Raytheon has been awarded a major contract for the MTS-B multi-spectral targeting system. The $191 million contract was awarded by the U.S. Air Force in April and covers the supply of 149 high-definition MTS-B turrets for Reaper unmanned air vehicles, plus support equipment and spares. Deliveries are due to start in the first quarter of next year, and will run for around two years.

MTS-B is the primary sensor system of the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper. Versions also equip the Reaper/Predator B UAVs used by Italy and the UK, as well as by other U.S. agencies, such as the Navy and Customs and Border Protection. The MTS-B is a larger derivative of the MTS-A turret that equips the MQ-1 Predator UAV.

Raytheon has more than 1,500 MTS systems deployed in 44 separate subvariants on 21 different platforms. The system passed one million flight hours in August 2010.