NATO Is Preparing for a War Where Deception Becomes a Weapon. Raytheon Restarts ADM-160 MALD Production
After years of limited production, Raytheon is restarting the manufacture of ADM-160 MALD air-launched decoys in response to growing demand from the United States and NATO allies. The move is more than another defence contract—it signals a fundamental shift in how the Alliance is preparing for future air operations, where penetrating advanced air defence systems will increasingly depend not on the number of aircraft, but on the ability to deceive the enemy.
While Europe Expands Missile Production, NATO Is Investing in What Helps Those Missiles Get Through
Raytheon is preparing to restart production of the ADM-160 Miniature Air-Launched Decoy (MALD) after demand from the U.S. Department of Defense and NATO allies increased significantly. Following several years of limited output, the company is bringing production capacity back online to fulfil a new wave of orders.
At first glance, this may appear to be another defence procurement programme. In reality, it reflects a much broader transformation in the Alliance’s approach to air warfare. While previous investments focused primarily on next-generation combat aircraft and precision-guided munitions, increasing attention is now being given to systems that enable those platforms to operate effectively against dense and sophisticated air defence networks.
That is precisely why demand for MALD has surged.
Modern Air Defence Must Be Deceived, Not Just Destroyed
The ADM-160 MALD is a compact air-launched decoy designed to replicate the radar signature and flight profile of a combat aircraft.
To enemy radar operators, it appears to be a genuine target.
As a result, air defence units may activate radar systems, alter their operating modes, or even launch expensive interceptor missiles against objects that carry no warhead.
The most advanced version, MALD-J, combines decoy capabilities with electronic warfare functions. It can not only simulate multiple targets but also actively jam enemy radar systems, creating corridors for strike aircraft and cruise missiles.
Rather than physically destroying an air defence network, the system reduces its effectiveness before the main strike even begins.
Ukraine Has Become One of the Strongest Proofs of This Concept
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated the practical value of air-launched decoys.
Fragments of ADM-160 systems have repeatedly been found in occupied territories following combined strikes against military targets. Defence analysts have linked their use with operations involving Storm Shadow, SCALP-EG, and AGM-88 HARM missiles.
These operations rely on overwhelming enemy air defence with multiple types of threats simultaneously. Some are cruise missiles, others are drones, while others are decoys.
This forces air defence operators to divide their attention and interceptor missiles among numerous potential targets, increasing the probability that the primary strike weapons will successfully penetrate the defensive network.
The lessons from Ukraine are now being closely studied across NATO.
The Alliance Is Preparing for Attrition, Not Short Campaigns
The decision to restart MALD production also reflects another strategic shift that has become increasingly visible since 2022.
NATO is no longer planning primarily for short, limited military campaigns.
Instead, defence planners are preparing for the possibility of prolonged, high-intensity conflicts against technologically advanced adversaries equipped with layered air defence systems, large missile stockpiles, and substantial industrial capacity.
In such a scenario, relying solely on expensive precision weapons becomes economically unsustainable.
Large numbers of relatively inexpensive decoys can force an opponent to expend costly interceptor missiles on false targets, gradually exhausting defensive resources.
The result is a different model of warfare, where success depends less on individual weapon systems and more on the coordinated employment of multiple capabilities.
Europe’s Defence Industry Is Entering a New Phase
Raytheon’s decision also aligns with the broader expansion of NATO’s defence industrial base.
Over the past year, Allied governments have invested not only in increasing production of Patriot missiles, AMRAAM interceptors, and artillery ammunition, but also in the supporting capabilities that make modern air campaigns possible—from electronic warfare systems to drones and air-launched decoys.
For Europe’s defence industry, this marks a gradual shift in demand.
Immediately after Russia's full-scale invasion, the primary concern was ammunition shortages. Today, increasing emphasis is being placed on technologies that maximise the effectiveness of those munitions on the battlefield.
As a result, more defence programmes are evolving beyond individual missiles or aircraft and towards integrated operational architectures.
Air Superiority Will Increasingly Depend on What the Enemy Cannot See
The restart of ADM-160 MALD production illustrates how rapidly Western defence priorities are evolving.
Future air superiority will depend not only on advanced aircraft or long-range missiles, but also on the ability to force adversaries into making costly mistakes. Systems that create confusion, overload radar networks, and drain interceptor inventories are becoming as strategically valuable as the strike platforms they support.
Raytheon’s production restart therefore represents far more than a manufacturing decision. It reflects NATO’s growing recognition that future air wars will be won not simply by superior firepower, but by the ability to shape the battlefield before the first missile reaches its target.
Sources: Defence Industry Europe, U.S. Air Forc