Raytheon’s Airborne FLIR Sensor Ball Systems

Teal Group’s Military Electronics Briefing covers a multitude of Raytheon’s primary airborne FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) sensor ball systems for helicopters and slow-flying fixed wing aircraft, including UAVs. Recent updates include the AN/AAS-44 MTS/MTS-N & AAS-52 MTS-A & DAS-1/4 MTS-B & AAS-53/DAS-2 CSP Multi-spectral Targeting Systems, as well as speculative forecasts for MTS/CSP-scale Future MALE UAV EO/IR Sensors and Future Manned EO/IR Sensors, which are uncontracted and “available” and might not be won by Raytheon.

Overall, the sensors in this recent report make up one of the world’s largest electro-optical programs, worth more than $300 million annually for at least the next few years. In August 2010, Raytheon claimed to have surpassed one million operational flight hours on 1,000 fielded MTS systems. In April 2016, Raytheon stated it had, “delivered more than 3,000 MTS systems on a wide range of platforms... with nearly three million operational flight hours.” Teal Group questions exactly how Raytheon defines “system” for this claim, but we agree that Raytheon has delivered, “a lot of them.” Raytheon dominates the UAV EO/IR market, primarily with these systems, and should continue to do so while also holding a substantial portion of the manned ISR EO/IR market share.

The AN/AAS-44 was originally built for some Predator UAVs and several US helicopter procure­ments, and the AAS-44(V)C (also referred to as MTS [Multi-spectral Targeting System] or MTS-N [-Navy configuration]) is now ending production for the Navy’s major MH-60R Seahawk procure­ment. In October 2007, the Navy contracted for AAS-44(V)C MTS-N systems for the MH-60S, also a very large procurement (ended in 2017). Minor production for international Seahawks continued in 2018.

The AN/AAS-52 MTS-A and AN/DAS-1 MTS-B have been contracted for major production for USAF and international armed Predators and Predator B Reapers. The MTS-B is a considerably different system, with longer lenses and other modifications for the much higher altitude MQ-9 Reaper. In March 2018, the USAF finally retired the MQ-1 Predator UAV and thus most MTS-As in world service.

In November 2007, the US Army contracted for a Common Sensor Payload (CSP) version of the MTS, for the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) and US Army Sky Warrior ER/MP UAV (a Predator derivative). The Army’s production ER/MP is now designated the MQ-1C Gray Eagle (was Warrior and Sky Warrior...), and the sensor has been re-designated the AN/DAS-2 CSP (was briefly AN/AAS-53). Production continued in 2019.

In April 2016, the US Air Force awarded Raytheon a $90 million first-lot production contract for the new “next-generation” AN/DAS-4 MTS for the RQ-9 Reaper fleet. The DAS-4 adds two spectral bands and greater fire control and Target Location Accuracy technology. In February 2016 in the FY17 procurement budget, the US Air Force scheduled major funding for the new program, with FY17 OCO funding including $107.0 million for 53 DAS-4 upgrades. The USAF budgeted to buy 238 DAS-4 systems for Reaper, at a cost of about $2.4 million each.

Our forecast for future production US Navy and international MQ-4 Tritons is for an upgraded MTS-B (which was used for development/testing) with similar capabilities to the USAF’s new version of the MTS-B – the AN/DAS-4. But since an Automatic Identification System (AIS) for ship tracking will be needed, and the Triton will typically operate at a much higher altitude than Reaper and in more humid maritime atmospheres and climates, we have tentatively designated the Triton EO/IR system as the “AN/DAS-X.”