The Air Force awarded Raytheon a $76 million option for the production of the Miniature Air Launched Decoy/Jammer (MALD-J) lot 10. MALD-J is the unmanned version of “a low-cost, air-launched programmable craft that accurately duplicates the combat flight profiles and signatures of U.S. and allied aircraft,” according to the company. The expendable vehicles are designed to distract enemy radar from live US aircraft. This award comes as an alteration to the $118 million contract for lot 9 production given to Raytheon in June. The work will be done in Tuscon, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2020. (See also: Leading EW Out of the Wilderness.)
Pentagon officials overseeing homeland counter-drone strategy told lawmakers that even with preliminary moves to bolster U.S. base defenses, the military still lacks the capability to comprehensively identify, track, and engage hostile drones like those that breached the airspace of Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 days in December…