June 18, 2009
PARIS, -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) delivered its first Miniature Air Launched Decoy initial operational test and evaluation unit to the U.S. Air Force.
During IOT&E, the U.S. Air Force will conduct numerous flight tests on the MALD™ to evaluate the system in operationally realistic and demanding scenarios.
MALD is a state-of-the-art, low-cost flight vehicle that is modular, air-launched and programmable. It weighs less than 300 pounds and has a range of approximately 500 nautical miles (about 575 statute miles). MALD protects aircrews and their aircraft by duplicating the combat flight profiles and signatures of U.S. and allied aircraft.
"Raytheon will begin full rate production of MALD following the successful IOT&E program," said Harry Schulte, Raytheon Missile Systems vice president of Air Warfare Systems. "We expect the program to go well because Raytheon has earned a reputation for reliability and meeting its commitments to the warfighter."
In November 2008, Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine named Raytheon's MALD the winner of the 2008 Program Excellence Award in System Research and Development.
"The delivery of the first IOT&E unit means the warfighter is one step closer to gaining the incredible capabilities MALD brings to the fight," said Ken Watson, the U.S. Air Force's MALD program manager. "The men and women going into harm's way need MALD because it is a modular, versatile and affordable system that will shape the battlespace through a spectrum of effects."
MALD is currently in low rate initial production; the first LRIP unit was delivered March 16.
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