Raytheon Demos Advanced Aerial Decoy-Jammer

July 10, 2016

The U.S. Air Force awarded Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) $34.8 million to demonstrate upgraded electronic warfare capabilities for the Miniature Air Launched Decoy-Jammer missile. Development of the new version of the MALD-J, called MALD-X, will be completed in only 24 months and will culminate in two flight demonstrations.

"MALD-X will build on the successful MALD platform to demonstrate the advanced electronic warfare capabilities needed today and in the future," said Mike Jarrett , Raytheon vice president of Air Warfare Systems. "MALD-X creates an upgrade path for the current MALD-J program of record and meets the requirements for the MALD-N, a net-enabled decoy/jammer for the U.S. Navy."

MALD is a flying vehicle that confuses adversaries by posing as friendly aircraft. MALD-X, a modular weapon designed for the Strategic Capabilities Office under the U.S. Secretary of Defense, will demonstrate an improved electronic warfare payload, low-altitude flight and a datalink that will allow the weapon to communicate with other net enabled systems.

"MALD-X will allow the Air Force and Navy to quickly move on to the next generation of MALD, providing a substantial increase in capability and potential mission areas," said Dr. Will Roper , director of the Special Capabilities Office at the Office of the Secretary of Defense. "The program will provide the combatant command with a flexible capability that will address key needs in multiple regions of the world."

MALD-X is a uniquely collaborative effort, contracted and managed by the MALD Program Office at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida , with program oversight from the SCO and shared technical management by both the Air Force and Navy.

About MALD and MALD-J
MALD® is a state-of-the-art, low-cost, expendable flight vehicle that is modular, air-launched and programmable. It weighs less than 300 pounds and has range/endurance of approximately 500 nautical miles and 90 minutes. MALD-J adds radar-jamming capability to the basic MALD platform.

• MALD confuses enemy air defenses by duplicating friendly aircraft flight profiles and radar signatures.
• MALD-J maintains all capabilities of MALD and adds jamming capabilities.
• Raytheon began delivery of MALD-Js in the fall of 2012.

Source : Raytheon Corporation (NYSE: RTN)