROPOSAL 1 – ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

The full Board of Directors has considered and nominated the following slate of nominees for a one-year term expiring in 2018: Claude R. Canizares, Thomas A. Corcoran, Ann E. Dunwoody, Lewis Kramer, Robert B. Millard, Lloyd W. Newton, Vincent Pagano, Jr., H. Hugh Shelton, Arthur L. Simon and Michael T. Strianese. Action will be taken at the Annual Meeting for the election of these 10 nominees.

It is intended that the proxies delivered pursuant to this solicitation will be voted in favor of the election of each of Claude R. Canizares, Thomas A. Corcoran, Ann E. Dunwoody, Lewis Kramer, Robert B. Millard, Lloyd W. Newton, Vincent Pagano, Jr., H. Hugh Shelton, Arthur L. Simon and Michael T. Strianese except in cases of proxies bearing contrary instructions. In the event that these nominees should become unavailable for election due to any presently unforeseen reason, the persons named in the proxy will have the right to use their discretion to vote for a substitute.

Nominees for Election to the Board of Directors in 2017

The following information describes the offices held and other business directorships of each nominee. Beneficial ownership of equity securities of the nominees is described in “Security Ownership of Management” on page 38 .

The particular experiences, qualifications, attributes or skills of each nominee that the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee believes will advance the Company’s goals are included in the individual biographies below. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee and the Board believe that each of the nominees for election at the 2017 Annual Meeting possesses a strong and unique set of attributes. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee and the Board believe that, as a group, these nominees provide the Board with an optimal balance of experience, leadership, competencies, qualifications and skills.

Director Since: 2003     Board Committees: •  Audit     Age: 71

CLAUDE R. CANIZARES Position, Principal Occupation and Professional Experience: Bruno Rossi Professor of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since 1971, Professor Canizares has been at MIT , where until recently he serve d as Vice President . Prior positions include Vice President for Research, Associate Provost, and Director of the Center for Space Research . In addition, he is a principal investigator on NASA’s Chandra X-ray O bservatory and Associate Director of its science center.     Other Directorships, Trusteeships and Memberships: Member of the National Academy of Sciences and the International Academy of Astronautics; Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Professor Canizares serves on the Department of Commerce’s Emerging Technology and Research Advisory Committee and the National Research Council’s (NRC) Committee on Science, Technology and the Law. He chairs the Auditing Committee of the National Academy of Sciences. Professor Canizares has served on the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, the NASA Advisory Council, and the Council of the National Academy of Sciences.     Director Qualifications: The Board of Directors considered Professor Canizares’ distinguished career as a tenured professor at MIT including his past responsibility for over 20 research laboratories , including Lincoln Laboratory , with an aggregate annual research budget of $1.5 billion, as well as his extensive knowledge of the aerospace industry.

multiple of EBIT or EBITDA); (xix) orders; and (xx) total shareholder return. The foregoing criteria may relate to us, one or more of our subsidiaries or one or more of our divisions or units, or any combination of the foregoing, and may be applied on an absolute basis and/or be relative to one or more of our peer group companies or indices, or any combination thereof, all as the Committee will determine in its sole discretion. The performance measures and objectives established by the Committee may be different for different fiscal years and different objectives may be applicable to different officers and key employees.

As soon as practicable after the applicable performance period ends, the Committee will (A) determine (i) whether and to what extent any of the performance objective(s) established for such performance period have been satisfied and certify to such determination, and (ii) the actual incentive compensation to which such participant will be entitled, taking into consideration the extent to which the performance objective(s) have been met and such other factors as the Committee may deem appropriate and (B) cause such incentive compensation to be paid to such participant. The Committee has absolute discretion to reduce or eliminate the amount otherwise payable to any participant under the Cash Incentive Plan and to establish rules or procedures that have the effect of limiting the amount payable to each participant to an amount that is less than the maximum amount otherwise authorized as that participant’s incentive compensation opportunity. In addition, to the extent the Committee determines that all or a portion of an award is not intended to comply with the performance-based exemption under Section 162(m) of the Code, the Committee may award a participant more than the maximum amount authorized as that participant’s incentive compensation opportunity.

To the extent permitted under Section 162(m) of the Code, if a participant is hired or rehired by us after the beginning of a performance period (or such corresponding period if the performance period is not a fiscal year) for which incentive compensation is payable, such participant may, if determined by the Committee, receive incentive compensation equal to the amount otherwise payable to such participant based upon our actual performance for the applicable performance period prorated for the days of employment during such period or such other amount as the Committee may deem appropriate.

