by Andrew Dardine, Electronic Systems Analyst, Forecast International.
Variants of Raytheon’s Multispectral Targeting System are expected to be produced in steady numbers over the next several years for the U.S. and its trusted allies. The MTS is a key component of unmanned air vehicles such as the MQ-9 Predator and the Reaper. The system is also in use aboard U.S. military MH-60 Sierra multimission combat helicopters and AC-130U Spectre gunships.
Australia, Denmark, India, Italy, South Korea, nations in the Middle East, and the U.K. are among the countries that operate MTS variants.
In March 2014, Raytheon was awarded two contracts worth a combined $22.9 million to provide MTSs for U.S. military helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Specifically, a $12.8 million U.S. Navy contract went toward MTS applications on MH-60 helicopters, and a $10.1 million U.S. Air Force contract saw installations on HC/MC-130J aircraft.
In April 2016, the U.S. Air Force awarded Raytheon a $90 million contract for a newer variant of the MTS family, the DAS-4. According to Raytheon, the new system offers greater fire control and target location accuracy.
In August 2016, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems announced it had executed a missile tracking test as part of the Pacific Dragon exercise held off the coast of the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii. Two Predator B remotely piloted aircraft equipped with MTS-B turrets were used to detect and track the ballistic missile target.
Meanwhile, at the Paris Air Show, Raytheon unveiled a compact, lightweight version of the MTS, featuring a 12-inch turret and weighing less than 60 pounds.
FI’s eight Electronic Systems Market Intelligence Services cover the full range of defense-related systems and programs in the radar, communications, electro-optical, and electronic warfare markets, presenting a comprehensive market outlook for current equipment as well as new systems being developed as the modern battlefield moves toward a technology-based warfare approach with network-centric capabilities.
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