Teledyne FLIR (FLIR) 10-Q 7 Nov 14 2014 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information Document and Entity Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Oct. 31, 2014
Document and Entity [Abstract]	'	'
Entity Registrant Name	'FLIR SYSTEMS INC	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0000354908	'
Trading Symbol	'FLIR	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--12-31	'
Entity Filer Category	'Large Accelerated Filer	'
Document Type	'10-Q	'
Document Period End Date	30-Sep-14	'
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2014	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'Q3	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	140,892,298

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_INC

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Income Statement [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Revenue	$375,366	$358,141	$1,096,288	$1,096,053
Cost of goods sold	190,980	185,251	560,652	549,134
Gross profit	184,386	172,890	535,636	546,919
Operating expenses:	'	'	'	'
Research and development	34,022	32,986	106,655	109,271
Selling, general and administrative	76,295	76,365	241,737	234,706
Restructuring expenses	4,060	0	15,420	0
Total operating expenses	114,377	109,351	363,812	343,977
Earnings from operations	70,009	63,539	171,824	202,942
Interest expense	3,663	3,696	11,000	10,361
Interest income	-398	-256	-934	-721
Other (income) expense, net	-3,719	53	-4,987	-536
Earnings before income taxes	70,463	60,046	166,745	193,838
Income tax provision	17,606	13,560	39,236	45,558
Net earnings	$52,857	$46,486	$127,509	$148,280
Earnings per share:	'	'	'	'
Basic	$0.37	$0.33	$0.90	$1.04
Diluted	$0.37	$0.32	$0.89	$1.02
Weighted average shares outstanding:	'	'	'	'
Basic	141,433	141,863	141,315	142,849
Diluted	143,413	144,231	143,756	144,831

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_COM

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Net earnings	$52,857	$46,486	$127,509	$148,280
Other comprehensive (loss) earnings, net of tax:	'	'	'	'
Pension Plans	163	0	163	0
Cash flow hedges	359	-408	-362	1,119
Foreign currency translation adjustments	-48,994	22,587	-57,800	5,560
Total other comprehensive loss	-48,472	22,179	-57,999	6,679
Comprehensive income	$4,385	$68,665	$69,510	$154,959

CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE_SHEETS

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	$565,373	$542,476
Accounts receivable, net	298,559	286,573
Inventories	343,300	344,719
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	89,789	97,574
Deferred income taxes, net	38,154	38,389
Total current assets	1,335,175	1,309,731
Property and equipment, net	237,837	234,041
Deferred income taxes, net	18,666	17,883
Goodwill	560,488	575,701
Intangible assets, net	138,991	154,195
Other assets	63,135	51,808
Total assets	2,354,292	2,343,359
Current liabilities:	'	'
Accounts payable	90,500	85,730
Deferred revenue	25,831	28,844
Accrued payroll and related liabilities	62,959	62,069
Accrued product warranties	12,881	14,665
Advance payments from customers	34,952	25,414
Accrued expenses	38,903	39,316
Accrued income taxes	2,527	663
Other current liabilities	4,273	4,814
Current portion, long term debt	15,000	15,000
Total current liabilities	287,826	276,515
Long-term debt	361,622	372,528
Deferred income taxes	14,001	12,255
Accrued income taxes	19,742	19,996
Other long-term liabilities	49,367	48,685
Commitments and contingencies	'	'
Shareholders’ equity:	'	'
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 10,000 shares authorized, no shares issued at September 30, 2014, and December 31, 2013	0	0
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 500,000 shares authorized, 140,865 and 140,782 shares issued at September 30, 2014, and December 31, 2013, respectively, and additional paid-in capital	24,209	42,955
Retained earnings	1,629,524	1,544,425
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) earnings	-31,999	26,000
Total shareholders’ equity	1,621,734	1,613,380
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$2,354,292	$2,343,359

CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE_SHEETS_CO

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]	'	'
Preferred Stock, Par Value	$0.01	$0.01
Preferred Stock, Shares Authorized	10,000	10,000
Preferred Stock, Shares Issued	0	0
Common Stock, Par Value	$0.01	$0.01
Common Stock, Shares Authorized	500,000	500,000
Common Stock, Shares, Issued	140,865	140,782

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_CAS

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES:	'	'
Net earnings	$127,509	$148,280
Income items not affecting cash:	'	'
Depreciation and amortization	44,278	44,978
Deferred income taxes	971	-38
Stock-based compensation arrangements	24,006	20,673
Gain on sale of certain optics assets	-4,129	0
Other non-cash items	3,241	1,485
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:	'	'
(Increase) decrease in accounts receivable	-17,422	52,856
(Increase) decrease in inventories	-7,196	6,481
Decrease (increase) in prepaid expenses and other current assets	10,248	-2,142
Increase in other assets	-26,609	-4,911
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable	6,362	-374
(Decrease) increase in deferred revenue	-2,194	808
Increase (decrease) in accrued payroll and other current liabilities	5,795	-9,865
Decrease in accrued income taxes	-2,571	-12,347
Increase in other long-term liabilities	1,111	3,907
Cash provided by operating activities	163,400	249,791
CASH USED BY INVESTING ACTIVITIES:	'	'
Additions to property and equipment, net	-40,928	-36,997
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	20,073
Proceeds from sale of certain optics assets	-12,000	0
Cash used by investing activities	-28,928	-57,070
CASH USED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES:	'	'
Proceeds from long-term debt, including current portion	0	150,000
Repayments of long term debt, net	-11,250	-7,500
Repurchase of common stock	-76,624	-133,049
Dividends paid	-42,410	-38,695
Proceeds from shares issued pursuant to stock-based compensation plans	34,168	5,953
Excess tax benefit of stock options exercised	7,705	928
Other financing activities	-36	-1,273
Cash used by financing activities	-88,447	-23,636
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	-23,128	1,375
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	22,897	170,460
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	542,476	321,739
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$565,373	$492,199

Basis_of_Presenation

Basis of Presenation	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]	'
Basis of Presentation	'
	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying consolidated financial statements of FLIR Systems, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries (the “Company”) are unaudited and have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. In the opinion of management, these statements have been prepared on the same basis as the audited consolidated financial statements and include all adjustments, consisting of only normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations for the interim periods. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013.
	The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The results of operations for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the operating results to be expected for any subsequent interim period or for the year ending December 31, 2014.

