Electronic Weapons: June 21, 2003

Archives

Despite the low losses to enemy air defenses in the last two decades, you can't afford to get complacent. So the U.S. Air Force has completed a competition between several aerospace companies and has issued an $88 million dollar development contract for a new powered decoy. The new MALD (miniature air-launched decoy) design is 9.5 feet long, and has pop-out wings that give it a five foot wingspan. The 200 pound MALD is powered by a small turbojet engine and can fly up to Mach .93 (1000 kilometers an hour) for 45 minutes at 35,000 feet or 20 minutes at 3,000 feet. It can be programmed to fly a specific course to try and get enemy air defenses to open up, so they can be spotted and destroyed. MALDs can also be used in swarms to overwhelm enemy air defenses. Testing and development will begin this year and the MALD should be ready for service by 2007. Each will cost about $125,000.

 

X

ad

Help Keep Us From Drying Up

We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling.

Each month we count on your contributions. You can support us in the following ways:

  1. Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
  2. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. We’ll send the news to your email box, and you don’t have to come to the site unless you want to read columns or see photos.
  3. You can contribute to the health of StrategyPage.
Subscribe   Contribute   Close