SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                                 SCHEDULE 13G

                  Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                         (Amendment No. _________)(1)


                       L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               (Name of Issuer)


                                 Common Stock
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        (Title of Class of Securities)


                                  502 424 104
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                (CUSIP Number)


                              December 31, 2002
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            (Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)


     Check the  appropriate  box to  designate  the rule  pursuant to which this
Schedule is filed:

          [_]  Rule 13d-1(b)

          [_]  Rule 13d-1(c)

          [X]  Rule 13d-1(d)


----------
(1)  The  remainder  of this  cover  page  shall be filled  out for a  reporting
     person's  initial  filing on this form with respect to the subject class of
     securities,  and for any subsequent amendment containing  information which
     would alter the disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be
deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).


                                 Page 1 of 6



CUSIP No. 502 424 104                 13G                      Page 2 of 6 Pages


________________________________________________________________________________
1.   NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
     I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)


     Robert V. LaPenta
________________________________________________________________________________
2.   CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
                                                                 (a)  [_]
                                                                 (b)  [_]

________________________________________________________________________________
3.   SEC USE ONLY



________________________________________________________________________________
4.   CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION


     United States
________________________________________________________________________________
  NUMBER OF    5.   SOLE VOTING POWER

   SHARES           5,134,514
               _________________________________________________________________
BENEFICIALLY   6.   SHARED VOTING POWER

  OWNED BY          0
               _________________________________________________________________
    EACH       7.   SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

  REPORTING         4,677,514
               _________________________________________________________________
   PERSON      8.   SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

    WITH            457,000
________________________________________________________________________________
9.   AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON


     5,134,514
________________________________________________________________________________
10.  CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*

                                                                          [_]

________________________________________________________________________________
11.  PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9


     5.34%
________________________________________________________________________________
12.  TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*


     IN
________________________________________________________________________________


                                 Page 2 of 6




Item 1(a).  Name of Issuer:

            L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc.

Item 1(b).  Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:

            600 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10016

Item 2(a).  Name of Person Filing:

            Robert V. LaPenta

Item 2(b).  Address of Principal Business Office or, if None, Residence:

            600 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10016

Item 2(c).  Citizenship:

            United States

Item 2(d).  Title of Class of Securities:

            Common Stock, par value $.01 per share

Item 2(e).  CUSIP Number:

            502 424 104

Item 3.     If this Statement is Filed Pursuant to Rule 13d-1(b), or 13d-2(b)
            or (c), Check Whether the Person Filing is a:

     (a)  |_|  Broker or dealer registered under Section 15 of the Exchange
               Act.

     (b)  |_|  Bank as defined in section 3(a)(6) of the Exchange Act.

     (c)  |_|  Insurance company as defined in Section 3(a)(19) of the
               Exchange Act.

     (d)  |_|  Investment company registered under Section 8 of the Investment
               Company Act.

     (e)  |_|  An investment adviser in accordance with
               Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E);

     (f)  |_|  An employee benefit plan or endowment fund in accordance with
               Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F);

     (g)  |_|  A parent holding company or control person in accordance with
               Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G);

                                 Page 3 of 6




     (h)  |_|  A savings association as defined in Section 3(b) of the Federal
               Deposit Insurance Act;

     (i)  |_|  A church plan that is excluded from the definition of an
               investment company under Section 3(c)(14) of the Investment
               Company Act;

     (j)  |_|  Group, in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J).


Item 4.   Ownership.

     (a)  Amount beneficially owned:

          5,134,514 shares

     (b)  Percent of class:

          5.34%

     (c)  Number of shares as to which the person has:

          (i)  Sole power to vote or to direct the vote:

               5,134,514

          (ii) Shared power to vote or to direct the vote:

               0

          (iii) Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:

               4,677,514

          (iv) Shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:

               457,000

Item 5.   Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class

          Not applicable.

Item 6.   Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person.

          As of December 31, 2002, 457,000 shares of the identified class of
          securities were subject to hedging arrangements with a broker termed
          "variable prepaid forward

                                 Page 4 of 6



          agreements." One such agreement, with respect to 157,000 shares,
          expired on January 15, 2003 and another such agreement, with respect
          to 300,000 shares, is scheduled to expire on April 21, 2003.
          Effective as of February 5, 2003, Mr. LaPenta entered into an
          additional variable prepaid forward agreement with respect to
          300,000 shares, which is scheduled to expire on May 5, 2004.

Item 7.   Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired
          the Security Being Reported on By the Parent Holding Company.

          Not applicable.

Item 8.   Identification and Classification of Members of the Group.

          Not applicable.

Item 9.   Notice of Dissolution of Group.

          Not applicable.

Item 10.  Certifications.

          Not applicable.



                                 Page 5 of 6




                                   SIGNATURE

     After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.





                                     By:  /s/ Robert V. LaPenta
                                         --------------------------------------
                                         Robert V. LaPenta

                               Dated:    February 13, 2003




                                 Page 6 of 6