MALD (miniature air-launched decoy) is finally ready to rumble. That's a year after the U.S. Air Force received its first production models. After over a decade of development, the air force now has enough MALDs in inventory to actually carry out operations with the new device. MALD is a powered decoy that appears, on enemy radar, as a warplane. This MALD works. Six years of wasted effort on earlier designs created several versions that did not work. MALD is expected to get a radar jamming capability within two years. Currently, only the B-52 and F-16 are equipped to carry MALD.
Anything that helps us get close enough to take shots at those DF-21 carrier killers before our carriers enter their range will be a welcome addition to the arsenal.
