Item 1A. RISK FACTORS.

We have described many of the trends and other factors that we believe could impact our business and future results in “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of this Report. In addition, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows are subject to, and could be materially adversely affected by, various risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, those set forth below, any one of which could cause our actual results to vary materially from recent results or our anticipated future results.

We depend on U.S. Government customers for a significant portion of our revenue, and the loss of these relationships, a reduction in U.S. Government funding or a change in U.S. Government spending priorities could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We are highly dependent on sales to U.S. Government customers. The percentage of our revenue that was derived from sales to U.S. Government customers, including foreign military sales funded through the U.S. Government, whether directly or through prime contractors, in fiscal 2018, 2017 and 2016 was approximately 75 percent, 74 percent and 77 percent, respectively. Therefore, any significant disruption or deterioration of our relationship with the U.S. Government would significantly reduce our revenue.

Our competitors continuously engage in efforts to expand their business relationships with the U.S. Government and will continue these efforts in the future, and the U.S. Government may choose to use other contractors. We expect that a majority of the business that we seek will be awarded through competitive bidding. The U.S. Government has increasingly relied on certain types of contracts that are subject to multiple competitive bidding processes, including multi-vendor IDIQ, GWAC, General Services Administration Schedule and other multi-award contracts, which has resulted in greater competition and increased pricing pressure. We operate in highly competitive markets. Many of our competitors have greater financial resources than we do and may have more extensive or more specialized engineering, manufacturing and marketing capabilities than we do in some areas. We may not be able to continue to win competitively awarded contracts or to obtain task orders under multi-award contracts. Further, the competitive bidding process involves significant cost and managerial time to prepare bids and proposals for contracts that may not be awarded to us or may be split among competitors, as well as the risk that we may fail to accurately estimate the resources and costs required to fulfill any contract awarded to us. The current competitive environment has resulted in unsuccessful bidders more frequently initiating bid protests. Following any contract award, we may experience significant expense or delay, contract modification or contract rescission as a result of our competitors protesting or challenging contracts awarded to us in competitive bidding.

Our U.S. Government programs must compete with programs managed by other government contractors and with other policy imperatives for consideration for limited resources and for uncertain levels of funding during the budget and appropriations process. Budget and appropriations decisions made by the U.S. Government are outside of our control and have long-term consequences for our business. U.S. Government spending priorities and levels remain uncertain and difficult to predict and are affected by numerous factors, including sequestration (automatic, across-the-board U.S. Government budgetary spending cuts) and potential alternative funding arrangements. A change in U.S. Government spending priorities or an increase in non-procurement spending at the expense of our programs, or a reduction in total U.S. Government spending, could have material adverse consequences on our current or future business. Any inability of the U.S. Government to complete its budget process for any government fiscal year and consequently having to operate on funding levels equivalent to its prior fiscal year pursuant to a “continuing resolution” or shut down, also could have material adverse consequences on our current or future business. For more information regarding sequestration, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Business Considerations — Industry-Wide Opportunities, Challenges and Risks” of this Report.

We depend significantly on U.S. Government contracts, which often are only partially funded, subject to immediate termination, and heavily regulated and audited. The termination or failure to fund, or negative audit findings for, one or more of these contracts could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Over its lifetime, a U.S. Government program may be implemented by the award of many different individual contracts and subcontracts. The funding of U.S. Government programs is subject to Congressional appropriations. Although multi-year contracts may be authorized and appropriated in connection with major procurements, Congress generally appropriates funds on a government fiscal year basis. Procurement funds are typically made available for obligation over the course of one to three years. Consequently, programs often receive only partial funding initially, and additional funds are obligated only as Congress

authorizes further appropriations. The termination of funding for a U.S. Government program would result in a loss of anticipated future revenue attributable to that program, which could have an adverse impact on our operations. In addition, the termination of a program or the failure to commit additional funds to a program that already has been started could result in lost revenue and increase our overall costs of doing business.

Generally, U.S. Government contracts are subject to oversight audits by U.S. Government representatives. Such audits could result in adjustments to our contract costs. Any costs found to be improperly allocated to a specific contract will not be reimbursed, and such costs already reimbursed must be refunded. We have recorded contract revenue based on costs we expect to realize upon final audit. However, we do not know the outcome of any future audits and adjustments, and we may be required to materially reduce our revenue or profits upon completion and final negotiation of audits. Negative audit findings could also result in termination of a contract, forfeiture of profits, suspension of payments, fines and suspension or debarment from U.S. Government contracting or subcontracting for a period of time.

