DoD’s Strategic Capabilities Office, Navy Demonstrate Raytheon Aerial Decoy; Matthew O’Connell Quoted

The Strategic Capabilities Office and Naval Air Warfare Center Point Mugu have performed two free flight demonstrations of the new variant of a Raytheon-made aerial decoy.

The Defense Department said Thursday the Miniature Air Launched Decoy-X platform integrates features from the MALD-Jammer system, as well as helps the U.S. Navy integrate advanced electronic warfare payloads and capabilities into future mission sets.

“MALD-X gives future warfighters the ability to focus on the nature of the emerging threats rather than be encumbered by the burden associated with making a system interact with mission elements and mission supporting actions,” said MALD-X Program Manager Matthew O’Connell.

Raytheon developed MALD-X under a $34.8M contract awarded in July 2016.

The company is working with the U.S. Air Force, Navy, SCO and Eglin Air Force Base’s MALD Program Office for the MALD-X program.