# Exhibit 99.1

| |  | MTS Systems Corporation
14000 Technology Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55344-2290
Telephone 952-937-4000
Fax 952-937-4515
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|News Release                       
|-----------------------------------
|FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 31, 2006

| | MTS Purchases 4.96 Percent of its Shares in Private Transaction
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| | Eden Prairie, MN, March 31, 2006 MTS Systems
Corporation (NASDAQ: MTSC) today announced it has purchased 950,000 shares from an unaffiliated shareholder in a private
transaction. The purchase price of $37.30 per share represents a 6.4% discount to the 10 day volume-weighted average NASDAQ
trading price, and the purchase was executed under a three million share purchase authorization by the Companys Board of
Directors in August of 2005. There are approximately 1.6 million shares remaining under this authorization. The purchased shares
represent a 4.96% interest in the Company.
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| | This transaction builds upon our record of prudently
deploying cash and efficiently returning value to shareowners, stated Sidney W. Emery, Jr., chairman and chief executive
officer. It demonstrates our confidence in the future of MTS, and will not limit our ability to pursue our growth
strategies.
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| | The transaction will not impact per-share financial results of the
Companys second quarter ending April 1, 2006.
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| | About MTS Systems Corporation
| | -----------------------------

| | MTS Systems Corporation is a leading global supplier of test
systems and industrial position sensors. The Companys testing hardware and software solutions help customers accelerate and
improve their design, development, and manufacturing processes and are used for determining the mechanical behavior of materials,
products, and structures. MTS high-performance position sensors provide controls for a variety of industrial and vehicular
applications. MTS had 1,549 employees and revenue of $374 million for the fiscal year ended October 1, 2005. Additional
information on MTS can be found on the worldwide web at http://www.mts.com
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| | Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements
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| | Statements in this release which are not historical fact are to be
considered Forward Looking Statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. They reflect
managements current expectations and beliefs. We caution users of this information that future results could differ
materially from those in such forward looking statements depending on many factors, some beyond our control, including, but not
limited to, those presented in the Companys most recent SEC Form 10-K and 10-Q filings. The Company disclaims any obligation
to add to or revise these factors to reflect new information after the date of the forward looking statements.
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