Stockbased_Compensation

Stock-based Compensation	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Share-based Compensation [Abstract]	'
Stock-based Compensation	'
	Stock-based Compensation
	Stock-based compensation expense recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Income are as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended							Nine Months Ended September 30,
		September 30,
		2014			2013				2014			2013
	Cost of goods sold	$	679		$	672			$	1,974		$	1,902
	Research and development	1,371			1,388				3,951			3,675
	Selling, general and administrative	4,752			5,288				15,486			15,096
	Restructuring expenses	—			—				2,595			—
	Stock-based compensation expense	$	6,802		$	7,348			$	24,006		$	20,673
	Stock-based compensation costs capitalized in inventory are as follows (in thousands):
		September 30,
		2014			2013
	Capitalized in inventory	$	665		$	789
	As of September 30, 2014, the Company had $41.9 million of total unrecognized stock-based compensation costs, net of estimated forfeitures, to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.9 years.
	Note 2.	Stock-based Compensation - (Continued)
	The fair value of the stock-based awards granted in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 was estimated with the following weighted-average assumptions:
		Three Months Ended					Nine Months Ended September 30,
		September 30,
		2014		2013			2014			2013
	Stock option awards:
	Risk-free interest rate	—		0.6	%		0.9	%		0.3	%
	Expected dividend yield	—		1.1	%		1.2	%		1.5	%
	Expected term	—		4.5 years			4.3 years			4.3 years
	Expected volatility	—		31.4	%		28.7	%		33.7	%
	Employee stock purchase plan:
	Risk-free interest rate	—		—			0.5	%		0.1	%
	Expected dividend yield	—		—			1.2	%		1.5	%
	Expected term	—		—			6 months			6 months
	Expected volatility	—		—			28.2	%		25	%
	The weighted average fair value of stock-based compensation awards granted and vested and the intrinsic value of options exercised during the period were (in thousands, except per share amounts):
		Three Months Ended							Nine Months Ended September 30,
		September 30,
		2014			2013				2014			2013
	Stock Option Awards:
	Weighted average grant date fair value per share	$	—		$	7.65			$	7.32		$	5.92
	Total fair value of awards granted	$	—		$	278			$	4,446		$	6,095
	Total fair value of awards vested	$	—		$	33			$	4,662		$	5,059
	Total intrinsic value of options exercised	$	4,884		$	1,910			$	26,217		$	3,748
	Restricted Stock Unit Awards:
	Weighted average grant date fair value per share	$	—		$	31.3			$	32.85		$	23.91
	Total fair value of awards granted	$	—		$	2,427			$	21,830		$	28,063
	Total fair value of awards vested	$	287		$	222			$	28,049		$	13,541
	Employee Stock Purchase Plan:
	Weighted average grant date fair value per share	$	—		$	—			$	7.87		$	5.25
	Total fair value of shares estimated to be issued	$	—		$	—			$	591		$	552
	The total amount of cash received from the exercise of stock options in the three months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 was $5.2 million and $2.0 million, respectively, and the related tax impact realized from the exercise of the stock options was a benefit of $1.5 million and $0.4 million, respectively. The total amount of cash received from the exercise of stock options in the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 was $33.3 million and $3.7 million, respectively, and the related tax impact realized from the exercise of the stock options was a benefit of $8.5 million and $0.3 million, respectively.
	Note 2.	Stock-based Compensation - (Continued)
	Information with respect to stock option activity is as follows:
		Shares		Weighted				Weighted		Aggregate
		(in  thousands)		Average				Average		Intrinsic
				Exercise				Remaining		Value
				Price				Contractual		(in thousands)
								Term
	Outstanding at December 31, 2013	7,338		$	22.38			4.6
	Granted	608		33.86
	Exercised	(1,735	)	19.19
	Forfeited	(83	)	29.95
	Outstanding at September 30, 2014	6,128		$	24.32			4.7		$	47,251
	Exercisable at September 30, 2014	4,949		$	23.36			3.8		$	42,453
	Vested and expected to vest at September 30, 2014	6,069		$	24.28			4.7		$	47,011
	Information with respect to restricted stock unit activity is as follows:
		Shares		Weighted
(in  thousands)		Average
		Grant Date
		Fair Value
Outstanding at December 31, 2013	2,788		$	21.16
Granted	665		32.85
Vested and distributed	(815	)	34.36
Forfeited	(162	)	22.56
Outstanding at September 30, 2014	2,476		$	26.49
During the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, the Company granted approximately 665,000 and 1,167,000 time-vested restricted stock units, respectively. The fair value of time-vested restricted stock units is fixed and determined on the date of grant based upon the Company's stock price on the date of grant. The weighted average fair values per share of the time-vested restricted stock units granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 were $32.85 and $23.96, respectively.
During the nine months ended September 30, 2013, the Company also granted approximately 7,000 market-based restricted stock units. These units may be earned based upon the Company's total shareholder return compared to the total shareholder return of the S&P 500 Index over a three year period. The fair value per share of the market-based restricted stock units granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2013 was $15.87. There were no market-based restricted stock units granted during the three or nine months ended September 30, 2014.
There were 85,000 shares issued under the 2011 Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("ESPP") during the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 3,545,000 shares remain available under the ESPP at September 30, 2014 for future issuance. Shares issued for ESPP purchases are newly issued shares.

Net_Earnings_Per_Share

Net Earnings Per Share	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Net Earnings Per Share	'
	Net Earnings Per Share
	The following table sets forth the reconciliation of the numerator and denominator utilized in the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended September 30,
		September 30,
		2014		2013		2014		2013
	Numerator for earnings per share:
	Net earnings for basic and diluted earnings per share	$	52,857	$	46,486	$	127,509	$	148,280
	Denominator for earnings per share:
	Weighted average number of common shares outstanding	141,433		141,863		141,315		142,849
	Assumed exercises of stock options and vesting of restricted stock awards, net of shares assumed reacquired under the treasury stock method	1,980		2,368		2,441		1,982
	Weighted average diluted shares outstanding	143,413		144,231		143,756		144,831
	The effect of stock-based compensation awards for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, which aggregated 142,000 and 85,000 shares, respectively, and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, which aggregated 136,000 and 478,000 shares, respectively, have been excluded for purposes of calculating diluted earnings per share since their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive.

Fair_Value_of_Financial_Instru

Fair Value of Financial Instruments	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	'
	Fair Value of Financial Instruments
	The Company had $30.3 million and $28.5 million of cash equivalents at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively, which were primarily investments in money market funds. The Company has categorized its cash equivalents as a Level 1 financial asset, measured at fair value based on quoted prices in active markets of identical assets. The fair values of the Company’s foreign currency forward contracts and interest rate swap contracts as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 are disclosed in Note 5, "Derivative Financial Instruments," of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements below and are based on Level 2 inputs. The fair value of the Company’s senior unsecured notes as described in Note 13, "Long-Term Debt," of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements is approximately $261.3 million based upon Level 2 inputs at September 30, 2014. The fair value of the Company's term loan, also described in Note 13, approximates the carrying value due to the variable market rate used to calculate interest payments. The Company does not have any other significant financial assets or liabilities that are measured at fair value.

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen

Derivative Financial Instruments	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Text Block]	'
	Derivative Financial Instruments
	Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Contracts
	In general, the gains and losses related to the Company's foreign currency exchange rate contracts recorded in other (income) expense are offset by the reciprocal gains and losses from the underlying assets or liabilities which originally gave rise to the exposure. The net gains and losses from these contracts for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 were a loss of $2.8 million and a loss of $5.7 million, respectively. The net gains and losses from these contracts for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 were a gain of $1.4 million and a loss of $2.1 million, respectively.
	The following table provides volume information about the Company's foreign currency exchange rate contracts. The table below presents the net notional amounts of the Company's outstanding foreign currency forward contracts in United States dollar equivalent amounts (in thousands):
		September 30,			December 31,
		2014			2013
	Swedish kronor	$	85,965		$	99,214
	Canadian dollar	15,270			2,914
	British pound sterling	11,892			5,641
	Australian dollar	4,258			5,986
	Japanese yen	2,867			4,462
	Euro	313			265
	Other	4,741			3,448
		$	125,306		$	121,930
	At September 30, 2014, the Company’s foreign currency forward contracts, in general, had maturities of six months or less.
	The carrying amount of the foreign currency forward contracts included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets are as follows (in thousands):
		September 30, 2014						December 31, 2013
		Other current assets			Other current liabilities			Other current assets			Other current liabilities
	Foreign currency forward contracts	$	128		$	1,853		$	392		$	613
	Interest Rate Swap Contracts
	At September 30, 2014, the effective interest rate on the Company's term loan was 2.49 percent. As of September 30, 2014, the following interest rate swaps were outstanding:
	Contract Date		Notional Amount			Fixed Rate		Effective Date		Maturity Date
			(in millions)
	15-Mar-13		$	63.8		1.02	%	5-Apr-13		31-Mar-19
	March 29, 2013		$	63.8		0.97	%	5-Apr-13		31-Mar-19
	The net fair value carrying amount of the Company's interest rate swaps was $1.9 million, of which $2.8 million and $0.9 million have been recorded to other assets and other current liabilities, respectively, in the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of September 30, 2014.

Accounts_Receivable

Accounts Receivable	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable, Gross, Allowance, and Net [Abstract]	'
Accounts Receivable	'
	Accounts Receivable
	Accounts receivable are net of an allowance for doubtful accounts of $8.4 million at September 30, 2014 and $7.7 million at December 31, 2013.

Inventories

Inventories	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Inventories	'
	Inventories
	Inventories consist of the following (in thousands):
		September 30,		December 31,
		2014		2013
	Raw material and subassemblies	$	186,778	$	204,542
	Work-in-progress	53,973		45,060
	Finished goods	102,549		95,117
		$	343,300	$	344,719

Property_and_Equipment

Property and Equipment	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]	'
Property and Equipment	'
	Property and Equipment
	Property and equipment are net of accumulated depreciation of $246.5 million and $235.3 million at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively. Property and equipment, net, as of September 30, 2014, includes land and a building valued at approximately $3.8 million that are held for sale.

Goodwill

Goodwill	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Disclosure - Goodwill - Additional Information [Abstract]	'
Goodwill	'
	Goodwill
	In February 2014, the Company announced a realignment of its business which resulted in the elimination of its division structure and the formation of six reportable operating segments effective as of January 1, 2014. This reorganization required the Company to reassign its reported goodwill as of January 1, 2014 to its new reporting units based on the relative fair value of the respective business units at that time.
	During the third quarter of 2014, the Company completed its annual review of goodwill and determined there had been no impairment on its recorded goodwill. The carrying value of goodwill by operating segment and the activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 are as follows (in thousands):
		Surveillance			Instruments			OEM and Emerging Markets			Maritime			Security			Detection			Total
	Balance, January 1, 2014	$	108,693		$	163,995		$	92,166		$	114,419		$	48,199		$	48,229		$	575,701
	Currency translation adjustments	(852		)	(6,107		)	(3,389		)	(2,091		)	(1,795		)	(24		)	(14,258		)
	Other activity	—			—			(955		)	—			—			—			(955		)
	Balance, September 30, 2014	$	107,841		$	157,888		$	87,822		$	112,328		$	46,404		$	48,205		$	560,488
	Other activity in the OEM and Emerging Markets segment is a reduction in goodwill that was related to the Company's August 2014 sale of certain tangible assets and intellectual property related to the design and manufacturing of non-thermal micro-optics.