In addition, U.S. Government contracts generally contain provisions permitting termination, in whole or in part, without prior notice at the U.S. Government’s convenience upon payment only for work done and commitments made at the time of termination. We can give no assurance that one or more of our U.S. Government contracts will not be terminated under these circumstances. Also, we can give no assurance that we would be able to procure new contracts to offset the revenue or backlog lost as a result of any termination of our U.S. Government contracts. Because a significant portion of our revenue is dependent on our performance and payment under our U.S. Government contracts, the loss of one or more large contracts could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our government business also is subject to specific procurement regulations and a variety of socioeconomic and other requirements. These requirements, although customary in U.S. Government contracts, increase our performance and compliance costs. These costs might increase in the future, thereby reducing our margins, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Failure to comply with these regulations and requirements could lead to fines, penalties, repayments, or compensatory or treble damages, or suspension or debarment from U.S. Government contracting or subcontracting for a period of time. Among the causes for debarment are violations of various laws, including those related to procurement integrity, export control, U.S. Government security regulations, employment practices, protection of the environment, accuracy of records, proper recording of costs and foreign corruption. The termination of a U.S. Government contract or relationship as a result of any of these acts would have an adverse impact on our operations and could have an adverse effect on our standing and eligibility for future U.S. Government contracts.

We could be negatively impacted by a security breach, through cyber attack, cyber intrusion, insider threats or otherwise, or other significant disruption of our IT networks and related systems or of those we operate for certain of our customers.

We face the risk, as does any company, of a security breach, whether through cyber attack, cyber intrusion or insider threat via the Internet, malware, computer viruses, attachments to e-mails, persons inside our organization or with access to systems inside our organization, or other significant disruption of our IT networks and related systems or those of our suppliers or subcontractors. We face an added risk of a security breach or other significant disruption of the IT networks and related systems that we develop, install, operate and maintain for certain of our customers, which may involve managing and protecting information relating to national security and other sensitive government functions or personally identifiable or protected health information. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyber attack or cyber intrusion, including by computer hackers, foreign governments and cyber terrorists, is persistent and substantial as the volume, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks, intrusions and threats from around the world remain elevated and unlikely to diminish. As an advanced technology-based solutions provider, and particularly as a government contractor, we face a heightened risk of a security breach or disruption from threats to gain unauthorized access to our and our customers’ proprietary or classified information on our IT networks and related systems and to the IT networks and related systems that we operate and maintain for certain of our customers. These types of information and IT networks and related systems are critical to the operation of our business and essential to our ability to perform day-to-day operations, and, in some cases, are critical to the operations of certain of our customers. We make significant efforts to maintain the security and integrity of these types of information and IT networks and related systems and have implemented various measures to manage the risk of a security breach or disruption. Our efforts and measures have not been entirely effective in the case of every cyber security incident, but no incident has had a material negative impact on us to date. Even the most well protected information, networks, systems and facilities remain potentially vulnerable because attempted security breaches, particularly cyber attacks and cyber intrusions, or disruptions will occur in the future, and because the techniques used in such attempts are constantly evolving and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, and in some cases are designed not to be detected and, in fact, may not be detected. In some cases, the resources of foreign governments may be behind such attacks due to the nature of our business and the industries in which we operate. Accordingly, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate security barriers or other preventative measures. Thus, it is impossible for us to entirely mitigate this risk, and there can be no assurance that future cyber security incidents will not have a material negative impact on us. A security breach or other significant disruption involving these types of information and IT networks and related systems could:

•	Disrupt the proper functioning of these networks and systems and, therefore, our operations and/or those of certain of our customers;

•	Result in the unauthorized access to, and destruction, loss, theft, misappropriation or release of, proprietary, confidential, sensitive or otherwise valuable information of ours, our customers or our employees, including trade secrets, which could be used to compete against us or for disruptive, destructive or otherwise harmful purposes and outcomes;

•	Compromise national security and other sensitive government functions;

•	Require significant management attention and resources to remedy the damages that result;

•	Subject us to claims for contract breach, damages, credits, penalties or termination; and

•	Damage our reputation with our customers (particularly agencies of the U.S. Government) and the general public.

Any or all of the foregoing could have a negative impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

The U.S. Government’s budget deficit, the national debt and sequestration, as well as any inability of the U.S. Government to complete its budget process for any government fiscal year and consequently having to operate on funding levels equivalent to its prior fiscal year pursuant to a “continuing resolution” or shut down, could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

The U.S. Government’s budget deficit, the national debt and sequestration could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows in a number of ways, including the following:

•	The U.S. Government could reduce or delay its spending on, or reprioritize its spending away from, the government programs in which we participate;

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The U.S. Government may be unable to complete its budget process for an upcoming government fiscal year prior to the year’s October 1 commencement and consequently would be required either to shut down or be funded pursuant to a “continuing resolution” that authorizes agencies of the U.S. Government to continue operations but does not authorize new spending initiatives, either of which could result in reduced or delayed orders or payments for products and services we provide, which may decrease our revenue, profitability or cash flows or otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations;

•	U.S. Government spending could be impacted by sequestration or alternate arrangements, which increases the uncertainty as to, and the difficulty in predicting, U.S. Government spending priorities and levels; and

•	We may experience declines in revenue, profitability and cash flows as a result of reduced or delayed orders or payments or other factors caused by economic difficulties of our customers and prospective customers, including U.S. Federal, state and local governments.