Forfeiture and Clawback

The Committee may in its sole discretion specify that the participant’s rights, payments, and benefits with respect to any incentive compensation will be subject to reduction, cancellation, forfeiture or recoupment upon the occurrence of certain specified events, in addition to any otherwise applicable vesting or performance conditions contained in such award. Such events may include, but are not limited to, termination of employment for cause, termination of the participant’s provision of services to us, breach of noncompetition, confidentiality, or other restrictive covenants that may apply to the participant, or restatement of our financial statements to reflect adverse results from those previously released financial statements as a consequence of errors, omissions, fraud, or misconduct.

Change in Control

Unless otherwise specified by the Committee at the time when performance objectives are established with respect to a performance period, in the event of a change in control prior to the last day of any performance period, each participant eligible to receive incentive compensation thereunder shall receive an amount of incentive compensation based upon achievement at the “target” level of the applicable performance objectives (or, if otherwise determined in the sole discretion of the Committee as constituted immediately prior to the change in control, an amount of incentive compensation based upon such higher level of Company performance actually achieved when considered in light of the reduced performance period), prorated to reflect the portion of the performance period elapsed through the change in control date.

Termination of Employment

Unless otherwise specified by the Committee, if prior to the last day of any performance period for which a participant is eligible to receive incentive compensation, the participant’s employment is terminated due to death, disability, retirement at least one year after the commencement of the performance period, or due to an involuntary termination without cause, then the participant will receive an amount of incentive compensation equal to the incentive compensation otherwise payable to such participant based upon actual Company performance for the applicable performance period, prorated to reflect the portion of the performance period elapsed through the termination date. In the case of any other termination of employment by a participant prior to the end of a performance period, the participant shall not be entitled to payment of incentive compensation for such performance period (unless otherwise determined by the Committee).

Payment of Awards

Payment of any incentive compensation amount is made to participants as soon as is practicable after the Committee certifies that one or more of the applicable performance objectives has been attained or after the Committee determines the amount of such incentive compensation. All payments thus made will be in accordance with or exempt from the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.

Amendment and Termination of Plan

Our Board of Directors or the Committee may at any time amend, suspend, discontinue or terminate the Cash Incentive Plan, subject to shareholder approval if such approval is necessary to continue to qualify the amounts payable under the Cash Incentive Plan under Section 162(m) of the Code if such amounts are intended to be so qualified; provided, that no such amendment, suspension, discontinuance or termination will adversely affect the rights of any participant in respect of any performance period that has already begun.

Voting Standard

The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the Annual Meeting is required to approve this Cash Incentive Plan Proposal. Abstentions will have the same effect as a vote “against” this proposal and “broker non-votes” will have no effect on the outcome of this proposal.

Assuming shareholders approve the Cash Incentive Plan Proposal, it is anticipated that shareholders will be requested to re-approve the Cash Incentive Plan no later than the day of the first meeting of shareholders that occurs in 2022.

The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR approval of the L3 Technologies, Inc.
Amended and Restated 2012 Cash Incentive Plan.

We believe that the information disclosed in this Proxy Statement demonstrates that our executive compensation program is well-designed and is working as intended. In accordance with the requirements of Section 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the related rules of the SEC, we are submitting for shareholder consideration the following resolution to approve, in a non-binding, advisory vote, the compensation paid to our named executive officers for fiscal 2016 as disclosed beginning on page 39 of this Proxy Statement:

“RESOLVED, that the compensation paid to the company’s named executive officers, as disclosed in this Proxy Statement pursuant to the rules of the SEC, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, compensation tables and any related narrative discussion, is hereby APPROVED.”

The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR approval of
the compensation paid to our named executive officers.

PROPOSAL 6 – ADVISORY (NON-BINDING) VOTE ON THE FREQUENCY OF SHAREHOLDER VOTES ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

In accordance with the requirements of Section 14A of the Exchange Act (which was added by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act) and the related rules of the SEC, we are submitting for shareholder consideration a proposal to determine, in a non-binding advisory vote, whether a shareholder vote to approve the compensation paid to our named executive officers (that is, votes similar to the non-binding, advisory vote in Proposal 5 on page 21 ) should occur every one, two or three years. While the results of the vote are non-binding and advisory in nature, the Board intends to carefully consider the results of this vote.

After careful consideration of this proposal, our Board of Directors has determined that an advisory vote on executive compensation that occurs every year is the most appropriate policy for L3 at this time, and, therefore, our Board of Directors recommends that you vote for future advisory votes on executive compensation to occur each year.

