MALD Decoy Missiles Integrated Into Ukrainian Su-27s of Special Operations Forces

Ukrainian pilots of Su-27 fighter jets have been given the opportunity to use ADM-160 MALD decoy missiles and talked about the tactics of their use.

The video report was published by the Ukrainian Air Force.

MALD decoy missiles have been used by the Armed Forces since 2023. Back in May, the wreckage of these missiles was found after a missile attack on the temporarily occupied Luhansk.

In May 2024, it became known that those missiles could’ve been used by Ukrainian MiG-29s.

“Today I launched ADM-160 MALD missiles. They are designed to take the brunt of air defense, to put up obstacles. This missile is a deception for air defense systems. At the same time, at another airfield, our colleagues are programming Storm Shadow or SCALP missiles to strike the enemy,” says a Ukrainian Su-27 pilot.

According to him, HARM anti-radar missiles are also used during such operations.

From this we can conclude that the MALD missiles are used as part of a combined strike designed to suppress and overwhelm enemy air defense systems so that long-range cruise missiles can hit designated targets.

ADM-160B MALD

The ADM-160B is a decoy cruise missile developed in 2003 by the Raytheon Corporation. The missile weighing 115 kilograms is capable of covering a distance of 920 kilometers along a pre-programmed route at a subsonic cruising speed of Mach 0.91.

The missile has folding wings for more compact transportation. During the launch, the wings unfold, and then the turbojet engine turns on. After launch, the missile flies along a predetermined course, which can consist of several hundred points.

The missile is guided by a GPS-enabled inertial navigation system.

It differs from a combat missile in that it uses a special payload in the form of jamming equipment – active or passive, depending on the modification and design.

A decoy can simply fly to a given area and distract air defense systems, reducing the risk to the real missile. Alternatively, the MALD can fly alongside a real missile and use an electronic warfare station to make it harder to hit. Advanced versions can mimic the electronic signature of specific targets, such as aircraft.