The US Air Force recently completed the preliminary design review of the miniature air-launched decoy jammer (MALD-J) with support from Raytheon, it was announced at the Paris Air Show.

The MALD-J will add radar-jamming capability to the basic MALD platform recently acquired by the air force.

The decoy jammer that has completed captive carrying tests will diminish or remove the need to send aircrews to conduct jamming missions.

The UK has expressed interest at the Paris Air Show in a MALD-J variant MALD-V that does not contain mission payloads.

Free-flight demonstration tests on the MALD-J will be performed by late 2009 and critical design review will follow by early 2010.

The MALD is a modular, air-launch-capable flight vehicle weighing less than 300lb with a range of 500nm.

The USAF-owned MALD will be initially tested on board F-16 fighters and B-52 bombers.