Intangible_Assets

Intangible Assets	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill) [Abstract]	'
Intangible Assets	'
	Intangible Assets
	Intangible assets are net of accumulated amortization of $96.9 million and $81.7 million at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively.

Credit_Agreements

Credit Agreements	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]	'
Credit Agreements	'
	Credit Agreement
	At September 30, 2014, the Company had no borrowings outstanding under its revolving credit facility pursuant to the Credit Agreement, dated February 8, 2011, with Bank of America, N.A., U.S. Bank National Association, JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. and other lenders, as amended on April 5, 2013, and had $38.1 million of letters of credit outstanding, which reduced the total available credit under the revolving credit facility to $161.9 million.

Accrued_Product_Warranties

Accrued Product Warranties	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Product Warranties Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Accrued Product Warranties	'
	Accrued Product Warranties
	The following table summarizes the Company’s warranty liability and activity (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended September 30,
		September 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
	Accrued product warranties, beginning of period	$	15,989		$	16,791		$	17,732		$	16,152
	Amounts paid for warranty services	(2,368		)	(1,128		)	(7,131		)	(5,273		)
	Warranty provisions for products sold	2,254			768			5,546			5,309
	Currency translation adjustments and other	(343		)	160			(615		)	403
	Accrued product warranties, end of period	$	15,532		$	16,591		$	15,532		$	16,591
	Current accrued product warranties, end of period							$	12,881		$	13,464
	Long-term accrued product warranties, end of period							$	2,651		$	3,127

LongTerm_Debt

Long-Term Debt	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Long-Term Debt	'
	Long-Term Debt
	Long-term debt consists of the following (in thousands):
		September 30,			December 31,
		2014			2013
	Unsecured notes	$	250,000		$	250,000
	Term loan	127,500			138,750
	Unamortized discounts and issuance costs of unsecured notes	(878		)	(1,222		)
		$	376,622		$	387,528
	Current portion, long-term debt	$	15,000		$	15,000
	Long-term debt	$	361,622		$	372,528
	In August 2011, the Company issued $250 million aggregate principal amount of its 3.75 percent senior unsecured notes due September 1, 2016 (the “Notes”). The net proceeds from the issuance of the Notes were approximately $247.7 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses, which are being amortized over a period of five years. Interest on the Notes is payable semiannually in arrears on March 1 and September 1. The proceeds from the Notes are being used for general corporate purposes, which may include working capital and capital expenditure needs, business acquisitions and repurchases of the Company’s common stock.
	The Credit Agreement discussed in Note 11, "Credit Agreement," of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements above, incorporates a $150 million term loan facility that matures on April 5, 2019. On April 5, 2013 the Company drew down $150 million under the term loan facility. Interest is accrued at the one-month LIBOR rate plus the scheduled spread and paid monthly. Quarterly principal payments of $3.75 million commenced on June 30, 2013 and will continue through December 31, 2018 with the final maturity payment including any accrued interest due on April 5, 2019. See Note 5, "Derivative Financial Instruments - Interest Rate Swap Contracts," for additional information on the effective interest rate on the term loan at September 30, 2014.

Shareholders_Equity

Shareholders' Equity	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]	'
Shareholders' Equity	'
	Shareholders’ Equity
	The following table summarizes the common stock and additional paid-in capital activity during the nine months ended September 30, 2014 (in thousands):
	Common stock and additional paid-in capital, December 31, 2013	$	42,955
	Income tax benefit of common stock options exercised	8,477
	Common stock issued pursuant to stock-based compensation plans, net	25,464
	Stock-based compensation expense	23,937
	Repurchase of common stock	(76,624		)
	Common stock and additional paid-in capital, September 30, 2014	$	24,209
	During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company repurchased approximately 2,264,000 shares of the Company's common stock through open market transactions. The repurchases were under the February 2013 authorization by the Company’s Board of Directors pursuant to which the Company is authorized to repurchase up to 25.0 million shares of the Company’s outstanding common stock. This authorization expires in February 2015.
	On February 9, 2011, the Company’s Board of Directors adopted a dividend policy under which the Company intends to pay quarterly cash dividends on its common stock. Accordingly, a dividend of $0.10 per share of outstanding common stock was paid on September 5, 2014 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on August 19, 2014. The total cash payments for dividends in the nine months ended September 30, 2014 was $42.4 million.

Contingencies

Contingencies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Loss Contingency [Abstract]	'
Contingencies	'
	Contingencies
	FLIR Systems, Inc. and its subsidiary, Indigo Systems Corporation (now known as FLIR Commercial Systems, Inc.) (together, the “FLIR Parties”), were named in a lawsuit filed by Raytheon Company (“Raytheon”) on March 2, 2007 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Raytheon's complaint, as amended, asserted claims for tortious interference, patent infringement, trade secret misappropriation, unfair competition, breach of contract and fraudulent concealment. The FLIR Parties filed an answer to the complaint on September 2, 2008, in which they denied all material allegations. On October 27, 2010, the FLIR Parties and Raytheon entered into a settlement agreement that resolved the patent infringement claims (the "Patent Claims") pursuant to which the FLIR Parties paid $3 million to Raytheon and entitles the FLIR Parties to certain license rights in the patents that were the subject of the Patent Claims. On October 28, 2014, a trial began with respect to Raytheon's remaining claims of misappropriations of trade secrets and claims related to 31 alleged trade secrets. At the time of the filing of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, such trial remains ongoing. The FLIR Parties dispute the claims and continue to vigorously defend themselves in this matter. Although the Company is unable to estimate the amount or range of potential loss, if any, which might result if the outcome of the trial is unfavorable, an adverse ruling against the FLIR Parties could be material.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Income Taxes	'
	Income Taxes
	As of September 30, 2014, the Company had approximately $24.6 million of unrecognized tax benefits, all of which would affect the Company’s effective tax rate if recognized. The Company believes that it is reasonably possible that the unrecognized tax benefits that may be recognized within 12 months as the result of settlements or effective settlements with various tax authorities, the closure of certain audits or the lapse of the applicable statute of limitations will range from approximately $3.0 million to $10.0 million.
	The Company classifies interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as income tax expense. As of September 30, 2014, the Company had approximately $2.5 million of net accrued interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions.
	Note 16.	Income Taxes - (Continued)
	The Company currently has the following tax years open to examination by major taxing jurisdictions:
		Tax Years:
	US Federal	2012 – 2013
	State of Oregon	2012 – 2013
	State of Massachusetts	2011 – 2013
	State of California	2008 – 2013
	Sweden	2008 – 2013
	United Kingdom	2008 – 2013
	Belgium	2011 - 2013

