US Defence Department announced that MALD-X (Miniature Air-Launched Decoy) successfully completed a “a complex free flight demonstration of advanced electronic warfare techniques.”

The decoy builds on previous MALD iterations that can jam an enemy's electronics.

Known by its acronym MALD-X, the Miniature Air Launch Decoy confuses enemy air defences by duplicating friendly aircraft flight profiles and radar signatures, according to manufacturer Raytheon, who in 2016 won a $34.8 million contract to develop the technology.

In a statement, the Pentagon said developers successfully completed a series of flight demonstrations on August 20 and 22 at Point Mugu in California.

MALD, about three meters long and weighing about 300 pounds, is an air-launched, jet-powered drone used to confuse enemy air defence systems by mimicking the flight characteristics and radar signature of friendly aircraft. MALD can cover over 900 kilometres in 45 minutes before exhausting its fuel.