In formulating its recommendation, our Board of Directors recognized that the Company’s executive compensation programs are designed to promote a long-term connection between pay and performance. However, because executive compensation disclosures are made annually, the Board of Directors considered that an annual advisory vote on executive compensation will allow our shareholders to provide us with their direct input on our compensation philosophy, policies and practices as disclosed in the proxy statement every year. Additionally, an annual advisory vote on executive compensation is consistent with our policy of seeking input from, and engaging in discussions with, our shareholders on corporate governance matters and our executive compensation philosophy, policies and practices. We understand that our shareholders may have different views as to what is the best approach for L3, and we look forward to hearing from our shareholders on this proposal.

The Board of Directors recommends a vote of “ONE YEAR” with respect to the frequency with
which shareholders are provided an advisory vote on the compensation paid to our
named executive officers.  

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CERTAIN GOVERNANCE MATTERS  

Our Board of Directors oversees the management of our business and affairs, as provided by Delaware law, and conducts its business through meetings of the Board of Directors and four standing committees: Audit, Compensation, Nominating/Corporate Governance and Executive Committees. In addition, from time to time, special committees may be established under the direction of the Board of Directors when necessary to address specific issues.

LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE

How We Select Our Leadership Structure

Board structures vary greatly among U.S. public corporations. According to a recent survey, 52% of S&P 500 companies combine the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, and only 27% of the S&P 500 have an independent chairman. The Board of Directors is of the view that “one-size” does not fit all. One leadership structure is not more effective at creating long-term shareholder value and the decision of whether to combine or separate the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman should vary company to company and depend upon a company’s particular circumstances at a given point in time. The Board of Directors believes that an effective leadership structure could be achieved either by combining or separating the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman positions, if the structure encourages the free and open dialogue of competing views and provides for strong checks and balances. Specifically, an effective governance structure must balance the powers of the Chief Executive Officer and the independent directors and ensure that the independent directors are fully informed, able to discuss and debate the issues that they deem important, and able to provide effective oversight of management.

Our Current Leadership Structure

While L3’s approach regarding its leadership structure has varied depending on what was best for L3 at a particular point in time, the Board of Directors believes that its current structure of combining the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and electing a strong lead independent director is in the best interest of L3 at this time as it allows for a balance of power between the Chief Executive Officer and the independent directors and provides an environment in which its independent directors are fully informed, have significant input into the content of Board meeting agendas and are able to provide objective and thoughtful oversight of management. The Board also believes that L3’s current leadership structure does not affect the Board’s role in risk oversight of the Company. In addition, the Board of Directors also believes that combining the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer gives L3 the best chance to continue its strong performance over the long term. With the competitive environment as challenging as it is, it continues to be important for L3 to increasingly seek out business opportunities in the international community. In L3’s industry, the Board of Directors believes that access to decision-makers in foreign countries is made easier when the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer are combined as their customs often dictate having comparable titles when conducting negotiations. Moreover, since most of L3’s industry peers have combined the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, L3 believes that separating such roles would put us at a competitive disadvantage.

Responsibilities of O ur Lead Independent Director

The Board of Directors believes that if the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman are combined, then appointing a lead independent director is necessary for effective governance. Accordingly, the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that, in the event the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman positions are combined, the independent members of the Board of Directors will elect a “Lead Independent Director.” The Lead Independent Director focuses on optimizing the Board’s processes and ensuring that the Board is prioritizing the right matters. Specifically, the lead independent director has the following responsibilities (and may also perform other functions at the Board’s request), as clearly set forth in the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines:

The Board of Directors believes that the responsibilities delegated to the Lead Independent Director are substantially similar to many of the functions typically fulfilled by a board chairman. The Board of Directors believes that its Lead Independent Director position balances the need for effective and independent oversight of management with the need for strong, unified leadership. The Board of Directors believes that one of the key elements of effective, independent oversight is that the independent directors meet in executive session on a regular basis without the presence of management. Accordingly, in 2016, the independent directors met in executive session eight times with the Lead Independent Director presiding at such meetings.

INDEPENDENCE

The Board of Directors has affirmatively determined that no director nominee other than Mr. Strianese, including those who serve on the Audit, Compensation and Nominating/Corporate Governance Committees of the Board of Directors, has a material relationship with us, either directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with us. Therefore, all of our director nominees, other than Mr. Strianese, are “independent” under all applicable standards.

In connection with its determination that Mr. Millard and Professor Canizares are independent directors, the Board of Directors considered the fact that we conducted business: (1) with MIT where Mr. Millard is chair of the MIT Corporation and Professor Canizares is employed as a full time professor, and (2) with Sandia National Laboratories, where Professor Canizares is a consultant. Payments made to or received from MIT and Sandia National Laboratories, as applicable, were less than 1% of their respective annual consolidated gross revenues for their last completed fiscal years. Mr. Millard and Professor Canizares did not have any interest in these transactions and were not involved in decisions regarding L3 with respect to these transactions.