Operating_Segments_and_Related

Operating Segments and Related Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Operating Segments and Related Information	'
	Operating Segments and Related Information
	Operating Segments
	In February 2014, the Company announced a realignment of its business which resulted in the elimination of its division structure and the formation of six reportable operating segments effective as of January 1, 2014. Those operating segments are as follows:
	Surveillance
	The Surveillance segment develops and manufactures enhanced imaging and recognition solutions for a wide variety of military, law enforcement, public safety, and other government customers around the world for the protection of borders, troops, and public welfare. Offerings include airborne, land, maritime, and man-portable multi-spectrum imaging systems, radars, lasers, imaging components, integrated multi-sensor system platforms, and services related to these systems.
	Instruments
	The Instruments segment develops and manufactures devices that image, measure, and assess thermal energy, gases, and other environmental elements for industrial, commercial, and scientific applications. Products include thermal imaging cameras, gas detection cameras, firefighting cameras, process automation cameras, and environmental test and measurement devices.
	OEM and Emerging Markets
	The OEM and Emerging Markets segment develops and manufactures thermal imaging camera cores and components that are utilized by third parties to create thermal and other types of imaging systems. The segment also develops and manufactures intelligent traffic systems and hand-held and weapon-mounted thermal imaging systems for use by consumers and law enforcement.
	Maritime
	The Maritime segment develops and manufactures electronics and imaging instruments for the recreational and commercial maritime market. The segment provides a full suite of networked electronic systems including multi-function helm displays, navigational instruments, autopilots, radars, sonar systems, thermal and visible imaging systems, and communications equipment for boats of all sizes.
	Security
	The Security segment develops and manufactures cameras and video recording systems for use in commercial, critical infrastructure, and home security applications. Products include thermal and visible-spectrum cameras, digital and networked video recorders, and related software and accessories that enable the efficient and effective safeguarding of assets at all hours of the day and through adverse weather conditions.
	Detection
	The Detection segment develops and manufactures sensor instruments and integrated platform solutions for the detection, identification, and suppression of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives threats for military force protection, homeland security, and commercial applications.
	Note 17.        Operating Segments and Related Information - (Continued)
	Operating Segments - (Continued)
	Operating segment information is as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended September 30,
		September 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
					(as reclassified)						(as reclassified)
	Revenue – External Customers:
	Surveillance	$	119,126		$	126,591		$	342,105		$	392,439
	Instruments	82,561			77,199			250,583			236,011
	OEM and Emerging Markets	56,105			54,782			168,895			153,700
	Maritime	44,728			41,297			152,533			146,437
	Security	48,648			35,409			122,692			99,331
	Detection	24,198			22,863			59,480			68,135
		$	375,366		$	358,141		$	1,096,288		$	1,096,053
	Revenue – Intersegments:
	Surveillance	$	2,659		$	1,942		$	6,642		$	5,119
	Instruments	74			2,119			548			4,342
	OEM and Emerging Markets	4,721			6,762			15,277			19,601
	Maritime	804			—			2,308			—
	Security	2,971			—			7,361			—
	Detection	4			6			64			1,730
	Elimination	(11,233		)	(10,829		)	(32,200		)	(30,792		)
		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—
	Earnings (loss) from operations:
	Surveillance	$	30,070		$	29,836		$	69,366		$	97,810
	Instruments	23,191			20,433			64,678			63,378
	OEM and Emerging Markets	16,121			16,814			45,445			43,453
	Maritime	4,614			2,966			23,159			20,447
	Security	6,988			4,460			14,560			12,097
	Detection	4,167			4,102			5,519			10,547
	Other	(15,142		)	(15,072		)	(50,903		)	(44,790		)
		$	70,009		$	63,539		$	171,824		$	202,942
		September 30,			December 31,
		2014			2013
					(as reclassified)
	Segment assets (accounts receivable, net and inventories):
	Surveillance	$	279,925		$	282,037
	Instruments	109,180			117,336
	OEM and Emerging Markets	83,828			88,317
	Maritime	64,854			68,915
	Security	55,501			45,053
	Detection	48,571			29,634
		$	641,859		$	631,292
	Note 17.        Operating Segments and Related Information - (Continued)
	Operating Segments - (Continued)
	Revenue and Long-Lived Assets by Geographic Area
	Information related to revenue by significant geographical location, determined by the end customer, is as follows (in thousands):
	Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	September 30,
	2014			2013			2014			2013
United States	$	192,049		$	191,261		$	544,895		$	576,278
Europe	81,438			81,748			262,282			260,474
Other international	101,879			85,132			289,111			259,301
	$	375,366		$	358,141		$	1,096,288		$	1,096,053
Long-lived assets by significant geographic locations are as follows (in thousands):
	September 30,			December 31,
	2014			2013
United States	$	616,777		$	600,261
Europe	330,776			359,444
Other international	52,898			56,040
	$	1,000,451		$	1,015,745
Major Customers
Revenue derived from major customers is as follows (in thousands):
	Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	September 30,
	2014			2013			2014			2013
US Government	$	77,496		$	89,866		$	227,715		$	282,470

Restructuring_Costs_Notes

Restructuring Costs (Notes)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]	'
Restructuring and Related Activities Disclosure [Text Block]	'
	Restructuring Costs
	In 2013, the Company initiated a realignment plan that includes closing six sites in the United States and Europe and transferring those operations to the Company's larger facilities. The Company is also consolidating its optics and laser manufacturing businesses to better realize the benefits of vertical integration in these areas. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company recorded net pre-tax restructuring expenses totaling $4.1 million and $16.0 million, respectively. There were no restructuring expenses recorded during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013. The Company recorded the restructuring expenses in the segments as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended			Nine Months Ended September 30,
		September 30,
		2014			2014
	Surveillance	$	358		$	5,082
	Instruments	3,674			9,868
	OEM and Emerging Markets	—			278
	Maritime	28			(97		)
	Security	—			—
	Detection	—			759
	Other	—			120
		$	4,060		$	16,010
	Restructuring expenses were recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Income as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended			Nine Months Ended September 30,
		September 30,
		2014			2014
	Cost of goods sold	$	—		$	590
	Restructuring expenses	4,060			15,420
		$	4,060		$	16,010
	The following table summarizes the activity by cost type (in thousands):
		Severance and personnel costs			Inventory			Facilities Exit, Lease Terminations & Other			Total
					write downs
	Balance, December 31, 2013	$	18,191		$	—		$	3,670		$	21,861
	Additional costs	4,750			590			3,063			8,403
	Utilization	(6,340		)	(590		)	(5,744		)	(12,674		)
	Balance, March 31, 2014	$	16,601		$	—		$	989		$	17,590
	Additional costs	3,423			—			124			3,547
	Utilization	(5,437		)	—			(267		)	(5,704		)
	Balance, June 30, 2014	$	14,587		$	—		$	846		$	15,433
	Additional costs	3,711			—			349			4,060
	Utilization	(3,708		)	—			(495		)	(4,203		)
	Balance, September 30, 2014	$	14,590		$	—		$	700		$	15,290

Subsequent_Events

Subsequent Events	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Subsequent Events [Abstract]	'
Subsequent Events	'
	Subsequent Events
	On October 23, 2014, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.10 per share on its common stock, payable on December 5, 2014, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 18, 2014. The total cash payment of this dividend will be approximately $14.1 million.

Basis_of_Presenation_Basis_of_

Basis of Presenation Basis of Presentation (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]	'
Principles of consolidation	'
	The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

Stockbased_Compensation_Stockb

Stock-based Compensation Stock-based Compensation (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Share-based Compensation [Abstract]	'
Stock-based compensation expense recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Income and capitalized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets	'
	Stock-based compensation expense recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Income are as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended September 30,
		September 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
	Cost of goods sold	$	679		$	672		$	1,974		$	1,902
	Research and development	1,371			1,388			3,951			3,675
	Selling, general and administrative	4,752			5,288			15,486			15,096
	Restructuring expenses	—			—			2,595			—
	Stock-based compensation expense	$	6,802		$	7,348		$	24,006		$	20,673
	Stock-based compensation costs capitalized in inventory are as follows (in thousands):
		September 30,
		2014			2013
	Capitalized in inventory	$	665		$	789
Weighted-average fair value of stock-based compensation awards granted and vested, and the intrinsic value of options exercised	'
	The weighted average fair value of stock-based compensation awards granted and vested and the intrinsic value of options exercised during the period were (in thousands, except per share amounts):
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended September 30,
		September 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
	Stock Option Awards:
	Weighted average grant date fair value per share	$	—		$	7.65		$	7.32		$	5.92
	Total fair value of awards granted	$	—		$	278		$	4,446		$	6,095
	Total fair value of awards vested	$	—		$	33		$	4,662		$	5,059
	Total intrinsic value of options exercised	$	4,884		$	1,910		$	26,217		$	3,748
	Restricted Stock Unit Awards:
	Weighted average grant date fair value per share	$	—		$	31.3		$	32.85		$	23.91
	Total fair value of awards granted	$	—		$	2,427		$	21,830		$	28,063
	Total fair value of awards vested	$	287		$	222		$	28,049		$	13,541
	Employee Stock Purchase Plan:
	Weighted average grant date fair value per share	$	—		$	—		$	7.87		$	5.25
	Total fair value of shares estimated to be issued	$	—		$	—		$	591		$	552
Information with respect to stock option activity	'
	Information with respect to stock option activity is as follows:
		Shares		Weighted			Weighted		Aggregate
		(in  thousands)		Average			Average		Intrinsic
				Exercise			Remaining		Value
				Price			Contractual		(in thousands)
							Term
	Outstanding at December 31, 2013	7,338		$	22.38		4.6
	Granted	608		33.86
	Exercised	(1,735	)	19.19
	Forfeited	(83	)	29.95
	Outstanding at September 30, 2014	6,128		$	24.32		4.7		$	47,251
	Exercisable at September 30, 2014	4,949		$	23.36		3.8		$	42,453
	Vested and expected to vest at September 30, 2014	6,069		$	24.28		4.7		$	47,011
Information with respect to restricted stock unit activity	'
	Information with respect to restricted stock unit activity is as follows:
		Shares		Weighted
		(in  thousands)		Average
				Grant Date
				Fair Value
	Outstanding at December 31, 2013	2,788		$	21.16
	Granted	665		32.85
	Vested and distributed	(815	)	34.36
	Forfeited	(162	)	22.56
	Outstanding at September 30, 2014	2,476		$	26.49

