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Ukrainian MiG-29 May Have Just Gotten ADM-160B MALD Decoys to Facilitate Attacks With Storm Shadow

An A10C Thunderbolt II with ADM-160 payload next to a B-1B Lancer during training in Guam / Illustrative photo credit: U.S. Air Force
An A10C Thunderbolt II with ADM-160 payload next to a B-1B Lancer during training in Guam / Illustrative photo credit: U.S. Air Force

The drone decoys overload enemy air defense and notably, an entire swarm can be launched from a single carrier

Open-source imagery indicates Ukraine may have received ADM-160 MALD (Miniature Air-Launched Decoy) unmanned aerial vehicles. These UAVs have a specific purpose: launched from an aircraft mid-flight, they play the role of decoys for distraction of enemy air defenses.

Photos showing an alleged instance of the ADM-160 were published after an alleged strike of Ukrainian forces on the russian-occupied city of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine on May 13 morning. The Drive identified the wreckage as presumably the older variant of MALD, namely the ADM-160B that was the first to enter service with the U.S. Air Force in 2009.

Wreckage of an ADM-160 Miniature Air-Launched Decoy reportedly found on the Ukrainian territory occupied by russian forces, May 2023
Wreckage of an ADM-160 Miniature Air-Launched Decoy reportedly found on the Ukrainian territory occupied by russian forces, May 2023 / Open source photo

If confirmed independently, this will become a sort of breakthrough for Ukraine. Supply of MALD is a logical move after Great Britain announced the provision of Storm Shadow land attack missiles. Pentagon officials declined to comment on the alleged supply of ADM-160, noting: "For operational security considerations, we do not announce every item provided to Ukraine."

Even if we don't have the details from officials, we can expect ADM-160 to be adapted for launch by Ukrainian aircraft the same way they did with AGM-88 HARM and JDAM-ER guided bombs. In particular, thanks to the LAU-118/A aircraft pylons of American manufacture.

The known specifications of ADM-160 MALD are: fuselage length 2.38 meters, wingspan 0.65 m, launch weight 45 kg, range 460 to 575 km based on modification; avionics on this UAV allow it to mimic signals in a way a combat plane or a cruise missile would do and appear as one on enemy radars.

MALD was designed to be miniature intentionally so a whole swarm of these decoys could be launched from a single jet aircraft. For instance, an F-16 fighter can take up to 4 decoys for a mission, an A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft takes up to 12, and a B-21 bomber carries up to 16.

On the part of Defense Express, we'd like to add. Out in the public, there are already thoughts that in order to carry Storm Shadow missiles, Ukrainian MiG-29 fighters could have been modified. Although the Su-24M bomber is a more likely candidate.

Instead, the MiG-29 can help by carrying ADM-160 decoys which have just the right specs to become a usable asset for this fighter aircraft. Then the tactics of combat application of ADM-160 MALD would be as follows: first, a MiG-29 launches decoys that attract fire and unveil the positions of russian air defense, then an AGM-88 anti-radiation missile or any other weapon targets enemy radars and destroys them.

Read more: ​Can the Su-24M Jet Really be Ukrainian Storm Shadow’s Carrier, and Have the British Previously Given Such Missiles to Someone Else