The Air Force recently took delivery of its 1,000th Miniature Air Launched Decoy Jammer variant as part of Lot 5 production, manufacturer Raytheon announced. “The MALD program has enjoyed a perfect 33-for-33 flight test record over the past two years,” said Mike Jarrett, company vice president for air warfare and missile systems, in a release May 13. “The MALD has demonstrated it can simultaneously increase the combat capability of platforms, sensors, weapons, and decision-makers working in the battlespace.” Raytheon began delivering the 300-pound, radar-jamming decoy in late 2012, and sealed an $81.7 million deal with the Air Force for production Lot 6 last spring.
Since President Donald Trump first unveiled his “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative in late January, much of the focus for it has been focused on space—how the Pentagon may deploy dozens, if not hundreds, of sensors and interceptors into orbit to protect the continental U.S. from missile barrages. But the Air…