L3Harris Technologies, one of the Pentagon's largest defense contractors, ousted Chairman and CEO Christopher Kubasik on Monday after a board-directed investigation found he violated the company's code of conduct — and named longtime insider Sam Mehta as his immediate successor.

In a statement announcing the change, L3Harris said it "became aware of certain conduct by Kubasik that was not consistent with the values of the Company as outlined in its Code of Conduct." The company was careful to note the matter was unrelated to financial reporting, internal controls, customer relationships or operational performance — language that points toward a personal-conduct issue rather than a business or accounting scandal, though the company disclosed no further specifics.

The punishment was severe by corporate standards: Kubasik will receive no severance payments, no severance benefits and no accelerated vesting of his unvested equity awards, according to Aviation Week — a structure that signals the board treated the conduct as a firing offense rather than a negotiated exit.

NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE VALUES OF THE COMPANY.

An Insider Steps In

Mehta, who joined L3Harris in January 2023, had been running the company's Space & Mission Systems and Communications & Spectrum Dominance segments — a portfolio that accounts for roughly 80% of L3Harris's total revenue, according to SpaceNews. Before L3Harris, he spent more than 17 years at Sikorsky Aircraft and later led Advanced Structures at RTX's Collins Aerospace division.

"I am honored by the opportunity to serve as President and CEO of L3Harris," Mehta said in the company's announcement. "I look forward to working even more closely with my fellow senior leaders and my talented colleagues across the Company to support the needs of our country and our allies."

Lewis Hay III, L3Harris's newly independent board chairman, called Mehta "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."

L3Harris, formed from the 2019 merger of L3 Technologies and Harris Corporation, is a major supplier of communications, space and electronic-warfare systems to the U.S. military and allied governments, competing with contractors like Lockheed Martin, RTX and Northrop Grumman. The company reaffirmed its full-year 2026 guidance on revenue, margins and free cash flow alongside the leadership announcement, signaling the board doesn't expect the shake-up to disrupt operations.

Kubasik had led L3Harris since 2021, steering the company through a period of expansion in space and defense-electronics contracts. His abrupt exit leaves Mehta to manage that growth agenda while the company works to move past an unspecified personal-conduct controversy at the top of its executive ranks.