The US Marine Corps has completed the first flight test of the Raytheon miniature air-launched decoy jammer (MALD-J) equipped with a radio datalink, which expands the operator’s situational awareness and allows for in-flight targeting adjustments.
MALD-J, an unmanned system that can confuse enemy air defense systems by imitating the radar signature of manned fighters, is already being bought in bulk by the air force and the navy has integrated the rocket-powered vehicle onto its carrier-based Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
Once deployed, MALD duplicates the flight profile of the aircraft from which it was launched, tricking enemy air defense batteries into firing surface-to-air missiles at the decoy instead of the manned aircraft and disclosing the SAM’s launcher’s location. MALD-J takes the system on step further by integrating the ability to active jam enemy air defense radars.
The ADM-160C MALD-J variant, a highly autonomous stand-in-jammer, can also operate in decoy mode when selected by the pilot. Raytheon began deliveries of the MALD-J in 2012.
The US Marine Corps and air force partnered with Raytheon for the test at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, during a captive-carry exercise in which the MALD-J was carried by a larger aircraft without releasing it during the flight. The jammer demonstration vehicle (JDV) was flown aboard a North American Sabreliner, according to Raytheon spokeswoman Ashley Mehl.
MALD-J carried out its assigned radar jamming mission on the range and was able to send situation awareness data to an electronic warfare battle manager. The EWBM used this information to adjust the MALD's mission while in flight, Raytheon says.
The system is a modular, air-launched autonomous vehicle that can be carried like a missile by a larger aircraft and deployed during combat. MALD-J weighs less than 136kg (300lb) and has a 500nm (926km) range, according to Raytheon.
"This flight test shows MALD-J's ability to integrate new technology that will provide the warfighter more capabilities on the battlefield," Mike Jarrett, vice-president of air warfare systems for Raytheon Missile Systems, says in a prepared statement. "The Marines are operationalising the Marine Air Ground Task Force Cyberspace and Electronic Warfare Coordination Cell and Raytheon is part of this forward-thinking solution to a complex problem."
Source: FlightGlobal.com
