A new day dawns for the MALD® decoy
Dangers of contested airspace are driving demand
Raytheon is preparing a rapid production restart for the MALD decoy – a battle-tested, air-launched system that meets the U.S. and NATO allies’ surging and urgent demand for protection against enemy air defenses.
In military conflicts around the world, drone swarms and adversary air defenses are posing a threat to piloted fighter jets, unmanned systems and weapons launched from afar.
MALD’s mission is to attract and absorb enemy air defense fire by replicating the radar signature of high-value aircraft. It’s built for “stand-in” operations, meaning it flies close to threats so piloted aircraft, unmanned aerial systems and effectors can move through contested airspace with reduced risk.
Those who know MALD best say they can produce enough units to create the phantom fleet of decoys the U.S. and NATO allies need – and that it could begin shipping within two years of a contract award.
Here’s what makes them so confident.
“Adapting proven systems for new missions is what we do best. It’s faster, smarter and dramatically more affordable for customers.”
Justin Jenia | Vice President, Strike Initiatives, Air & Space Defense Systems | Raytheon
Warm production line
Raytheon’s production line for MALD remains warm, meaning all major tooling and test equipment is ready for use. The line is actively supporting sustainment, meaning assembly and test infrastructure never truly stopped.
“Every piece of major tooling is in place. We’re not rebuilding a line; we’re re-energizing it,” Jenia said.
The team behind MALD includes many of the same engineers and technicians who have worked on the program for more than two decades, preserving the institutional knowledge needed to restart quickly.
High technology-readiness level
MALD is already a fielded system, and the version flying today meets all the requirements NATO recently outlined for an air-launched decoy.
Raytheon has spent the past two years strengthening MALD through internally funded research and development to improve its reliability, qualify airframes made with additive manufacturing and develop new payloads for a wider range of missions. MALD’s modular design allows engineers to swap out its nose section with a jammer, a kinetic warhead or a future mission kit.
“Adapting proven systems for new missions is what we do best. It’s faster, smarter and dramatically more affordable for customers,” Jenia said.
MALD can be integrated onto new aircraft platforms in just days, and has also proven it can launch from cargo aircraft – a capability no other decoy has demonstrated – giving commanders more options for how and where to deploy it.
Global supplier base
In anticipation of a production restart, Raytheon is connecting with suppliers across the U.S. and Europe that can support the higher production rates customers want.
Raytheon’s Advanced Products & Solutions team is also prepared to scale. The team has spent years maturing the electronic warfare components that power MALD’s jamming capability, and they’ve already confirmed they can support the higher quantities Raytheon expects to produce.
The business is using new manufacturing approaches to speed delivery. Raytheon plans to use additively manufactured airframes that have passed demanding environmental tests. Additively manufactured airframes would reduce build time and make adapting to new missions easier.
To keep restart timelines short, Raytheon is prioritizing proven propulsion options like the Pratt & Whitney TJ150 engine for initial production, while exploring emerging additively manufactured engines as longer-term opportunities.
Raytheon will begin production in Tucson, Arizona, for rapid initial deliveries, and anticipates establishing a second line in Europe to support long-term demand, pending necessary approvals.
“Europe has a strong industrial base, and we’re committed to partnering with it – a true ‘built‑in‑Europe, for‑Europe’ approach that expands capacity and gets capability to allies faster,” Jenia said.
Pathway to ‘affordable mass’
MALD’s versatility and ease of production could also give the U.S. and NATO allies what they call “affordable mass.”
That term describes expendable munitions that can be produced quickly, cost-effectively and at scale.
“Affordable mass means fielding weapons in large numbers that the enemy still has to take seriously,” said J.D. Word, director of Tactical Strike Requirements and Capabilities at Raytheon. “MALD delivers that – a proven, modular, lower‑cost system that soaks up enemy fire and protects the assets that truly matter.”