General (Ret.) Dunwoody serves as a director (but not as an executive officer or employee) for a non-profit organization to which we have made charitable contributions. Contributions to this organization did not exceed either $120,000 or 1% of the organization’s annual consolidated gross revenues during its last completed fiscal year and was below the thresholds set forth under our categorical standards of director independence.

In addition, the Board of Directors has determined that Professor Canizares and Messrs. Corcoran, Kramer, Pagano and Simon, members of the Audit Committee, and Messrs. Millard and Kramer and General (Ret.) Newton, members of the Compensation Committee, are “independent” in accordance with the NYSE standards applicable to members of the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee, respectively.

The Board of Directors has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines that meet the independence standards of the NYSE. Also, as part of our Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Board of Directors has adopted categorical standards to assist it in evaluating the independence of each of its directors. The categorical standards are intended to assist the Board of Directors in determining whether or not certain relationships between our directors and us, either directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with us, are “material relationships” for purposes of the NYSE independence standards. The categorical standards establish thresholds at which such relationships are deemed not to be material. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines, which include our categorical standards of independence, can be obtained through our website at http://www.L3T.com.

Directors are expected to attend board meetings and meetings of the committees on which they serve, to spend the time needed, and to meet as frequently as necessary, in order to properly discharge their responsibilities. In addition, to the extent reasonably practicable, directors are expected to attend shareholder meetings. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, the Board of Directors held eight meetings. Each director attended at least 75% of the combined number of meetings of the Board of Directors and meetings of committees on which he or she served during the period in 2016 in which he or she served as a director or member of such committee, as applicable. All of our directors attended the 2016 Annual Meeting in person. In accordance with applicable NYSE listing requirements, our independent directors hold regular executive sessions at which management, including the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, is not present. Mr. Millard, our Lead Independent Director of the Board of Directors, presides at the regularly held executive sessions of the independent directors.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMPOSITION

The Board and the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee takes a long-term approach to the composition of the Board of Directors. Since 2011, four new directors have joined the Board. We believe that our Board’s blend of tenure strikes a balance that provides superior Company, regulatory and industry knowledge, while executing effective oversight and independence in the best interests of our shareholders.

The Board of Directors seeks to ensure that the Board is composed of members whose particular experience, qualifications, attributes and skills, when taken together, will allow the Board of Directors to satisfy its oversight responsibilities effectively. In that regard, the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for recommending candidates for all directorships to be filled by the Board of Directors or by the shareholders at an annual or special meeting. In identifying candidates for membership on the Board of Directors, the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee takes into account (1) minimum individual qualifications, such as strength of character, mature judgment, industry knowledge or experience and an ability to work collegially with the other members of the Board of Directors, and (2) all other factors it considers appropriate.

Although the Board of Directors does not have a formal policy with regard to the consideration of diversity in identifying director nominees, among the many factors that the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee carefully considers are the benefits to the Company of diversity, including gender and racial diversity, in board composition. Women and minority candidates are included in every pool from which board nominees are chosen, and our director searches also include nominees from non-traditional environments, including military, government and academia. Thirty percent of our Board is currently comprised of female or minority directors, including one female, one African-American and one Cuban-American.

As part of its recurring activities, the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee seeks to identify qualified candidates to sit on the Board of Directors. To identify and recruit qualified candidates for the Board, the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee has previously utilized the services of professional search firms and has also sought referrals from other members of the Board, management, shareholders and other sources. After conducting an initial evaluation of a candidate, one or more members of the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee will interview that candidate if the Nominating/Corporate

Governance Committee believes the candidate might be suitable to be a director and may also ask the candidate to meet with other directors and management. If the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee believes a candidate would be a valuable addition to the Board of Directors, it will recommend to the full Board of Directors that candidate’s election.

The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee will consider candidates for nomination as a director recommended by shareholders, directors, officers, third party search firms and other sources.

The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee will review all candidates for director in the same manner, regardless of the source of the recommendation. Individuals recommended by shareholders for nomination as a director will be considered in accordance with the procedures described under “Questions and Answers About Board Communications, Company Documents and Shareholder Proposals” on page 87 of this Proxy Statement.

When considering whether the Board’s directors and nominees have the experience, qualifications, attributes and skills, taken as a whole, to enable the Board of Directors to satisfy its oversight responsibilities effectively in light of L3’s business and structure, the Board of Directors focused primarily on results of the annual Board and committee evaluations and on the information discussed in each of the Board members’ or nominees’ biographical information set forth on pages 10 to 15 . In addition, in connection with the nominations of the current slate of director nominees, the Board of Directors considered their valuable contributions to L3’s success during their years of Board service.

