US defence and aerospace contractor L3Harris Technologies announced on 17 August 2026 that chairman and chief executive Christopher Kubasik had left the company with immediate effect, after a board investigation found that he had engaged in conduct inconsistent with the company's code of conduct.
The company said it became aware of "certain conduct" by Kubasik that was "not consistent with the values of the company". It added: "Following its investigation of these matters with the assistance of independent counsel, the board determined that it would be in the best interests of the company to enter into a separation agreement with Kubasik."
No severance, no accelerated equity
L3Harris was explicit that the departure had nothing to do with the numbers. The matter was unrelated to the company's financial reporting, internal controls, customer relationships or operational performance, it said. Under the separation agreement, and according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Kubasik will receive no severance payments or benefits and no accelerated vesting of unvested equity awards. He will be permitted to retain and exercise certain stock options that had already vested.
The company has not disclosed the nature of the conduct involved. Citing two people briefed on the investigation, Semafor reported that Kubasik was removed after an independent probe found he had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with an employee; L3Harris itself has not confirmed those details.
A second exit over conduct
It is the second time Kubasik has lost a senior aerospace and defence role following a conduct investigation. In 2012, Lockheed Martin's board asked for his resignation as chief operating officer, just weeks before he was scheduled to become chief executive, after an internal ethics investigation confirmed that he had "a close personal relationship with a subordinate employee". Lockheed said at the time that the relationship violated its code of ethics but did not affect the company's operational or financial performance.
Kubasik went on to help lead the 2019 merger of L3 Technologies and Harris Corporation that created L3Harris. He became chief executive in 2021 and took the chairman's role a year later, as the company expanded across defence electronics, communications, space systems and propulsion.
Sam Mehta steps up
The board named Sam Mehta as president and chief executive and appointed him to the board. Mehta had been leading the company's Space & Mission Systems and Communications & Spectrum Dominance segments, which together account for more than 80% of L3Harris revenue. He joined the company in 2023 after serving as president of Advanced Structures at Collins Aerospace, and previously spent more than 17 years at Sikorsky.
"Sam is a proven executive who brings deep knowledge of our business, priorities and culture, making him ideally suited to become president and CEO of L3Harris at this important time in our company's and our nation's history," said Lewis Hay, the lead independent director who has now been appointed independent chair. Mehta said he looked forward to working more closely with the company's senior leaders "to support the needs of our country and our allies", describing L3Harris as "well-positioned to continue executing our focused growth strategy".
Two current executives, Lauren Barnes and Christopher Aebli, have been appointed to backfill Mehta as heads of the space and communications units.
Aviation programmes unaffected, company says
L3Harris has featured in several high-profile aviation and defence programmes. The company completed the modification of a Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar for use in the presidential airlift fleet, and has been expanding solid rocket motor production through its Aerojet Rocketdyne business, acquired in 2023 for $4.7 billion. It remains committed to a previously announced $3 billion capital buildout to increase solid rocket motor output.
Despite the leadership upheaval, L3Harris reaffirmed its previously issued 2026 financial guidance and said its operational and strategic priorities remain unchanged β a message clearly aimed at reassuring government customers and suppliers that programme execution will not slip while the boardroom settles.
Sources: FlightGlobal, AeroTime. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. By James Holloway.
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