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Ukraine Turns Su-27s Into Decoy Launchers With American MALD Missiles
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 fighter jets have been equipped with American ADM-160 MALD decoy missiles, marking the first documented use of these aircraft as launch platforms for the system.
The integration allows Su-27 pilots to conduct combined strike missions designed to overwhelm Russian air defenses.
According to Defense Express on August 23, footage released by the Air Force showed the decoys mounted under the wings of Su-27s, alongside standard air-to-air missiles such as the R-27 and R-73.
The report highlighted that Ukrainian pilots are now able to launch MALDs in coordination with other strike systems, including Storm Shadow and SCALP cruise missiles, as well as AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles.
A Su-27 pilot interviewed in the video explained that the ADM-160 MALD is intended to absorb the primary fire of Russian surface-to-air missile systems and create radar interference. “At the same time, on another airfield, our comrades are programming Storm Shadow or SCALP missiles to strike targets,” he said.
This indicates the use of MALDs as part of a layered strategy aimed at saturating enemy defenses before precision strikes are carried out.
The ADM-160 MALD, developed by Raytheon in 2003, is a small jet-powered decoy missile weighing around 115 kilograms. It can fly more than 900 kilometers at subsonic speeds using a pre-programmed route, supported by GPS and inertial navigation.
Depending on the variant, the missile carries electronic warfare payloads capable of simulating the radar signature of aircraft or cruise missiles, forcing air defense systems to engage false targets.
Ukrainian forces first employed MALDs in May 2023, when fragments were recovered in occupied Luhansk after a missile strike. In 2024, reports confirmed that MiG-29 fighters had been modified to carry the decoys.
The Su-27 integration appears to follow a similar path, with adjustments made primarily to the pylons. Analysts note that Ukrainian engineers have adapted American MAU-50 or MAU-12 ejector racks—normally used on US platforms like the A-10, F-15, and F-16—for Soviet-designed aircraft.
While US bombers such as the B-52 can carry up to 12 MALDs, Ukrainian Su-27s and MiG-29s typically mount two per aircraft. This limitation is linked to the need for the fighters to remain multi-role platforms, capable of both launching decoys and performing air-to-air or precision strike missions using JDAM-ER guided bombs.
The Air Force video also provided rare insight into tactics. MALDs are launched almost simultaneously—or just ahead of—cruise missile strikes from other airfields, compelling Russian air defenses to fire interceptors at the decoys.
Earlier, Ukraine became the first country to employ 1,000-pound JDAM-ER bombs in combat, adapting Mark 83 munitions with extended-range kits for use on Su-27 fighters—an upgrade from the 500-pound versions first reported in 2023.
