Defense giant Raytheon shared a clip ahead of the planned rapid production restart of the MALD decoy, announced in July 2026.
MALD is a battle-tested, air-launched system that attracts enemy air defense fire and reduces risk for aircraft operating in contested environments.
Raytheon’s MALD production line remains warm, meaning all major tooling and test equipment are ready for use, according to the company’s July statement. Over the past two years, the firm conducted internally funded research and development to improve the system’s reliability, qualify airframes made with additive manufacturing, and develop new payloads for a wider range of missions.
As Raytheon informed, the team behind MALD includes many of the same specialists who have worked on the program for over two decades, preserving the institutional knowledge needed to restart quickly.
Raytheon plans to begin production in Tucson, Arizona, and anticipates establishing a second line in Europe to support long-term demand.