The decoy missile that tricks radars into fighting ghosts

Countries & Cities · Published 14 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In modern warfare, the most effective weapon isn't always a bomb; sometimes it is a ghost. The ADM-160 MALD is a low-cost decoy missile designed to mimic aircraft, tricking enemy air defenses into wasting their resources on a phantom target while the real strike passes by.

The Miniature Air-Launched Decoy (MALD) program began in 1995 under DARPA to create a small, affordable missile for Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD). While the initial ADM-160A model was cancelled in 2002 due to range and endurance limitations, the program was revived in 2003. This led to the ADM-160B, a larger and heavier variant powered by a more potent Hamilton Sundstrand TJ-150 turbojet. By 2012, the U.S. Air Force shifted its procurement focus exclusively to the MALD-J, which adds active jamming capabilities to the decoy's deceptive signature.

The MALD's primary trick is its Signature Augmentation Subsystem (SAS). By doing so, the system mimics different plane radar profiles, spanning the F-117 Nighthawk to the B-52 Stratofortress. It operates on a preprogrammed course of up to 100 waypoints (or 256 in some versions), which pilots can modify until the moment of launch. Once released, its wings unfold and it uses an inertial navigation system with GPS support to navigate toward its target, effectively 'bearing the brunt' of air defenses.

Recent history has seen the MALD in active combat. In 2023, Ukrainian forces utilized the ADM-160B to support Storm Shadow cruise missile strikes. By launching these decoys alongside kinetic weapons, they create tactical deception, forcing enemy systems to engage the MALD while the primary munitions reach their goals. This modular approach is further evolving with the MALD-X, which features autonomous capabilities and low-altitude flight, and potential configurations that could turn the decoy into a surveillance UAV or even a cruise missile with a thermobaric warhead.

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