Raytheon, a business of RTX (NYSE: RTX), has been awarded a US$197 million contract by the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center to supply the MS-110 multispectral reconnaissance system. The agreement covers the production of seven advanced reconnaissance pods, their aircraft integration, and engineering support for Poland’s Air Force F-16s—making Poland the first NATO member and the fourth air force worldwide to field this capability.
According to official information, the contract includes not only the hardware and software associated with the MS-110 system, but also the work required to integrate it onto Poland’s aircraft. The tasks will be carried out in Westford, Massachusetts, and the program is scheduled to be completed in August 2031.
The MS-110 system is characterized by advanced processing capabilities based on artificial intelligence and machine learning, enabling it to process and interpret long-range, wide-area day and night imagery in reduced timeframes. These features are intended to improve the collection and exploitation of intelligence in complex operational environments.
Referring to the system’s capabilities, Dan Theisen, President of Advanced Products and Solutions, stated: “The MS-110 system provides advanced capability by pushing next-generation processing to the tactical edge to defeat camouflage and decoys in near real time.” In the same vein, he added that this capability “enables the U.S. and our allies to maintain a strategic advantage in an evolving global defense landscape by enhancing survivability, responsiveness and wide-area surveillance.”
From a technical standpoint, the MS-110 offers advantages over legacy systems through the use of multispectral imagery, common coverage across all bands, and a greater long-range area of coverage. The system is compatible with employment on modern fighter aircraft, maritime patrol aircraft, special mission platforms, and medium-altitude long-endurance drones.
The contract announcement is part of a development path that began in July 2023, when Collins Aerospace reported the completion of MS-110 flight testing after conducting its final evaluation sortie using an F-16 fighter. At the time, the company noted that the completion of the test campaign paved the way for the system’s first operational deployments.
Based on the widely adopted DB-110 pod, the MS-110 was designed and developed by Collins Aerospace under requirements set by the U.S. Air Force and allied countries. One of the program’s key features is that current DB-110 operators can upgrade their pods to the MS-110 standard, helping reduce operating costs and shorten the timelines for fielding the capability.
The induction of MS-110 pods is also linked to the modernization of Poland’s F-16 fleet. In August 2025, Polish Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that the country will upgrade its 48 F-16C/D Block 52 aircraft to the Block 72 standard, the most advanced configuration available for the model produced by Lockheed Martin. The program entails an estimated investment of around US$3.8 billion and was formalized through an agreement signed by Polish and U.S. officials at Military Aviation Works No. 2 in Bydgoszcz.
During his speech, Kosiniak-Kamysz said: “The current capabilities of the F-16 C/D version are good, but after 20 years, they are insufficient to face threats. We need to improve reconnaissance capabilities, communications, integration with the F-35, the Abrams and the Apache, as well as the ability to operate in any domain.”
The modernization of Poland’s F-16s will be carried out domestically, with an emphasis on integrating new AN/APG-83 SABR AESA radars, identification friend-or-foe and communications systems, as well as investments in ground infrastructure and new training simulators. In this context, selecting the MS-110 as the reconnaissance system strengthens the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance component of Poland’s future Block 72 fleet.
Images for illustrative purposes.
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