Net_Earnings_Per_Share_Net_Ear

Net Earnings Per Share Net Earnings Per Share (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Reconciliation of the numerator and denominator utilized in the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share	'
	The following table sets forth the reconciliation of the numerator and denominator utilized in the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended September 30,
		September 30,
		2014		2013		2014		2013
	Numerator for earnings per share:
	Net earnings for basic and diluted earnings per share	$	52,857	$	46,486	$	127,509	$	148,280
	Denominator for earnings per share:
	Weighted average number of common shares outstanding	141,433		141,863		141,315		142,849
	Assumed exercises of stock options and vesting of restricted stock awards, net of shares assumed reacquired under the treasury stock method	1,980		2,368		2,441		1,982
	Weighted average diluted shares outstanding	143,413		144,231		143,756		144,831

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen1

Derivative Financial Instruments Derivative Financial Instruments (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Notional amounts of outstanding foreign currency forward contracts by currency	'
	in United States dollar equivalent amounts (in thousands):
		September 30,			December 31,
		2014			2013
	Swedish kronor	$	85,965		$	99,214
	Canadian dollar	15,270			2,914
	British pound sterling	11,892			5,641
	Australian dollar	4,258			5,986
	Japanese yen	2,867			4,462
	Euro	313			265
	Other	4,741			3,448
		$	125,306		$	121,930
Fair value carrying amount of derivative instruments included in consolidated balance sheets	'
	The carrying amount of the foreign currency forward contracts included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets are as follows (in thousands):
		September 30, 2014						December 31, 2013
		Other current assets			Other current liabilities			Other current assets			Other current liabilities
	Foreign currency forward contracts	$	128		$	1,853		$	392		$	613
Interest rate swaps outstanding	'
	As of September 30, 2014, the following interest rate swaps were outstanding:
	Contract Date		Notional Amount			Fixed Rate		Effective Date		Maturity Date
			(in millions)
	15-Mar-13		$	63.8		1.02	%	5-Apr-13		31-Mar-19
	March 29, 2013		$	63.8		0.97	%	5-Apr-13		31-Mar-19

Inventories_Inventories_Tables

Inventories Inventories (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Inventories	'
	Inventories consist of the following (in thousands):
		September 30,		December 31,
		2014		2013
	Raw material and subassemblies	$	186,778	$	204,542
	Work-in-progress	53,973		45,060
	Finished goods	102,549		95,117
		$	343,300	$	344,719

Goodwill_Goodwill_Tables

Goodwill Goodwill (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Disclosure - Goodwill - Additional Information [Abstract]	'
Carrying value of goodwill by reporting segment and the activity	'
	The carrying value of goodwill by operating segment and the activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 are as follows (in thousands):
		Surveillance			Instruments			OEM and Emerging Markets			Maritime			Security			Detection			Total
	Balance, January 1, 2014	$	108,693		$	163,995		$	92,166		$	114,419		$	48,199		$	48,229		$	575,701
	Currency translation adjustments	(852		)	(6,107		)	(3,389		)	(2,091		)	(1,795		)	(24		)	(14,258		)
	Other activity	—			—			(955		)	—			—			—			(955		)
	Balance, September 30, 2014	$	107,841		$	157,888		$	87,822		$	112,328		$	46,404		$	48,205		$	560,488

Accrued_Product_Warranties_Acc

Accrued Product Warranties Accrued Product Warrenties (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Product Warranties Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Summay of warranty liability and activity	'
	The following table summarizes the Company’s warranty liability and activity (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended September 30,
		September 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
	Accrued product warranties, beginning of period	$	15,989		$	16,791		$	17,732		$	16,152
	Amounts paid for warranty services	(2,368		)	(1,128		)	(7,131		)	(5,273		)
	Warranty provisions for products sold	2,254			768			5,546			5,309
	Currency translation adjustments and other	(343		)	160			(615		)	403
	Accrued product warranties, end of period	$	15,532		$	16,591		$	15,532		$	16,591
	Current accrued product warranties, end of period							$	12,881		$	13,464
	Long-term accrued product warranties, end of period							$	2,651		$	3,127

LongTerm_Debt_LongTerm_Debt_Ta

Long-Term Debt Long-Term Debt (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Long-Term Debt	'
	Long-term debt consists of the following (in thousands):
		September 30,			December 31,
		2014			2013
	Unsecured notes	$	250,000		$	250,000
	Term loan	127,500			138,750
	Unamortized discounts and issuance costs of unsecured notes	(878		)	(1,222		)
		$	376,622		$	387,528
	Current portion, long-term debt	$	15,000		$	15,000
	Long-term debt	$	361,622		$	372,528

Shareholders_Equity_Shareholde

Shareholders' Equity Shareholders' Equity (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]	'
Common stock and additional paid-in capital activity	'
	The following table summarizes the common stock and additional paid-in capital activity during the nine months ended September 30, 2014 (in thousands):
	Common stock and additional paid-in capital, December 31, 2013	$	42,955
	Income tax benefit of common stock options exercised	8,477
	Common stock issued pursuant to stock-based compensation plans, net	25,464
	Stock-based compensation expense	23,937
	Repurchase of common stock	(76,624		)
	Common stock and additional paid-in capital, September 30, 2014	$	24,209

Income_Taxes_Income_Taxes_Tabl

Income Taxes Income Taxes (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Tax years open to examination by major taxing jurisdictions	'
	The Company currently has the following tax years open to examination by major taxing jurisdictions:
		Tax Years:
	US Federal	2012 – 2013
	State of Oregon	2012 – 2013
	State of Massachusetts	2011 – 2013
	State of California	2008 – 2013
	Sweden	2008 – 2013
	United Kingdom	2008 – 2013
	Belgium	2011 - 2013

Operating_Segments_and_Related1

Operating Segments and Related Information Operating Segments and Related Information (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Operating Segment Information	'
	Operating segment information is as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended September 30,
		September 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
					(as reclassified)						(as reclassified)
	Revenue – External Customers:
	Surveillance	$	119,126		$	126,591		$	342,105		$	392,439
	Instruments	82,561			77,199			250,583			236,011
	OEM and Emerging Markets	56,105			54,782			168,895			153,700
	Maritime	44,728			41,297			152,533			146,437
	Security	48,648			35,409			122,692			99,331
	Detection	24,198			22,863			59,480			68,135
		$	375,366		$	358,141		$	1,096,288		$	1,096,053
	Revenue – Intersegments:
	Surveillance	$	2,659		$	1,942		$	6,642		$	5,119
	Instruments	74			2,119			548			4,342
	OEM and Emerging Markets	4,721			6,762			15,277			19,601
	Maritime	804			—			2,308			—
	Security	2,971			—			7,361			—
	Detection	4			6			64			1,730
	Elimination	(11,233		)	(10,829		)	(32,200		)	(30,792		)
		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—
	Earnings (loss) from operations:
	Surveillance	$	30,070		$	29,836		$	69,366		$	97,810
	Instruments	23,191			20,433			64,678			63,378
	OEM and Emerging Markets	16,121			16,814			45,445			43,453
	Maritime	4,614			2,966			23,159			20,447
	Security	6,988			4,460			14,560			12,097
	Detection	4,167			4,102			5,519			10,547
	Other	(15,142		)	(15,072		)	(50,903		)	(44,790		)
		$	70,009		$	63,539		$	171,824		$	202,942
Segment Assets	'
		September 30,			December 31,
		2014			2013
					(as reclassified)
	Segment assets (accounts receivable, net and inventories):
	Surveillance	$	279,925		$	282,037
	Instruments	109,180			117,336
	OEM and Emerging Markets	83,828			88,317
	Maritime	64,854			68,915
	Security	55,501			45,053
	Detection	48,571			29,634
		$	641,859		$	631,292
By Significant Geographical Area	'
	Information related to revenue by significant geographical location, determined by the end customer, is as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended September 30,
		September 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
	United States	$	192,049		$	191,261		$	544,895		$	576,278
	Europe	81,438			81,748			262,282			260,474
	Other international	101,879			85,132			289,111			259,301
		$	375,366		$	358,141		$	1,096,288		$	1,096,053
	Long-lived assets by significant geographic locations are as follows (in thousands):
		September 30,			December 31,
		2014			2013
	United States	$	616,777		$	600,261
	Europe	330,776			359,444
	Other international	52,898			56,040
		$	1,000,451		$	1,015,745
Revenue Derived from Major Customers	'
	Revenue derived from major customers is as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended September 30,
		September 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
	US Government	$	77,496		$	89,866		$	227,715		$	282,470

