NAVAIR modifies MALD-N EMD SOW

The US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) on 20 May announced that it intended to negotiate and award a sole-source contract modification to Raytheon Missiles and Defense (RMD), a Raytheon Technologies business, “to de-scope Early Operational Capability (EOC) and add options for RSS [Radar Signal Simulator] kits, initiator testing, and structural ground testing to the Miniature Air Launched Decoy – Navy (MALD-N) Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (EMD) Statement of Work (SOW)”.

NAVAIR announced the award to Raytheon Missile Systems, now RMD, of a USD33 million 24-month EMD phase contract for MALD-N in January 2019. That award followed a USD46.6 million technical maturation and risk reduction (TMRR) contract placed by the command in September 2018.

Intended to address the US Navy’s (USN’s) requirement for a network-enabled stand-in jammer to support suppression of enemy air defence missions, MALD-N is an evolution of the US Air Force (USAF) ADM-160C, the datalink-equipped Miniature Air Launched Decoy – Jammer (MALD-J) system – a subscale, turbojet-powered, air-launched decoy/jammer with a maximum range of about 500 n miles (926 km).

An evolved version of the MALD-J (pictured), MALD-N is designed to address the US Navy’s requirement for a network-enabled stand-in jammer to support suppression of enemy air defence missions.

The MALD-N also benefits from technology advances delivered through the Raytheon MALD-X evolved stand-in jammer development, which incorporates a modular front-end, an improved jamming payload, and a low-altitude capability with the MALD-J airframe.