Board and Committee Assessments

Each year, the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee evaluates each director to obtain his or her assessment of the effectiveness of the Board and the committees. The purpose of these assessments is to identify opportunities for improvement on a number of relevant metrics such as composition, conduct of meetings, relationship between the Board and management, succession planning and strategy and performance. The Chairman of the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee conducts the evaluation through written questionnaires and one-on-one meetings with individual directors, reviews all of the responses and reports the results to the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee then summarizes the evaluations and identifies areas in which the Board and its committees could improve its performance and discusses its findings with the Board and each of the other committees. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee also evaluates the composition of the Board to ensure that its members have the requisite skills, experience and diversity to effectively oversee the business of the Company.

COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board has established various committees to assist it with the performance of its responsibilities. The Board designates the members of these committees and the committee chairs based on the recommendations of the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee. The chair of each committee develops the agenda for its committee and each committee regularly provides a full report to the Board.

The Board has adopted written charters for each of the Audit, Compensation and Nominating/Corporate Governance Committees. These charters are available on the Company’s website at http://www.L3T.com/investor-relations/corporate-governance. The following table summarizes the primary responsibilities of the committees:

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE USE OF CONSULTANTS

As set forth in its charter, the Compensation Committee has the sole authority to retain or terminate, as necessary or appropriate, outside consultants to provide advice to the Compensation Committee in connection with its fulfillment of its responsibilities. The Compensation Committee engages Frederic W. Cook (“FW Cook”) to serve as the Compensation Committee’s independent consultant. FW Cook and its affiliates do not provide any services to the Company or any of the Company’s affiliates other than advising the Compensation Committee on director and executive officer compensation. In 2016, the Compensation Committee requested that FW Cook advise it directly on a variety of compensation-related matters, including:

In the course of conducting its activities, FW Cook attended meetings of the Compensation Committee and presented its findings and recommendations to the Compensation Committee for discussion. During 2016, FW Cook also met with management to obtain and validate data and review materials. In March of 2017, the Compensation Committee evaluated whether any work performed by FW Cook raised any conflict of interest and determined that it did not.

POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOBBYING

Pursuant to the Company’s political contributions policy, the Company has a global policy against making contributions to political parties, political committees or candidates using Company resources (including monetary and in-kind services), even where permitted by law. In the United States, the Company maintains a political action committee (the “PAC”) which operates under the regulations of the Federal Election Commission and makes federal political contributions to federal candidates that meet specified criteria aligned with the Company’s interests. The contributions made by the PAC are not funded by corporate funds and are fully funded by voluntary contributions made by eligible employees. Corporate funds and facilities, as permitted by law, are used to provide administrative support, including the solicitation of funds from eligible employees and the distribution of contributions. The Company does not penalize in any way eligible employees who do not contribute to the PAC.

The PAC operates in compliance with all applicable laws governing PACs, including laws requiring public disclosure of contributions. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee oversees the Company’s political activities. The Company’s political contributions policy is available through the “Corporate Governance” section of our website accessible through http://www.L3T.com/investor-relations/corporate-governance.

EXECUTIVES AND CERTAIN OTHER OFFICERS OF THE COMPANY  

Set forth below is certain information regarding each of our current executives, other than Mr. Strianese who is presented under “Proposals Requiring Your Vote – Proposal 1 – Election of Directors – Nominees For Election to the Board of Directors in 2017,” and certain of our other officers.

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF MANAGEMENT  

As of March 10, 2017, there were 77,805,809 shares of our Common Stock outstanding. The following table shows the amount of Common Stock beneficially owned (unless otherwise indicated) by our named executive officers, our directors, and by all of our current executive officers and directors as a group.

Except as otherwise indicated, all information listed below is as of March 10, 2017.

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS  

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis describes L3’s executive compensation program related to the year ended December 31, 2016 (our 2016 fiscal year). This section details the compensation framework applied by the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors (the “Committee”) in determining the pay levels and programs available to our named executive officers for whom compensation is disclosed in the compensation tables included in the Tabular Executive Compensation Disclosure section of this proxy statement beginning on page 62 . Our named executive officers for the 2016 fiscal year are:

On January 25, 2017, L3 announced that Messrs. Brunson and Kantor will be retiring from the Company in the second quarter of 2017. In advance of their retirement, Messrs. Brunson and Kantor transitioned from their above roles effective March 1, 2017.