The level of returns on defined benefit plan assets, changes in interest rates and other factors could affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows in future periods.

A substantial portion of our current and retired employee population is covered by defined benefit pension and other postretirement defined benefit plans (collectively, “defined benefit plans”), as a result of our acquisition of Exelis in fiscal 2015. We may experience significant fluctuations in costs related to defined benefit plans as a result of macro-economic factors, such as interest rates, that are beyond our control. The cost of our defined benefit plans is incurred over long periods of time and involves various factors and uncertainties during those periods that can be volatile and unpredictable, including the rates of return on defined benefit plan assets, discount rates used to calculate liabilities and expenses, mortality of plan participants and trends for future medical costs. We develop our assumptions using relevant plan experience and expectations in conjunction with market-related data. Our financial condition and results of operations could be materially affected by significant changes in key economic indicators, financial market volatility, future legislation and other governmental regulatory actions.

We will make contributions to fund our defined benefit plans when considered necessary or advantageous to do so. The macro-economic factors discussed above, including the rates of return on defined benefit plan assets and the minimum funding requirements established by government funding or taxing authorities, or established by other agreement, may influence future funding requirements. A significant decline in the fair value of our plan assets, or other adverse changes to our overall defined benefit plans, could require us to make significant funding contributions and affect cash flows in future periods.

U.S. Government Cost Accounting Standards (“CAS”) govern the extent to which postretirement costs and plan contributions are allocable to and recoverable under contracts with the U.S. Government. As a result, we expect to continue to seek reimbursement from the U.S. Government for a portion of our postretirement costs and plan contributions.

On December 27, 2011, the U.S. Government’s Cost Accounting Standards Board published a final rule that harmonizes CAS pension cost reimbursement rules with the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (“PPA”) funding requirements. The rule is expected to eventually mitigate the mismatch between CAS costs and PPA-amended Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) minimum funding requirements and result in an acceleration of allowable CAS pension costs as compared

to the prior rules. The final rule applied to Exelis’ contracts starting in 2013, including a five-year phase in. The full phase-in was achieved in 2017. We anticipate that government contractors will be entitled to an equitable adjustment for any additional CAS contract costs resulting from the final rule, although we can give no assurances in this regard.

We enter into fixed-price contracts that could subject us to losses in the event of cost overruns or a significant increase in inflation.

We have a number of fixed-price contracts, which allow us to benefit from cost savings, but subject us to the risk of potential cost overruns, particularly for firm fixed-price contracts because we assume all of the cost burden. If our initial estimates are incorrect, we can lose money on these contracts. U.S. Government contracts can expose us to potentially large losses because the U.S. Government can hold us responsible for completing a project or, in certain circumstances, paying the entire cost of its replacement by another provider regardless of the size or foreseeability of any cost overruns that occur over the life of the contract. Because many of these contracts involve new technologies and applications and can last for years, unforeseen events, such as technological difficulties, fluctuations in the price of raw materials, a significant increase in inflation in the U.S. or other countries, problems with our suppliers and cost overruns, can result in the contractual price becoming less favorable or even unprofitable to us over time. Furthermore, if we do not meet contract deadlines or specifications, we may need to renegotiate contracts on less favorable terms, be forced to pay penalties or liquidated damages or suffer major losses if the customer exercises its right to terminate. In addition, some of our contracts have provisions relating to cost controls and audit rights, and if we fail to meet the terms specified in those contracts, we may not realize their full benefits. Our results of operations are dependent on our ability to maximize our earnings from our contracts. Cost overruns could have an adverse impact on our financial results. The potential impact of such risk on our financial results would increase if the mix of our contracts and programs shifted toward a greater percentage of fixed-price contracts, particularly firm fixed-price contracts.

We use estimates in accounting for many of our programs, and changes in our estimates could adversely affect our future financial results.

