Ukraine flashes the world’s most advanced ‘decoy missile’ that AD crew found hardest to intercept

As the Ukrainian Air Force waits for Dutch F-16 fighter jets to take on the Russian Air Force, a rare image of a Ukrainian MiG-29 equipped with ADM-160 Miniature Air-Launched Decoys (MALDs) has surfaced online.

According to publicly available information, the photo below shows a low pass of a MiG-29 of the Ukrainian Air Force of the 114th Tactical Aviation Brigade. Under the wings of the aircraft is a US-supplied ADM-160 MALD (Miniature Air-Launched Decoy).

Although these decoys have been used to deceive Russian air defense systems since 2023, this is the first time in over a year that a Ukrainian fighter has been photographed carrying the ADM-160 MALD, and certainly the first public disclosure of these decoys equipped on the MiG- 29 Fulcrum.

While the decoys were shipped to Ukraine in 2023, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) did not officially recognize the deliveries. It was not until May 2023 that the wreckage of one of these decoys was discovered in Luhansk, confirming its use by the AFU, as previously reported by EurAsian Times.

After the discovery of the debris, observers and military experts began to speculate about the platform Kiev might have used to launch the decoy. Some initially speculated that it could be a MiG-29, which has also been combined with other US weapons systems, such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range (JDAM-ER) smart bombs and the AGM-88 HARM. Others believed it could even be a Su-27.

The MALD is an autonomous, programmable flight system that can imitate U.S. or allied aircraft to confuse enemy Integrated Air Defense Systems (IADS). Despite lacking an explosive warhead or offensive capability, it has incredible significance in an offensive role.

A former US Department of Defense (DoD) official, Trent Telenko, said: “The AGM-160B MALD is essentially a small cruise missile/glide bomb intended to jam radars, drop chaff, and re-radiate missile fire control signals to look like a larger aircraft. His presence in Ukraine’s arsenal means a lot.”

These MALDs are essentially miniature cruise missiles intended to deceive enemy air defenses rather than attack them kinetically. They can disrupt enemy radars or trick their operators into thinking threats are approaching from different directions, often diverting the attention of defenders and resources from real impending threats.

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There are reports that Ukraine has used these decoys in conjunction with the Storm Shadow, or SCLAP-EG, long-range missiles. The ADM-160 MALD can reach locations far beyond those of a Storm Shadow or SCALP-EG.

Additionally, they weigh just under 300 pounds and could be programmed to replicate various aircraft and missile radar signatures, deceiving Russian air defenses.

An Izvestia report claimed that the Russian military destroyed two ADM-160 MALD missiles on January 12. According to an earlier analysis by the EurAsian Times, the MALD is likely to be fired first, followed by a MiG-29 or Su-27 aircraft firing the AGM-88 HARM. The Su-24 Fencers then fire the Storm Shadow. The plan is seen as first disabling the radar and then attacking land targets with Storm Shadows.

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The ‘decoy’ missile deploys folded wings. According to a report by RIA Novosti, an inertial navigation system (INS) with GPS functionality keeps the MALD on its ‘programmed course’. The pilot can change this at any time, up to launch.

Because a single MALD can cost up to $300,000, Ukraine only uses it for missions aimed at taking out high-value targets. It is therefore unusual for Russian anti-aircraft guns to encounter MALD, which is probably why there are very few photos of the MALD attached to an aircraft.

Because no weapon is visible on the plane’s mast in the viral photo, some observers said the fighter plane was likely returning from a mission. EurAsian Times could not independently confirm these claims or hypotheses circulating on social media.

However, the image comes at a time when fighting between the two sides has become intense. Russia launched a new offensive against Ukraine earlier this month and claims to have regularly made significant gains since then.

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is now calling for direct NATO involvement.

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As Russia continues to bomb Ukraine and its ground operations, the Ukrainian president said: “Russians are using 300 aircraft on the territory of Ukraine. We need at least 120 to 130 aircraft to provide resistance in the air.”

Ukraine expects to purchase F-16 fighter jets in the coming months. Stressing the urgent need to counter Russian fighter jets, the Ukrainian president said NATO countries could still use the planes to shoot down Russian missiles even if they are unable to immediately supply them with the promised F-16s .

The president announced that his country was in talks with other countries about using its armed forces to attack Russian military equipment, both inside and outside Russia.

“So far there is nothing positive,” he says. Zelensky reaffirmed that he had not ignored promises to his allies not to use their weapons in Russia. “We cannot put the entire volume of weapons at risk.”

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Zelensky stated that the battlefield situation was “one of the most difficult” since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022. “There is a very powerful wave (of fighting) going on in the Donbas… No one even notices that more battles are taking place in the east of the country, especially towards the Donbas: Kurakhove, Pokrovsk, Khasiv Yar.”

However, he noted that the situation in Kharkov was now under control, after days of aggressive Russian operations.