COMPANY BACKGROUND, 2016 OPERATING ENVIRONMENT AND 2016 PERFORMANCE ACHIEVEMENTS

Company Background . L3 is a prime contractor in Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems, aircraft sustainment (including modifications, logistics and maintenance), simulation and training, night vision and image intensification equipment, and security and detection systems. L3 is also a leading provider of a broad range of communication, electronic and sensor systems used on military and commercial platforms. Approximately 73% of our consolidated net sales for 2016 were made to the U.S. Government (the “USG”), including 70% to the Department of Defense (the “DoD”). Accordingly, our sales, results of operations and cash flows are correlated to DoD budget and spending levels. The remaining 27% of our sales were made to international and commercial customers. Additionally, most of our businesses are short-cycle in nature, with programs or contracts that have performance periods of a year or less, and, consequently, changes in business trends can rapidly affect our sales volume, results of operations and cash flows.

2016 Operating Environment . For the year ended December 31, 2016, conditions began to improve in our USG/DoD business, which is our primary end market, but constraints and challenges remained. Our performance in 2016 was influenced by the following factors:

2016 Performance Achievements . L3 delivered strong financial performance for 2016, highlighted by the items described below.

includes certain non-cash goodwill impairment charges and a loss on business divestitures that are described more fully in “– Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures to GAAP Measures” on page 59 . Excluding these items, our EPS from continuing operations grew by 19% to $8.21 for 2016, as compared to $6.91 for 2015.

COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY, 2016 TARGET PAY AND 2016 INCENTIVE PLAN PAYOUTS

Compensation Philosophy . Our compensation philosophy supports a pay-for-performance culture. We target base salaries and annual and long-term incentive opportunities to approximate market median compensation levels, subject to adjustments based on experience, performance, the other individual factors as described in “– Use of Market Data and Competitive Compensation Positioning” beginning on page 45 and as otherwise appropriate. The majority of each executive’s target pay is in the form of incentive compensation, which is subject to future performance to have any realized value. See the information in “– Mix of Pay” on page 44 .

2016 Target Pay . The table below details each named executive officer’s 2016 base salary, target annual incentive opportunity (“target bonus”) and grant date target value of long-term incentive awards (collectively, “target pay”), and changes in target pay relative to 2015 levels.

For 2016, our Chief Executive Officer’s base salary, target bonus and grant date target value of long-term incentive awards were held constant at 2015 levels. The Committee made no increases to the target pay of our other named executive officers except for ordinary course increases in base salary (prorated, in the case of Mr. Kubasik, to reflect his hire date) and a 5% increase in the target value of Mr. D’Ambrosio’s long-term incentive awards intended to bring his pay closer to market median. Following these pay adjustments, the target pay for each of our named executive officers in 2016 was within a range that approximates 80% to 120% of market median. For a further discussion, see “– Use of Market Data and Competitive Compensation Positioning” beginning on page 45 .

2016 Incentive Plan Payouts . Payouts under our annual incentive plan and our long-term incentive plan performance awards are subject to the achievement of pre-established targets.

With respect to our annual incentive plan, our overall 2016 corporate performance was above plan targets, which are based on consolidated EPS and FCF, and performance at our Electronic Systems segment also exceeded plan targets, which are based on segment operating income and FCF. Accordingly, calculated payouts under our annual incentive plan were above target for both our corporate named executive officers (Messrs. Strianese, Kubasik, D’Ambrosio and Brunson) and for our group named executive officer (Mr. Kantor) who served as the president of our Electronic Systems segment during 2016. For a further discussion, see “– Elements of 2016 Target Pay – Annual Incentives” beginning on page 47 .

Despite the Company’s strong operational and stock price performance in 2016, our three-year performance under the long-term incentive awards that vested on December 31, 2016 was below the minimum performance requirements for these awards, which are based on cumulative EPS and relative TSR. Accordingly, our named executive officers did not receive any payouts under these awards. For a further discussion, see “– Payment of Performance Awards for the 2014-2016 Award Cycle” on page 56 .

2016 SHAREHOLDER ADVISORY VOTE ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION (“SAY-ON-PAY”)

At our 2016 annual shareholders meeting, more than 95% of the votes cast on our Say-On-Pay proposal were voted in favor of the compensation paid to our named executive officers for 2015. We believe that this strong level of shareholder support demonstrates, among other things, the effectiveness of the significant changes made to our compensation program over the past several years in response to shareholder feedback. The Committee considers the outcome of Say-On-Pay votes and other shareholder input in making decisions regarding the executive compensation program.