Accounting for our contracts requires judgment relative to assessing risks, including risks associated with customer directed delays and reductions in scheduled deliveries, unfavorable resolutions of claims and contractual matters, judgments associated with estimating contract revenue and costs, and assumptions for schedule and technical issues. Due to the size and nature of many of our contracts, the estimation of total revenue and cost at completion is complicated and subject to many variables. For example, we must make assumptions regarding: (i) the length of time to complete the contract because costs also include expected increases in wages and prices for materials; (ii) whether the intent of entering into multiple contracts was effectively to enter into a single project in order to determine whether such contracts should be combined or segmented; (iii) incentives or penalties related to performance on contracts in estimating revenue and profit rates, and record them when there is sufficient information for us to assess anticipated performance; and (iv) estimates of award fees in estimating revenue and profit rates based on actual and anticipated awards. Because of the significance of the judgments and estimation processes involved in accounting for our contracts, materially different amounts could be recorded if we used different assumptions or if the underlying circumstances were to change. Changes in underlying assumptions, circumstances or estimates may adversely affect our future results of operations and financial condition.

We derive a significant portion of our revenue from international operations and are subject to the risks of doing business internationally, including fluctuations in currency exchange rates.

We are dependent on sales to customers outside the U.S. The percentage of our total revenue represented by revenue from products and services exported from the U.S., including foreign military sales, or manufactured or rendered abroad in fiscal 2018, 2017 and 2016 was 21 percent, 22 percent and 20 percent, respectively. Approximately 24 percent of our international business in fiscal 2018 was transacted in local currency. Losses resulting from currency rate fluctuations can adversely affect our results. We expect that international revenue will continue to account for a significant portion of our total revenue. Also, a significant portion of our international revenue is from, and a significant portion of our business activity is being conducted with or in, less-developed countries and sometimes countries with unstable governments, or in areas of military conflict or at military installations. Other risks of doing business internationally include:

•	Currency exchange controls, fluctuations of currency and currency revaluations;

•	The laws, regulations and policies of foreign governments relating to investments and operations, as well as U.S. laws affecting the activities of U.S. companies abroad, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”);

•	Import and export licensing requirements and regulations, as well as unforeseen changes in export controls and other trade regulations;

•	Changes in regulatory requirements, including business or operating license requirements, imposition of tariffs or embargoes;

•	Uncertainties and restrictions concerning the availability of funding, credit or guarantees;

•	Risk of non-payment or delayed payment by foreign governments;

•	Contractual obligations to non-U.S. customers may include specific in-country purchases, investments, manufacturing agreements or financial or other support arrangements or obligations, known as offset obligations, that may extend over several years, may require teaming with local companies and may result in significant penalties if not satisfied;

•	The complexity and necessity of using, and disruptions involving our, international dealers, distributors, sales representatives and consultants;

•	The difficulties of managing a geographically dispersed organization and culturally diverse workforces, including compliance with local laws and practices;

•	Difficulties associated with repatriating cash generated or held abroad in a tax-efficient manner and changes in tax laws;

•	Uncertainties as to local laws and enforcement of contract and intellectual property rights and occasional requirements for onerous contract terms;

•	Rapid changes in government, economic and political policies, political or civil unrest, acts of terrorism or the threat of international boycotts or U.S. anti-boycott legislation; and

•	Increased risk of an incident resulting in damage or destruction to our facilities or products or resulting in injury or loss of life to our employees, subcontractors or other third parties.

Our reputation and ability to do business may be impacted by the improper conduct of our employees, agents or business partners.

We have implemented compliance controls, policies and procedures designed to prevent reckless or criminal acts from being committed by our employees, agents or business partners that would violate the laws of the jurisdictions in which we operate, including laws governing payments to government officials, such as the FCPA, and to detect any such reckless or criminal acts committed. We cannot ensure, however, that our controls, policies and procedures will prevent or detect all such reckless or criminal acts, and we have been adversely impacted by such acts in the past. If not prevented, such reckless or criminal acts could subject us to civil or criminal investigations, monetary and non-monetary penalties and suspension and debarment by the U.S. Government and could have a material adverse effect on our ability to conduct business, our results of operations and our reputation. In addition, misconduct involving data security lapses resulting in the compromise of personal information or the improper use of our customer’s sensitive or classified information could result in remediation costs, regulatory sanctions against us and serious harm to our reputation and could adversely impact our ability to continue to contract with the U.S. Government.

We may not be successful in obtaining the necessary export licenses to conduct certain operations abroad, and Congress may prevent proposed sales to certain foreign governments.