Restructuring_Costs_Tables

Restructuring Costs (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]	'
Restructuring and Related Costs [Table Text Block]	'
		Three Months Ended			Nine Months Ended September 30,
		September 30,
		2014			2014
	Surveillance	$	358		$	5,082
	Instruments	3,674			9,868
	OEM and Emerging Markets	—			278
	Maritime	28			(97		)
	Security	—			—
	Detection	—			759
	Other	—			120
		$	4,060		$	16,010
	Restructuring expenses were recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Income as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended			Nine Months Ended September 30,
		September 30,
		2014			2014
	Cost of goods sold	$	—		$	590
	Restructuring expenses	4,060			15,420
		$	4,060		$	16,010
	The following table summarizes the activity by cost type (in thousands):
		Severance and personnel costs			Inventory			Facilities Exit, Lease Terminations & Other			Total
					write downs
	Balance, December 31, 2013	$	18,191		$	—		$	3,670		$	21,861
	Additional costs	4,750			590			3,063			8,403
	Utilization	(6,340		)	(590		)	(5,744		)	(12,674		)
	Balance, March 31, 2014	$	16,601		$	—		$	989		$	17,590
	Additional costs	3,423			—			124			3,547
	Utilization	(5,437		)	—			(267		)	(5,704		)
	Balance, June 30, 2014	$	14,587		$	—		$	846		$	15,433
	Additional costs	3,711			—			349			4,060
	Utilization	(3,708		)	—			(495		)	(4,203		)
	Balance, September 30, 2014	$	14,590		$	—		$	700		$	15,290

Stockbased_Compensation_Stockb1

Stock-based Compensation Stock-based Compensation (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense	$6,802	$7,348	$24,006	$20,673
Cost of goods sold	'	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense	679	672	1,974	1,902
Research and development	'	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense	1,371	1,388	3,951	3,675
Selling, general and administrative	'	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense	4,752	5,288	15,486	15,096
Restructuring Charges	'	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense	$0	$0	$2,595	$0

Stockbased_Compensation_Stockb2

Stock-based Compensation Stock-based Compensation (Details 2) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Share-based Compensation, Allocation and Classification in Financial Statements [Abstract]	'	'
Capitalized in inventory	$665	$789

Stockbased_Compensation_Stockb3

Stock-based Compensation Stock-based Compensation (Details 3)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Expected term	'	'	'	'
Stock Option Awards	'	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Risk-free interest rate	0.00%	0.60%	0.90%	0.30%
Expected dividend yield	0.00%	1.10%	1.20%	1.50%
Expected term	'	'4 years 6 months 0 days	'4 years 3 months 3 days	'4 years 4 months 2 days
Expected volatility	0.00%	31.40%	28.70%	33.70%
Market-based restricted stock unit	'	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Risk-free interest rate	'	'	'	0.30%
Expected dividend yield	'	'	'	0.00%
Employee Stock	'	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Risk-free interest rate	0.00%	0.00%	0.50%	0.10%
Expected dividend yield	0.00%	0.00%	1.20%	1.50%
Expected term	'	'	'6 months 0 days	'6 months 0 days
Expected volatility	0.00%	0.00%	28.20%	25.00%
FLIR | Market-based restricted stock unit	'	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Expected volatility	'	'	'	28.80%
S&P 500 | Market-based restricted stock unit	'	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Expected volatility	'	'	'	18.10%

Stockbased_Compensation_Stockb4

Stock-based Compensation Stock-based Compensation (Details 4) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Stock Option Awards	'	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Weighted average grant date fair value per share	$0	$7.65	$7.32	$5.92
Total fair value awards granted	$0	$278	$4,446	$6,095
Total fair value of awards vested	0	33	4,662	5,059
Total intrinsic value of options exercised	4,884	1,910	26,217	3,748
Restricted Stock Unit Awards	'	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Weighted average grant date fair value per share	$0	$31.30	$32.85	$23.91
Total fair value of awards granted	0	2,427	21,830	28,063
Total fair value of awards vested	287	222	28,049	13,541
Employee Stock	'	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Weighted average grant date fair value per share	$0	$0	$7.87	$5.25
Total fair value of shares expected to be issued	$0	$0	$591	$552

Stockbased_Compensation_Stockb5

Stock-based Compensation Stock-based Compensation (Details 5) (USD $)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term (in years)	'	'
Outstanding, beginning of period (in years)	'4 years 8 months 12 days	'4 years 7 months 6 days
Outstanding, end of period (in years)	'4 years 8 months 12 days	'4 years 7 months 6 days
Exercisable, end of period (in years)	'3 years 9 months 18 days	'
Vested and expected to vest, end of period (in years)	'4 years 8 months 12 days	'
Stock Option Awards	'	'
Shares	'	'
Outstanding, beginning of period (in shares)	7,338	'
Granted (in shares)	608	'
Exercised (in shares)	-1,735	'
Forfeited (in shares)	-83	'
Outstanding, end of period (in shares)	6,128	'
Exercisable, end of period (in shares)	4,949	'
Vested and expected to vest, end of period (in shares)	6,069	'
Weighted Average Exercise Price	'	'
Outstanding, beginning of period (in dollars per share)	22.38	'
Granted (in dollars per share)	33.86	'
Exercised (in dollars per share)	19.19	'
Forfeited (in dollars per share)	29.95	'
Outstanding, end of period (in dollars per share)	24.32	'
Exercisable, end of period (in dollars per share)	23.36	'
Vested and expected to vest, end of period (in dollars per share)	24.28	'
Aggregate Intrinsic Value	'	'
Outstanding, end of period	47,251	'
Exercisable, end of period	42,453	'
Vested and expected to vest, end of period	47,011	'

Stockbased_Compensation_Stockb6

Stock-based Compensation Stock-based Compensation (Details 6) (Restricted Stock Unit Awards, USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Restricted Stock Unit Awards	'	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'
Outstanding, beginning of period (in shares)	'	'	2,788,000	'
Granted (in shares)	'	'	665,000	'
Vested and distributed (in shares)	'	'	-815,000	'
Forfeited (in shares)	'	'	-162,000	'
Outstanding, end of period (in shares)	2,476,000	'	2,476,000	'
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value	'	'	'	'
Outstanding, beginning of period (in dollars per share)	'	'	$21.16	'
Granted (in dollars per share)	$0	$31.30	$32.85	$23.91
Vested and distributed (in dollars per share)	'	'	$34.36	'
Forfeited (in dollars per share)	'	'	$22.56	'
Outstanding, end of period (in dollars per share)	$26.49	'	$26.49	'

Stockbased_Compensation_Stockb7

Stock-based Compensation Stock-based Compensation (Details textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Share-based Compensation [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Unrecognized stock-based compensation costs, net of estimated forfeitures	$41.90	'	$41.90	'
Weighted average period of unrecognized stock-based compensation costs, net of estimated forfeitures	'1 year 10 months 24 days	'	'	'
Cash received from the exercise of stock options	5.2	2	33.3	3.7
Related tax benefit realized from the exercise of the stock options	$1.50	$0.40	$8.50	$0.30
Time-vested restricted stock unit [Member]	'	'	'	'
Statement [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Restricted stock units granted	'	'	665,000	1,167,000
Weighted average grant date fair value per share	'	'	$32.85	$23.96
Market-based restricted stock unit	'	'	'	'
Statement [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Restricted stock units granted	'	'	'	7,000
Weighted average grant date fair value per share	'	'	'	$15.87
Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member]	'	'	'	'
Statement [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Number of common stock shares issued	'	'	85,000	'
Employee Stock	'	'	'	'
Statement [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Weighted average grant date fair value per share	$0	$0	$7.87	$5.25
Shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under all of the stock incentive plans	3,545,000	'	3,545,000	'

Net_Earnings_Per_Share_Net_Ear1

Net Earnings Per Share Net Earnings Per Share (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Numerator for earnings per share:	'	'	'	'
Net earnings for basic and diluted earnings per share	$52,857	$46,486	$127,509	$148,280
Denominator for earnings per share:	'	'	'	'
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding	141,433	141,863	141,315	142,849
Assumed exercises of stock options and vesting of restricted stock awards, net of shares assumed reacquired under the treasury stock method	1,980	2,368	2,441	1,982
Weighted average diluted shares outstanding	143,413	144,231	143,756	144,831

Net_Earnings_Per_Share_Net_Ear2

Net Earnings Per Share Net Earnings Per Share (Details textual)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Effect of stock-based compensation awards, shares excluded for purposes of diluted earnings per share	142,000	85,000	136,000	478,000

