Raytheon to integrate Miniature Air Launched Decoy (MALD) on remotely piloted aircraft platform

Thursday, Feb 14, 2013

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) are working together to develop a highly autonomous, unmanned electronic warfare capability based on equipping GA-ASI's Predator^® B/MQ-9 Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) with Raytheon's Miniature Air Launched Decoy (MALD^®). With the Ground Verification Test phase completed November 2012 at GA-ASI's Gray Butte Flight Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif., integration of MALD^® on the aircraft is estimated to conclude in 2013.

"This new offering provides unprecedented electronic warfare capability enabling remote, unmanned suppression of enemy air defenses," said Harry Schulte, vice president of Air Warfare Systems for Raytheon Missile Systems. "Integrating MALD weaponry on remotely piloted aircraft systems is integral to maintaining air superiority in today's and tomorrow's conflicts."

When employed, MALD confuses the target integrated air defense system (IADS), and then kinetic weaponry is selectively employed to permanently disable IADS nodes, dramatically increasing electronic attack persistence in the battlespace.

About MALD and MALD-J

MALD is a state-of-the-art, low-cost flight vehicle that is modular, air-launched and programmable. It weighs less than 300 pounds and has a range of approximately 500 nautical miles. MALD protects aircraft and their crews by duplicating the combat flight profiles and signatures of U.S. and allied aircraft. MALD-J adds radar-jamming capability to the basic MALD platform.

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2012 sales of $24 billion and 68,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 91 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems; as well as a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @raytheon.

SOURCE Raytheon Company