We must first obtain export and other licenses and authorizations from various U.S. Government agencies before we are permitted to sell certain products and technologies outside of the U.S. For example, the U.S. Department of State must notify Congress at least 15 to 60 days, depending on the size and location of the proposed sale, prior to authorizing certain sales of defense equipment and services to foreign governments. During that time, Congress may take action to block the proposed sale. We can give no assurance that we will continue to be successful in obtaining the necessary licenses or authorizations or that Congress will not prevent or delay certain sales. Any significant impairment of our ability to sell products or technologies outside of the U.S. could negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our future success will depend on our ability to develop new products, systems, services and technologies that achieve market acceptance in our current and future markets.

Our businesses are characterized by rapidly changing technologies and evolving industry standards. Accordingly, our performance depends on a number of factors, including our ability to:

•	Identify emerging technological trends in our current and target markets;

•	Develop and maintain competitive products, systems, services and technologies;

•	Enhance our offerings by adding innovative hardware, software or other features that differentiate our products, systems, services and technologies from those of our competitors; and

•	Develop, manufacture and bring to market cost-effective offerings quickly.

We believe that, in order to remain competitive in the future, we will need to continue to develop new products, systems, services and technologies, which will require the investment of significant financial resources. The need to make these expenditures could divert our attention and resources from other projects, and we cannot be sure that these expenditures ultimately will lead to the timely development of new products, systems, services or technologies. Due to the design complexity of some of our products, systems, services and technologies, we may experience delays in completing development and introducing new products, systems, services or technologies in the future. Any delays could result in increased costs of development or redirect resources from other projects. In addition, we cannot provide assurances that the markets for our products, systems, services or technologies will develop as we currently anticipate. The failure of our products, systems,

services or technologies to gain market acceptance could significantly reduce our revenue and harm our business. Furthermore, we cannot be sure that our competitors will not develop competing products, systems, services or technologies that gain market acceptance in advance of our products, systems, services or technologies, or that our competitors will not develop new products, systems, services or technologies that cause our existing products, systems, services or technologies to become non-competitive or obsolete, which could adversely affect our results of operations. The future direction of the domestic and global economies, including its impact on customer demand, also will have a significant impact on our overall performance.

We participate in markets that are often subject to uncertain economic conditions, which makes it difficult to estimate growth in our markets and, as a result, future income and expenditures.

We participate in U.S. and international markets that are subject to uncertain economic conditions. In particular, U.S. Government spending priorities and levels remain uncertain and difficult to predict and are affected by numerous factors, including sequestration and potential alternative funding arrangements. In addition, certain of our non-U.S. customers, including in the Middle East and other oil or natural-gas producing countries, could be adversely affected by weakness or volatility in oil or natural gas prices, or negative expectations about future prices or volatility, which could adversely affect demand for our tactical communications, electronic systems or other products, systems or services. As a result, it is difficult to estimate the level of growth in the markets in which we participate. Because all components of our budgeting and forecasting are dependent on estimates of growth in the markets we serve, the uncertainty renders estimates of or guidance relating to future revenue, income and expenditures even more difficult. As a result, we may make significant investments and expenditures but never realize the anticipated benefits.

We cannot predict the consequences of future geo-political events, but they may adversely affect the markets in which we operate, our ability to insure against risks, our operations or our profitability.

Ongoing instability and current conflicts in global markets, including in the Middle East and Asia, and the potential for other conflicts and future terrorist activities and other recent geo-political events throughout the world, including new or increased tariffs and potential trade wars and the pending voluntary exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union (commonly referred to as “Brexit”), have created economic and political uncertainties and impacts that could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations and profitability. These matters cause uncertainty in the world’s financial and insurance markets and may significantly increase the political, economic and social instability in the geographic areas in which we operate. These matters may cause us to incur increased costs or experience difficulty with future borrowings under our commercial paper program or credit facilities or in the debt markets, or otherwise with financing our operating, investing (including any future acquisitions) or financing activities. These matters also may cause our insurance coverages and performance bonds to increase in cost, or in some cases, to be unavailable altogether.

Strategic transactions, including acquisitions and divestitures, involve significant risks and uncertainties that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Strategic acquisitions and divestitures we have made in the past and may make in the future, as well as spin-offs in which Exelis was involved, present significant risks and uncertainties that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows , which include:

•	Difficulty in identifying and evaluating potential acquisitions, including the risk that our due diligence does not identify or fully assess valuation issues, potential liabilities or other acquisition risks;

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Difficulty and expense in integrating newly acquired businesses and operations, including combining product and service offerings, and in entering into new markets in which we are not experienced, in an efficient and cost-effective manner while maintaining adequate standards, controls and procedures, and the risk that we encounter significant unanticipated costs or other problems associated with integration;

•	Difficulty and expense in consolidating and rationalizing IT infrastructure, which may include multiple legacy systems from various acquisitions and integrating software code;

•	Challenges in achieving strategic objectives, cost savings and other benefits expected from acquisitions;