Fair_Value_of_Financial_Instru1

Fair Value of Financial Instruments Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Level 1	'	'
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Cash equivalents	$30.30	$28.50
Three Point Seven Five Percent Senior Unsecured Notes Due September First, Twenty Sixteen [Member] | Level 2	'	'
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of long-term debt	$261.30	'

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen2

Derivative Financial Instruments Derivative Financial Instruments (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Derivative, Notional Amount	$125,306	$121,930
Swedish kronor	'	'
Derivative, Notional Amount	85,965	99,214
British pound sterling	'	'
Derivative, Notional Amount	11,892	5,641
Australian dollar	'	'
Derivative, Notional Amount	4,258	5,986
Japanese yen	'	'
Derivative, Notional Amount	2,867	4,462
Euro	'	'
Derivative, Notional Amount	313	265
Canada, Dollars	'	'
Derivative, Notional Amount	15,270	2,914
Other	'	'
Derivative, Notional Amount	$4,741	$3,448

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen3

Derivative Financial Instruments Derivative Financial Instruments (Details 2) (Level 2, Foreign currency forward contracts, Not Designated as Hedging Instrument, USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Other current assets	'	'
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]	'	'
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	$128	$392
Other current liabilities	'	'
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]	'	'
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	$1,853	$613

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen4

Derivative Financial Instruments Derivative Financial Instruments (Details 3) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified			Interest Rate Swap [Member]	Interest Rate Swap [Member]
			March 15, 2013 Interest rate swap [Member]	March 29, 2013 Interest rate swap [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Contract date	'	'	15-Mar-13	29-Mar-13
Derivative, Notional Amount	$125,306	$121,930	$63,800	$63,800
Fixed rate	'	'	1.02%	0.97%
Effective date	'	'	5-Apr-13	5-Apr-13
Maturity date	'	'	31-Mar-19	31-Mar-19

Derivative_Financial_Instrumen5

Derivative Financial Instruments Derivative Financial Instruments (Details textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Derivative [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Net gain (loss)	($2,800,000)	$1,400,000	($5,700,000)	($2,100,000)
Maturities of foreign currency forward contracts	'	'	'6 months 0 days	'
Level 2 | Interest Rate Swap [Member]	'	'	'	'
Derivative [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Net	1,900,000	'	1,900,000	'
Level 2 | Interest Rate Swap [Member] | Other current assets	'	'	'	'
Derivative [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	2,800,000	'	2,800,000	'
Level 2 | Interest Rate Swap [Member] | Other current liabilities	'	'	'	'
Derivative [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Liability	$900,000	'	$900,000	'
Term loan facility [Member]	'	'	'	'
Derivative [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Effective interest rate	2.49%	'	2.49%	'

Accounts_Receivable_Accounts_R

Accounts Receivable Accounts Receivable (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable, Gross, Allowance, and Net [Abstract]	'	'
Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable	$8.40	$7.70

Inventories_Inventories_Detail

Inventories Inventories (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'
Raw material and subassemblies	$186,778	$204,542
Work-in-progress	53,973	45,060
Finished goods	102,549	95,117
Total inventories	$343,300	$344,719

Property_and_Equipment_Propert

Property and Equipment Property and Equipment (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]	'	'
Accumulated depreciation	$246.50	$235.30
Assets Held-for-sale, Property, Plant and Equipment	$3.80	'

Goodwill_Goodwill_Details

Goodwill Goodwill (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014
Goodwill [Roll Forward]	'
Goodwill, beginning of period	$575,701
Currency translation adjustments	-14,258
Goodwill, end of period	560,488
Goodwill, Written off Related to Sale of Business Unit	-955
Instruments	'
Goodwill [Roll Forward]	'
Goodwill, beginning of period	163,995
Currency translation adjustments	-6,107
Goodwill, end of period	107,841
Goodwill, Written off Related to Sale of Business Unit	0
OEM & Emerging Markets	'
Goodwill [Roll Forward]	'
Goodwill, beginning of period	92,166
Currency translation adjustments	-3,389
Goodwill, end of period	87,822
Goodwill, Written off Related to Sale of Business Unit	-955
Security	'
Goodwill [Roll Forward]	'
Goodwill, beginning of period	48,199
Currency translation adjustments	-1,795
Goodwill, end of period	46,404
Goodwill, Written off Related to Sale of Business Unit	0
Maritime	'
Goodwill [Roll Forward]	'
Goodwill, beginning of period	114,419
Currency translation adjustments	-2,091
Goodwill, end of period	112,328
Goodwill, Written off Related to Sale of Business Unit	0
Surveillance	'
Goodwill [Roll Forward]	'
Goodwill, beginning of period	108,693
Currency translation adjustments	-852
Goodwill, Written off Related to Sale of Business Unit	0
Detection	'
Goodwill [Roll Forward]	'
Goodwill, beginning of period	48,229
Currency translation adjustments	-24
Goodwill, end of period	48,205
Goodwill, Written off Related to Sale of Business Unit	$0

Intangible_Assets_Intangible_A

Intangible Assets Intangible Assets (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill) [Abstract]	'	'
Accumulated amortization	$96.90	$81.70

Credit_Agreements_Credit_Agree

Credit Agreements Credit Agreements (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]	'
Letters of credit outstanding	$38.10
Total available credit	$161.90

Accrued_Product_Warranties_Acc1

Accrued Product Warranties Accrued Product Warrenties (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013
Movement in Standard Product Warranty Accrual [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Accrued product warranties, beginning of period	'	'	$17,732	$16,152	$15,989	'	$16,791
Amounts paid for warranty services	-2,368	-1,128	-7,131	-5,273	'	'	'
Warranty provisions for products sold	2,254	768	5,546	5,309	'	'	'
Currency translation adjustments and other	-343	160	-615	403	'	'	'
Accrued product warranties, end of period	15,532	16,591	15,532	16,591	15,989	'	16,791
Current accrued product warranties, end of period	12,881	13,464	12,881	13,464	'	14,665	'
Long-term accrued product warranties, end of period	$2,651	$3,127	$2,651	$3,127	'	'	'

LongTerm_Debt_LongTerm_Debt_De

Long-Term Debt Long-Term Debt (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'
Unsecured notes	$250,000	$250,000
Term loan	127,500	138,750
Unamortized discounts and issuance costs of unsecured notes	-878	-1,222
Long-term Debt	376,622	387,528
Current portion, long term debt	15,000	15,000
Long-term debt	$361,622	$372,528

LongTerm_Debt_Long_Term_Debt_D

Long-Term Debt Long Term Debt (Details textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Aug. 31, 2011	Apr. 30, 2013	Apr. 05, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014
		Three Point Seven Five Percent Senior Unsecured Notes Due September First, Twenty Sixteen [Member]	Term loan facility [Member]	Term loan facility [Member]	Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Debt instrument, face amount	'	$250	'	$150	'
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage	'	3.75%	'	'	'
Debt instrument, maturity date	'	1-Sep-16	5-Apr-19	'	'
Senior unsecured notes, proceeds	'	247.7	'	'	'
Senior unsecured notes, term (in years)	'5 years 0 months 0 days	'	'	'	'
Debt Instrument, Description of Variable Rate Basis	'	'	'Interest is accrued at the one-month LIBOR rate plus the scheduled spread	'	'
Debt instrument, frequency of periodic payment	'	'semiannually	'monthly	'	'
Debt Instrument, Periodic Payment, Principal	'	'	'	'	$3.75
Senior unsecured notes, interest payment dates	'	'March 1 and September 1	'	'	'
Debt Instrument, Date of First Required Payment	'	'	30-Jun-13	'	'

Shareholders_Equity_Shareholde1

Shareholders' Equity Shareholders' Equity (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]	'
Common stock and additional paid-in capital, beginning of period	$42,955
Income tax benefit of common stock options exercised	8,477
Common stock issued pursuant to stock-based compensation plans, net	25,464
Stock-based compensation expense	23,937
Repurchase of common stock	-76,624
Common stock and additional paid-in capital, end of period	$24,209

Shareholders_Equity_Shareholde2

Shareholders' Equity Shareholders' Equity (Details textual) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 05, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Feb. 06, 2013
Stockholders Equity Note [Line Items]	'	'	'
Stock Repurchased During Period, Value	'	$76,624,000	'
Common stock authorized to be repurchased, number of shares (in shares)	'	'	25,000,000
Common stock dividends, paid per share (in dollars per share)	$0.10	'	'
Common Stock and Additional Paid-in Capital	'	'	'
Stockholders Equity Note [Line Items]	'	'	'
Common stock repurchased, shares	'	2,264,000	'
Retained Earnings	'	'	'
Stockholders Equity Note [Line Items]	'	'	'
Common stock dividends, total cash paid	'	$42,400,000	'