SOUND PAY PRACTICES

The Committee has adopted a broad range of program changes in response to shareholder feedback that began in connection with our first Say-On-Pay vote in 2011. As a result of these changes and other actions taken by the Committee, the Committee believes L3’s executive compensation program reinforces its pay-for-performance culture and includes corporate governance practices that are considered by investors to reflect market “best practices.” The table below highlights key features of our executive compensation program.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The table below outlines the principal elements of our executive compensation program. Detailed descriptions of each element of compensation and discussion of how the Committee determined compensation levels for 2016 can be found in the section “– Elements of 2016 Target Pay” beginning on page 46 .

DETERMINING EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Role of the Compensation Committee . L3’s executive compensation program is administered by the Committee. The Committee is ultimately responsible for the review and approval of compensation for L3’s Chief Executive Officer and all other executive officers, including the other named executive officers. Key areas of responsibility for the Committee are described in “The Board of Directors and Certain Governance Matters — Committees of the Board of Directors” beginning on page 27 .

Role of Management and the Chief Executive Officer . The Company’s human resources, finance and legal departments assist the Committee in the design and development of competitive compensation programs by providing data and analyses to the Committee and FW Cook, the Committee’s independent compensation consultant, in order to ensure that L3’s programs and incentives align with and support the Company’s business strategy. Management also recommends incentive plan metrics, performance targets and other plan objectives to be achieved, based on expected Company performance and subject to Committee approval.

On an annual basis, the Chief Executive Officer reviews the performance of the other executive officers relative to their individual goals and Company performance and submits recommendations to the Committee for proposed base salary adjustments, target bonuses and personal ratings, and grant date target values for long-term incentive awards. In connection with reviewing the performance of, and making compensation recommendations with respect to, group presidents (all of whom directly report to the Chief Operating Officer), the Chief Executive Officer also takes into account the recommendations of the Chief Operating Officer. The Chief Executive Officer further provides the Committee with an annual assessment of his own performance, but otherwise has no role in determining his own compensation. Except as described above, no other executive officer participates in the setting of compensation for himself or any other executive officer.

Role of Compensation Consultant . The Committee has the sole authority to select, retain, terminate and approve the fees payable to outside consultants to provide it with advice on various aspects of executive compensation design and delivery. The Committee has retained FW Cook to advise the Committee on executive and non-employee director compensation generally. For a detailed description of FW Cook’s activities for the Committee, see “The Board of Directors and Certain Governance Matters — Compensation Committee Use of Consultants” on page 31 .

MIX OF PAY

The Committee believes that L3’s pay mix strongly supports the Company’s pay-for-performance culture. In 2016, 68% of the Chief Executive Officer’s 2016 target pay was “at risk” and subject to future performance to have any realized value.

Base salary and restricted stock units (“RSUs”) are the only elements of 2016 target pay that are not contingent on future performance to have value (“fixed” pay). However, they both serve to attract and retain top executive talent, and the use of these pay elements is consistent with competitive market practices. As illustrated below, the mix of incentive compensation for our named executive officers is balanced to avoid the risk of emphasizing short-term gains at the expense of long-term performance. The emphasis on long-term incentives demonstrates our strong commitment to the alignment of management and shareholder interests over time.

USE OF MARKET DATA AND COMPETITIVE COMPENSATION POSITIONING

Use of Market Data . The Committee believes that the success of our Company is dependent upon its ability to continue to attract and retain high-performing executives. To ensure the comparability of our executive compensation practices and pay levels, the Committee has historically monitored executive pay at leading defense, aerospace and other industrial companies (the “compensation peer group”) with whom L3 competes for business, executive talent or investor capital. The table below shows the composition of our peer group used to benchmark target pay in 2016, which is identical to the peer group used to benchmark target pay in 2015.

The Committee evaluates each peer company on an annual basis to determine its continued suitability from a pay benchmarking perspective. The selection criteria examined include:

In June 2016, the Committee conducted its annual review of the suitability of the peer group companies, taking into account L3’s projected revenues from continuing operations following the sale of its National Security Solutions business in February 2016. As part of its annual review, the Committee also considered a number of business transactions that occurred during the past year with respect to the 2016 peer group companies. Among other things, Danaher completed its acquisition of Pall Corporation and split itself into two publicly traded companies. In consideration of these changes, the Committee determined to remove Danaher from the 2017 peer group, and to add Ingersoll-Rand, Spirit AeroSystems and TransDigm Group to the 2017 peer group. Ingersoll-Rand is an industrial machinery company that shares many business characteristics and is similar in size to L3. Spirit AeroSystems and TransDigm Group are both aerospace and defense companies that, while smaller in size than L3, compete with L3 for business, investor capital or executive talent. The table below shows the revised peer group that the Committee has determined to use to benchmark executive officer target pay levels for fiscal 2017.