•	Risk that our markets do not evolve as anticipated and that the strategic acquisitions and divestitures do not prove to be those needed to be successful in those markets;

•	Risk that we assume or retain, or that companies we have acquired have assumed or retained or otherwise become subject to, significant liabilities that exceed the limitations of any applicable indemnification provisions or the financial resources of any indemnifying parties;

•	Risk that indemnification related to businesses divested or spun off that we may be required to provide or otherwise bear may be significant and could negatively impact our business;

•	Risk of exposure to potential liabilities arising out of applicable state and Federal fraudulent conveyance laws and legal distribution requirements from spin-offs in which Exelis was involved, particularly Exelis’ spin-off of Vectrus, Inc. (“Vectrus”) on September 27, 2014;

•	Risk that we may be responsible for U.S. Federal income tax liabilities related to Exelis’ spin-off of Vectrus if the transaction were determined to be taxable or if, in certain circumstances, subsequent significant acquisitions

of Exelis or Vectrus stock were deemed to be part of a plan or series of related transactions that include the Vectrus spin-off;

•	Risk that we are not able to complete strategic divestitures on satisfactory terms and conditions, including non-competition arrangements applicable to certain of our business lines, or within expected timeframes;

•	Potential loss of key employees or customers of the businesses acquired or to be divested; and

•	Risk of diverting the attention of senior management from our existing operations.

Disputes with our subcontractors or the inability of our subcontractors to perform, or our key suppliers to timely deliver our components, parts or services, could cause our products, systems or services to be produced or delivered in an untimely or unsatisfactory manner.

We engage subcontractors on many of our contracts. We may have disputes with our subcontractors, including regarding the quality and timeliness of work performed by the subcontractor, customer concerns about the subcontract or subcontractor, our failure to extend existing task orders or issue new task orders under a subcontract, our hiring of the personnel of a subcontractor or vice versa or the subcontractor’s failure to comply with applicable law. In addition, there are certain parts, components and services for many of our products, systems and services that we source from other manufacturers or vendors. Some of our suppliers, from time to time, experience financial and operational difficulties, which may impact their ability to supply the materials, components, subsystems and services that we require. Our supply chain could also be disrupted by external events, such as natural disasters or other significant disruptions (including extreme weather conditions, medical epidemics, acts of terrorism, cyber attacks and labor disputes), governmental actions and legislative or regulatory changes, including product certification or stewardship requirements, sourcing restrictions, product authenticity and climate change or greenhouse gas emission standards, or availability constraints from increased demand from customers. Any inability to develop alternative sources of supply on a cost-effective and timely basis could materially impair our ability to manufacture and deliver products, systems and services to our customers. We can give no assurances that we will be free from disputes with our subcontractors; material supply constraints or problems; or component, subsystems or services problems in the future. Also, our subcontractors and other suppliers may not be able to acquire or maintain the quality of the materials, components, subsystems and services they supply, which might result in greater product returns, service problems and warranty claims and could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, in connection with our government contracts, we are required to procure certain materials, components and parts from supply sources approved by the U.S. Government and we rely on our subcontractors and suppliers to comply with applicable laws, regulations and other requirements regarding procurement of counterfeit, unauthorized or otherwise non-compliant parts or materials, including parts or materials they supply to us, and in some circumstances, we rely on their certifications as to their compliance. From time to time, there are components for which there may be only one supplier, which may be unable to meet our needs. Each of these subcontractor and supplier risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Third parties have claimed in the past and may claim in the future that we are infringing directly or indirectly upon their intellectual property rights, and third parties may infringe upon our intellectual property rights.

Many of the markets we serve are characterized by vigorous protection and pursuit of intellectual property rights, which often has resulted in protracted and expensive litigation. Third parties have claimed in the past and may claim in the future that we are infringing directly or indirectly upon their intellectual property rights, and we may be found to be infringing or to have infringed directly or indirectly upon those intellectual property rights. Claims of intellectual property infringement might also require us to enter into costly royalty or license agreements. Moreover, we may not be able to obtain royalty or license agreements on terms acceptable to us, or at all. We also may be subject to significant damages or injunctions against development and sale of certain of our products, services and solutions. Our success depends in large part on our proprietary technology. We rely on a combination of patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, know-how, confidentiality provisions and licensing arrangements to establish and protect our intellectual property rights. If we fail to successfully protect and enforce these rights, our competitive position could suffer. Our pending patent and trademark registration applications may not be allowed, or competitors may challenge the validity or scope of our patents or trademark registrations. In addition, our patents may not provide us a significant competitive advantage. We may be required to spend significant resources to monitor and enforce our intellectual property rights. We may not be able to detect infringement and our competitive position may be harmed before we do so. In addition, competitors may design around our technology or develop competing technologies.

