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Ukrainian MiG-29s Equipped with the Capacity to Use ADM-160 MALD Decoys

MiG-29 fighter of the Ukrainian Air Force with ADM-160 MALD decoy / Photo credit: @front_ukrainian
MiG-29 fighter of the Ukrainian Air Force with ADM-160 MALD decoy / Photo credit: @front_ukrainian

The initial report on the use of ADM-160 MALD dates back to 2023. However, there remain questions regarding the expansion of its utilization

Military expert Serhiy Zgurets provided commentary on the integration of decoys into MiG-29 fighter jets by Ukraine. He made these remarks on the Espreso TV channel.

"The decoys used by the Ukrainian Air Force have been in use for a long time. The first use was back in May 2023. That is, when a strike was launched against russian targets. These American so-called ADM-160 MALD decoys are a drone that resembles a missile. During the flight, it can generate an electric field around it of such quality that the enemy cannot understand whether it is a cruise missile, a fighter or a bomber. And the enemy is forced to turn on its air defense systems to repel the attack of this false target, which it mistakes for a real target," Zgurets explained.

Read more: Ukrainian MiG-29 Spotted with French AASM Hammer Guided Bomb (Photo)

According to a military expert, the range of the ADM-160 MALD decoy is about 400 km.

The photo of the MiG-29 equipped with ADM-160 MALD decoy was posted by Colby Badhwar, journalist of the English edition of the Insider publication.

"Our MiG-29 fighters and other aircraft use these decoys as the first element of an attack on russian air defense systems. Because right after this decoy, a HARM anti-radar missile flies, which is launched either from a MiG-29 or a Su-27 and destroys russian air defense systems. This “sweet couple” has been working for over a year to destroy enemy air defense systems. There are questions about how to further scale this use. It is necessary to transfer such strikes to the territory of the russian federation," Zgurets stressed.

Lauyout of the ADM-160 MALD unmanned aerial vehicle, Defense Express
Lauyout of the ADM-160 MALD unmanned aerial vehicle / Open source illustrative image
Read more: More Evidence That Ukraine Secretly Got ADM-160 MALD Decoy Drones From the U.S.