In reviewing competitive compensation levels, it is the Committee’s practice to consider compensation peer group data for all named executive officers and, for named executive officers who are group presidents (for 2016, Mr. Kantor), to also consider general industry compensation data included in third-party surveys because it believes that including a broader industry group more accurately reflects the labor market for group presidents and ensures a meaningful sample size given the revenue of the

groups they lead. With respect to compensation decisions made by the Committee for Mr. Kantor in 2016, the Committee considered competitive compensation levels based on the average of the compensation peer group data and survey data from the Willis Towers Watson Executive Compensation Database General Industry survey. The survey data was size-adjusted by FW Cook to reflect the annual revenue of Mr. Kantor’s group (Electronic Systems), and was used to provide a supplemental market reference.

Competitive Market Positioning . The Committee’s practice is to make pay decisions regarding the elements of compensation that compose each named executive officer’s target pay (base salary, target bonus and grant date target value of long-term incentives) in February of each fiscal year. As part of its decision-making process, the Committee compares each named executive officer’s target pay for the fiscal year against the market median; however, the Committee does not use market data in isolation in determining pay. Instead, competitive market data serves as one of many considerations used by the Committee in determining base salary adjustments and target pay opportunities for both annual and long-term incentives. The primary factors considered by the Committee in making its annual pay determinations is shown below.

For 2016, the target pay for each of our named executive officers was within a range that approximates 80% to 120% of market median.

ELEMENTS OF 2016 TARGET PAY

Base Salary

Base salary serves as the foundation of an executive’s compensation and is an important component in L3’s ability to attract and retain executive talent. On an individual basis, the Committee considers each executive’s role and responsibilities, experience, tenure, business results and individual performance, competitive market pay levels, and internal pay equity considerations in making base salary adjustments. In 2016, the Committee did not increase the Chief Executive Officer’s base salary. The Committee approved base salary increases of 0.8% to 2.0% for the other named executive officers to maintain competitive positioning as compared to market levels. In the case of Mr. Kubasik, his base salary increase was prorated to reflect his hire date in October 2015. All base salary increases for 2016 were approved by the Committee on February 16, 2016 and made effective as of April 1, 2016.

Note: Amounts reflect annualized base salary rates in effect at the end of the fiscal years indicated.

Annual Incentives

The annual incentive plan provides senior executives with the opportunity to earn annual cash incentive awards based on corporate, group and individual performance relative to pre-established internal targets.

The Committee established the 2016 corporate and group financial targets under the annual incentive plan, as well as individual performance goals and weightings, in February 2016. The corporate financial targets were based on management’s most recent consolidated internal financial plan presented to L3’s Board of Directors (the “2016 Plan”), which formed the basis for L3’s financial guidance for 2016 EPS and FCF disclosed to investors in January 2016. The individual group financial targets were based on internal group financial plans that were consistent with the 2016 Plan.

Based on L3’s actual 2016 financial performance relative to plan and the Committee’s assessment of the named executive officers’ individual performance for 2016, the Committee approved 2016 annual incentive payouts for the named executive officers as detailed in the steps below.

STEP 1. Determine target bonus at beginning of fiscal year

Annual incentive plan (“AIP”) target bonuses are set as a percent of base salary in connection with the determination of target pay for each named executive officer. The 2016 target bonus for each of the named executive officers was held constant, as a percentage of their respective base salaries, from 2015 levels (or in the case of Mr. Kubasik, from the level established for him at the time he was hired by L3 in October 2015).

STEP 2. Determine the financial rating based on performance for the fiscal year

Financial ratings are based on a weighted-average assessment of L3’s consolidated performance (or, for group presidents, both L3’s and their respective group’s performance) relative to pre-established targets for key financial measures.

For corporate named executive officers, our annual incentive plan is focused on L3’s consolidated EPS and FCF performance (with FCF calculated as net cash from operating activities, less capital expenditures, net of dispositions) because we believe that these metrics constitute two of the most important financial measures that create shareholder value. For 2016, our consolidated EPS and FCF plan targets, and the measurement of our actual consolidated EPS and FCF performance, were based solely on continuing operations (that is, on a basis that excludes the results of our National Securities Solutions business that was sold in February 2016).

For group presidents, our plan emphasizes the respective group’s OI and FCF performance because we consider those to be important financial measures that group presidents can directly influence in order to increase L3’s consolidated EPS and FCF. Our plan also takes into account L3’s consolidated EPS and FCF results in evaluating group presidents’ financial ratings in order to provide a degree of alignment for group presidents with L3’s overall performance.

The table below provides the relative weightings of these performance measures that are utilized in evaluating each named executive officer’s financial rating. We believe that the weightings appropriately reflect the importance of these measures to our overall financial success.