The outcome of litigation or arbitration in which we are involved from time to time is unpredictable, and an adverse decision in any such matter could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

From time to time, we are defendants in a number of litigation matters and are involved in a number of arbitrations. These actions may divert financial and management resources that would otherwise be used to benefit our operations. No assurances can be given that the results of these or new matters will be favorable to us. An adverse resolution of lawsuits or arbitrations could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We face certain significant risk exposures and potential liabilities that may not be covered adequately by insurance or indemnity.

We are exposed to liabilities that are unique to the products and services we provide. A significant portion of our business relates to designing, developing and manufacturing advanced defense, technology and communications systems and products. New technologies associated with these systems and products may be untested or unproven. Components of certain of the defense systems and products we develop are inherently dangerous. Failures of satellites, missile systems, air traffic control systems, electronic warfare systems, space superiority systems, C4ISR systems, homeland security applications and aircraft have the potential to cause loss of life and extensive property damage. Other examples of unforeseen problems that could result, either directly or indirectly, in the loss of life or property or otherwise negatively affect revenue and profitability include loss on launch of spacecraft, premature failure of products that cannot be accessed for repair or replacement, problems with quality and workmanship, country of origin, delivery of subcontractor components or services and unplanned degradation of product performance. In addition, problems and delays in development or delivery as a result of issues with respect to design, technology, licensing and patent rights, labor, learning curve assumptions or materials and components could prevent us from achieving contractual requirements. In many circumstances, we may receive indemnification from the U.S. Government. We generally do not receive indemnification from foreign governments. Although we maintain insurance for certain risks, the amount of our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover all claims or liabilities, and we may be forced to bear substantial costs from an accident or incident. It also is not possible for us to obtain insurance to protect against all operational risks and liabilities. Substantial claims resulting from an incident in excess of U.S. Government indemnity and our insurance coverage would harm our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Other factors that may affect revenue and profits include loss of follow-on work, and, in the case of certain contracts, liquidated damages, penalties and repayment to the customer of contract cost and fee payments we previously received. Moreover, any accident or incident for which we are liable, even if fully insured, could negatively affect our standing with our customers and the public, thereby making it more difficult for us to compete effectively, and could significantly impact the cost and availability of adequate insurance in the future.

Changes in our effective tax rate may have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

Our future effective tax rate may be adversely affected by a number of factors including:

•	The jurisdictions in which profits are determined to be earned and taxed;

•	Adjustments to estimated taxes upon finalization of various tax returns;

•	Increases in expenses not fully deductible for tax purposes, including write-offs of acquired in-process R&D and impairment of goodwill or other long-term assets in connection with acquisitions;

•	Changes in available tax credits;

•	Changes in share-based compensation expense;

•	Changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities;

•	Changes in domestic or international tax laws or the interpretation of such tax laws; and

•	The resolution of issues arising from tax audits with various tax authorities.

Any significant increase in our future effective tax rates could adversely impact our results of operations for future periods.

Our level of indebtedness and our ability to make payments on or service our indebtedness and our unfunded defined benefit plans liability may adversely affect our financial and operating activities or our ability to incur additional debt.

At the end of fiscal 2018, we had $3.7 billion in aggregate principal amount of outstanding debt and approximately $0.7 billion of unfunded defined benefit plans liability. In the future we may increase our borrowings; however, our ability to do so will be subject to limitations imposed on us by our debt agreements. Our ability to make payments on and to refinance our indebtedness as well as any future debt that we may incur and our ability to make contributions to our unfunded defined benefit plans liability, will depend on our ability to generate cash in the future from operations, financings or asset sales. Our ability to generate cash is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control. If we are not able to repay or refinance our debt as it becomes due or make contributions to our unfunded defined benefit plans liability, we may be forced to sell assets or take other disadvantageous actions, including reducing financing in the future for working capital, capital expenditures and general corporate purposes; reducing our cash dividend rate and/or share repurchases; or dedicating an unsustainable level of our cash flow from operations to the payment of principal and interest on our indebtedness. In addition, our ability to withstand competitive pressures and to react to changes in the defense technology industry could be impaired. The lenders who hold such debt could also accelerate amounts due, which could potentially trigger a default or acceleration of any of our other debt.

A downgrade in our credit ratings could materially adversely affect our business.

The credit ratings assigned to our debt securities could change based on, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, mergers, acquisitions or dispositions. These ratings are subject to ongoing evaluation by credit rating agencies, and there can be no assurance that any rating will not be changed or withdrawn by a rating agency in the future.

