GRAHAM WARWICK / WASHINGTON DC
Vehicle is a derivative of the miniature decoy planned for USAir Force fighters
Northrop Grumman's miniature air-launched interceptor (MALI) has completed a supersonic flight test, culminating a US Defense Advanced Research Projects (DARPA) programme to demonstrate technology for a low-cost cruise missile interceptor. The unmanned vehicle reached Mach 1.1 after launch from a McDonnell Douglas F-4 over the China Lake weapons range in California.
The MALI is a derivative of the subsonic miniature air-launched decoy (MALD) demonstrated by Northrop Grumman in a previous DARPA programme. The US Air Force has opened a competition to develop and procure the MALD, and Northrop Grumman hopes the MALI's supersonic flight will boost the programme's chance of moving to development and production.
A final request for proposals for the MALD is expected to be released in mid-January, leading to contract award at the end of April. Five companies have expressed interest: Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and Accurate Automation. The USAF plans to buy 1,500 air-launched decoys, with production beginning in 2008, at a target average unit price of $75,000.
Initially, MALDs will be carried by Boeing B-52s and Lockheed Martin F-16s, electronically mimicking the launch aircraft's radar signature and flight profile to trick enemy air defences into revealing their locations. "MALD will go in to stimulate the fog of war, sites will come up and show themselves, and shooters will come in behind," says Art Lofton, Northrop Grumman programme manager.
Northrop Grumman built 30 MALDs during the DARPA technology demonstration, which proved "the decoy could look like the aircraft", says Lofton. The MALD demonstrator was a 40kg (90lb) autonomous vehicle powered by a 50lb-thrust (0.22kN) Hamilton Sundstrand TJ50 turbojet. The production decoy will have twice the range. Later variants will carry jamming and other payloads.
The MALI is modified, with a sharper nose, higher wing sweep and 120lb-thrust TJ50M engine to increase performance.
Source: Flight International