Contingencies_Contingencies_De

Contingencies Contingencies (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Oct. 27, 2010
Loss Contingency [Abstract]	'
Litigation settlement payment	$3

Income_Taxes_Income_Taxes_Deta

Income Taxes Income Taxes (Details Textuals) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Unrecognized tax benefits	$24.60
Accrued interest and penalties	$2.50

Income_Taxes_Income_Taxes_Deta1

Income Taxes Income Taxes (Details Parentheticals)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
US Federal | Minimum	'
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]	'
Tax years open to examination by major taxing jurisdictions	'2012
US Federal | Maximum	'
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]	'
Tax years open to examination by major taxing jurisdictions	'2013
State of Massachusetts | Minimum	'
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]	'
Tax years open to examination by major taxing jurisdictions	'2011
State of Massachusetts | Maximum	'
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]	'
Tax years open to examination by major taxing jurisdictions	'2013
State of California | Minimum	'
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]	'
Tax years open to examination by major taxing jurisdictions	'2008
State of California | Maximum	'
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]	'
Tax years open to examination by major taxing jurisdictions	'2013
State of Oregon | Minimum	'
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]	'
Tax years open to examination by major taxing jurisdictions	'2012
State of Oregon | Maximum	'
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]	'
Tax years open to examination by major taxing jurisdictions	'2013
Sweden | Minimum	'
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]	'
Tax years open to examination by major taxing jurisdictions	'2008
Sweden | Maximum	'
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]	'
Tax years open to examination by major taxing jurisdictions	'2013
United Kingdom | Minimum	'
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]	'
Tax years open to examination by major taxing jurisdictions	'2007
United Kingdom | Maximum	'
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]	'
Tax years open to examination by major taxing jurisdictions	'2013
Belgium | Minimum	'
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]	'
Tax years open to examination by major taxing jurisdictions	'2011
Belgium | Maximum	'
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]	'
Tax years open to examination by major taxing jurisdictions	'2013

Operating_Segments_and_Related2

Operating Segments and Related Information Operating Segments and Related Information (Details)	3 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
	segment
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Operating segments	6

Operating_Segments_and_Related3

Operating Segments and Related Information Operating Segments and Related Information (Details 2) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue - External Customers	$375,366	$358,141	$1,096,288	$1,096,053
Intersegment revenue	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from operations	70,009	63,539	171,824	202,942
Surveillance	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue - External Customers	119,126	126,591	342,105	392,439
Intersegment revenue	2,659	1,942	6,642	5,119
Earnings (loss) from operations	30,070	29,836	69,366	97,810
Instruments	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue - External Customers	82,561	77,199	250,583	236,011
Intersegment revenue	74	2,119	548	4,342
Earnings (loss) from operations	23,191	20,433	64,678	63,378
OEM & Emerging Markets	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue - External Customers	56,105	54,782	168,895	153,700
Intersegment revenue	4,721	6,762	15,277	19,601
Earnings (loss) from operations	16,121	16,814	45,445	43,453
Maritime	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue - External Customers	44,728	41,297	152,533	146,437
Intersegment revenue	804	0	2,308	0
Earnings (loss) from operations	4,614	2,966	23,159	20,447
Security	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue - External Customers	48,648	35,409	122,692	99,331
Intersegment revenue	2,971	0	7,361	0
Earnings (loss) from operations	6,988	4,460	14,560	12,097
Detection	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue - External Customers	24,198	22,863	59,480	68,135
Intersegment revenue	4	6	64	1,730
Earnings (loss) from operations	4,167	4,102	5,519	10,547
Other	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Intersegment revenue	-11,233	-10,829	-32,200	-30,792
Earnings (loss) from operations	($15,142)	($15,072)	($50,903)	($44,790)

Operating_Segments_and_Related4

Operating Segments and Related Information Operating Segments and Related Information (Details 3) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'
Segment assets (accounts receivable, net and inventories)	$641,859	$631,292
Surveillance	'	'
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'
Segment assets (accounts receivable, net and inventories)	279,925	282,037
Instruments	'	'
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'
Segment assets (accounts receivable, net and inventories)	109,180	117,336
OEM & Emerging Markets	'	'
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'
Segment assets (accounts receivable, net and inventories)	83,828	88,317
Maritime	'	'
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'
Segment assets (accounts receivable, net and inventories)	64,854	68,915
Security	'	'
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'
Segment assets (accounts receivable, net and inventories)	55,501	45,053
Detection	'	'
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]	'	'
Segment assets (accounts receivable, net and inventories)	$48,571	$29,634

Operating_Segments_and_Related5

Operating Segments and Related Information Operating Segments and Related Information (Details 4) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue	$375,366	$358,141	$1,096,288	$1,096,053
United States	'	'	'	'
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue	192,049	191,261	544,895	576,278
Europe	'	'	'	'
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue	81,438	81,748	262,282	260,474
Other International	'	'	'	'
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue	$101,879	$85,132	$289,111	$259,301

Operating_Segments_and_Related6

Operating Segments and Related Information Operating Segments and Related Information (Details 5) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Long-lived assets	$1,000,451	$1,015,745
United States	'	'
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Long-lived assets	616,777	600,261
Europe	'	'
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Long-lived assets	330,776	359,444
Other International	'	'
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Long-lived assets	$52,898	$56,040

Operating_Segments_and_Related7

Operating Segments and Related Information Operating Segments and Related Information (Details 6) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue	$375,366	$358,141	$1,096,288	$1,096,053
US Government	'	'	'	'
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue	$77,496	$89,866	$227,715	$282,470

Restructuring_Costs_Details

Restructuring Costs (Details) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

In Thousands, unless otherwise specified

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Total COGS and SGA

Total COGS and SGA

Total COGS and SGA

Total COGS and SGA

Surveillance

Surveillance

Instruments

Instruments

OEM & Emerging Markets

OEM & Emerging Markets

Maritime

Maritime

Security

Security

Detection

Detection

Other

Other

Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Restructuring expenses

$4,060

$0

$15,420

$0

$4,060

$3,547

$8,403

$16,010

$358

$5,082

$3,674

$9,868

$0

$278

$28

($97)

$0

$0

$0

$759

$0

$120

Restructuring_Costs_Details_2

Restructuring Costs (Details 2) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

In Thousands, unless otherwise specified

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Cost of Goods Sold

Cost of Goods Sold

Selling, general and administrative

Selling, general and administrative

Total COGS and SGA

Total COGS and SGA

Total COGS and SGA

Total COGS and SGA

Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Restructuring expenses

$4,060

$0

$15,420

$0

$0

$590

$4,060

$15,420

$4,060

$3,547

$8,403

$16,010

Restructuring_Costs_Details_3

Restructuring Costs (Details 3) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014
					Total COGS and SGA	Total COGS and SGA	Total COGS and SGA	Total COGS and SGA	Total COGS and SGA	Total COGS and SGA	Total COGS and SGA	Total COGS and SGA	Total COGS and SGA	Total COGS and SGA	Total COGS and SGA	Total COGS and SGA	Total COGS and SGA
									Employee Severance [Member]	Employee Severance [Member]	Employee Severance [Member]	Asset write-down [Member]	Asset write-down [Member]	Asset write-down [Member]	Facility Exit [Member]	Facility Exit [Member]	Facility Exit [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Restructuring Reserve, beginning balance	'	'	'	'	$15,433	$17,590	$21,861	$21,861	$14,587	$16,601	$18,191	$0	$0	$0	$846	$989	$3,670
Restructuring expenses	4,060	0	15,420	0	4,060	3,547	8,403	16,010	3,711	3,423	4,750	0	0	590	349	124	3,063
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	'	'	'	'	-4,203	-5,704	-12,674	'	-3,708	-5,437	-6,340	0	0	-590	-495	-267	-5,744
Restructuring Reserve, ending balance	'	'	'	'	$15,290	$15,433	$17,590	$15,290	$14,590	$14,587	$16,601	$0	$0	$0	$700	$846	$989

Subsequent_Events_Subsequent_E

Subsequent Events Subsequent Events (Details) (Dividend declared, USD $)	0 Months Ended
In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 05, 2014	Nov. 18, 2014	Oct. 23, 2014	Dec. 05, 2014
Dividend declared	'	'	'	'
Subsequent Event [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Quarterly dividend, date declared	'	'	23-Oct-14	'
Quarterly dividend, value per share (in dollars per share)	'	'	'	$0.10
Quarterly dividend, date to be paid	5-Dec-14	'	'	'
Quarterly dividend, date of record	'	18-Nov-14	'	'
Quarterly dividend, amount declared	'	'	'	$14.10