Moreover, these credit ratings are not recommendations to buy, sell or hold any of our debt securities. Actual or anticipated changes or downgrades in our credit ratings, including any announcement that our ratings are under review for a downgrade or have been assigned a negative outlook, would likely increase our borrowing costs and affect our ability to incur new indebtedness or refinance our existing indebtedness, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows and the market value of our common stock and outstanding debt securities.

Unforeseen environmental issues could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our operations are subject to and affected by many Federal, state, local and foreign environmental laws and regulations. In addition, we could be affected by future environmental laws or regulations, including, for example, new restrictions on materials used in our operations. Compliance with current and future environmental laws and regulations may require significant operating and capital costs. Environmental laws and regulations may authorize substantial fines and criminal sanctions as well as facility shutdowns to address violations, and may require the installation of costly pollution control equipment or operational changes to limit emissions or discharges. We also incur, and expect to continue to incur, costs to comply with current environmental laws and regulations related to remediation of conditions in the environment. In addition, if violations of environmental laws result in us, or in one or more of our operations, being identified as an excluded party in the U.S. Government’s System for Award Management, then we or one or more of our operations would become ineligible to receive certain contracts, subcontracts and other benefits from the Federal government or to perform work under a government contract or subcontract. Generally, such ineligibility would continue until the basis for the listing has been appropriately addressed. Developments such as the adoption of new environmental laws and regulations, stricter enforcement of existing laws and regulations, violations by us of such laws and regulations, discovery of previously unknown or more extensive contamination, litigation involving environmental impacts, our inability to recover costs associated with any such developments under previously priced contracts, or financial insolvency of other responsible parties could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We have significant operations in locations that could be materially and adversely impacted in the event of a natural disaster or other significant disruption.

Our corporate headquarters and significant business operations are located in Florida, which is subject to the risk of major hurricanes. Our worldwide operations and operations of our suppliers could be subject to natural disasters or other significant disruptions, including hurricanes, typhoons, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, fires, water shortages, other extreme weather conditions, medical epidemics, acts of terrorism, power shortages and blackouts, telecommunications failures, cyber attacks and other natural and manmade disasters or disruptions. In the event of such a natural disaster or other disruption, we could experience disruptions or interruptions to our operations or the operations of our suppliers, subcontractors, distributors, resellers or customers; destruction of facilities; and/or loss of life, all of which could materially increase our costs and expenses and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Changes in future business or other market conditions could cause business investments and/or recorded goodwill or other long-term assets to become impaired, resulting in substantial losses and write-downs that would adversely affect our results of operations.

From time to time, we acquire a minority or majority interest in a business. These investments are made upon careful analysis and due diligence procedures designed to achieve a desired return or strategic objective. These procedures often involve certain assumptions and judgment in determining acquisition price. After acquisition, such assumptions and judgment may prove to have been inaccurate and unforeseen issues could arise, which could adversely affect the anticipated returns or which are otherwise not recoverable as an adjustment to the purchase price. Even after careful integration efforts, actual operating results may vary significantly from initial estimates. Goodwill accounted for approximately 55 percent of our recorded total assets as of June 29, 2018. We evaluate the recoverability of recorded goodwill annually, as well as when we change reporting units and when events or circumstances indicate there may be an impairment. The impairment test is based on several factors requiring judgment. Principally, a decrease in expected reporting unit cash flows or changes in market conditions may indicate potential impairment of recorded goodwill. Because of the significance of our goodwill and other intangible assets, any future impairment of these assets could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. For additional information on accounting policies we have in place for impairment of goodwill, see our discussion under “Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates” in “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of this Report and Note 1: Significant Accounting Policies and Note 8: Goodwill in the Notes.

Some of our workforce is represented by labor unions, so our business could be harmed in the event of a prolonged work stoppage.

Approximately 600 of our U.S. employees are unionized, which represented approximately 3 percent of our employee-base at the end of fiscal 2018. As a result, we may experience work stoppages that could adversely affect our business. We cannot predict how stable our union relationships will be or whether we will be able to successfully negotiate successor

collective bargaining agreements without impacting our financial condition. In addition, the presence of unions may limit our flexibility in dealing with our workforce. Work stoppages could negatively impact our ability to manufacture our products on a timely basis, which could negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We must attract and retain key employees, and any failure to do so could seriously harm us.

Our business has a continuing need to attract and retain significant numbers of skilled personnel, including personnel holding security clearances, to support our growth and to replace individuals whose employment has terminated due to retirement or other reasons. To the extent that the demand for qualified personnel exceeds supply, as has been the case from time to time in recent years, we could experience higher labor, recruiting or training costs in order to attract and retain such employees, or could experience difficulties in performing under our contracts if our needs for such employees were unmet.