The U.S. Air Force and Raytheon completed a preliminary design review of the Miniature Air Launched Decoy Jammer. The MALD-J adds radar-jamming capability to the basic MALD platform.
"The PDR confirmed our design approach for MALD-J is technologically sound," said Ken Watson, the U.S. Air Force's MALD program manager. "I've cleared the MALD-J team to proceed with final design activities and prepare for a critical design review by early 2010."
MALD is a state-of-the-art, low-cost flight vehicle that is modular, air-launched and programmable. It weighs less than 300 pounds and has a range of approximately 500 nautical miles (about 575 statute miles). MALD-J recently completed captive carry testing.
Raytheon is scheduled to conduct a MALD-J free-flight demonstration by late 2009 and begin engineering manufacturing development in 2010. A milestone C decision – the decision to go into production – is expected in early 2011.
"The modular MALD-J will give the warfighter expendable stand-in jamming capability," said Scott Muse, Raytheon's MALD program director. "MALD-J will reduce or eliminate the need to send aircrews into harm's way to conduct jamming missions."
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