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By (https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick) Thomas Newdick ,  (https://www.twz.com/authors/tyler-rogoway) Tyler Rogoway      Published  Sep 21, 2026 6:47 PM EDT     (adm-160-miniature-air-launched-decoy-wreckage-a-reminder-of-ongoing-spying-on-irans-air-defenses.html#comments)    0           (https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=twz.com) Add TWZ (opens in a new tab)      More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results.        (For the first time, physical evidence has emerged confirming that the United States has employed ADM-160 Miniature Air-Launched Decoys in operations against Iran.)   Iranian media    The TWZ Newsletter Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.   (handle_newsletter_email_submission) (acc76e3490)  (/air/adm-160-miniature-air-launched-decoy-wreckage-a-reminder-of-ongoing-spying-on-irans-air-defenses)  (TWZInline) (0) Email address  (Enter your email) (Please enter a valid email address)  Sign Up  Thank you!      (https://recurrent.io/terms-and-conditions/) Terms of Service and(https://recurrent.io/privacy-policy/) Privacy Policy        Remnants claimed to be photographed in Iran have been identified as belonging to a (https://www.twz.com/evidence-of-adm-160-miniature-air-launched-decoy-use-by-ukraine-emerges) Raytheon ADM-160 Miniature Air-Launched Decoy (MALD). The wreckage was reportedly recovered after an Iranian interception that occurred earlier in the day, although the exact location and circumstances remain unconfirmed and there is reason for caution. Iranian state and military media have (https://www.twz.com/sea/irans-wacky-aircraft-carrier-has-entered-service) a long record of (https://www.twz.com/33042/irans-military-makes-batshit-claim-that-this-stupid-contraption-detects-coronavirus) presenting unverified or exaggerated claims , especially during periods of conflict, and imagery released through those channels warrants independent scrutiny. Still, the MALD identification appears credible based on the visible wreckage, but its provenance, location, and the circumstances of its loss have not yet been independently established. MALDs were likely used at least in the opening stages of Operation Epic Fury, as well. With that being said, the showing off of the MALD wreckage, regardless of its original use case, is something of a reminder that U.S. and Israeli forces are continuing to evaluate Iran’s (https://www.twz.com/air/rc-135-accompanied-by-fighters-off-venezuela-testing-enemy-air-defenses-u-s-official) electronic order of battle, which can include probing activities that leverage deception and decoys to better understand the state of Iran’s air defenses and command and control architecture. This is critical information that needs to be constantly updated for contingency and future potential air campaign purposes.  ()  Wreckage of the MALD. Iranian media   Iranian sources today (https://www.tasnimnews.ir/en/news/2026/09/21/3702011/iranian-forces-down-us-drones-over-strait-of-hormuz) reported the destruction of an (https://aeronautics-sys.com/systems/orbiter-2isr/) Orbiter-type reconnaissance drone over the Strait of Hormuz, before the separate imagery emerged showing what appears to be the wreckage of a MALD. It is not yet clear whether the two reports refer to the same incident or separate losses. ()  A close-up of the wreckage of the MALD. Iranian media   The appearance of the wreckage could also shed a light on how the U.S. and Israel can conduct ongoing air operations against Iran, even if kinetic actions have largely slowed to a trickle. 15090 is the CAGE code for Raytheon, which is visible on the tail fins and other remnants. Source for images: (https://t.co/weIo1Hh6RR) https://t.co/weIo1Hh6RR (https://t.co/4LoBMChKZG) pic.twitter.com/4LoBMChKZG  — Trevor Ball (@Easybakeovensz) (https://x.com/Easybakeovensz/status/2101823455033278614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) September 20, 2026    MALD is an expendable store, launched from another aircraft. The ADM-160 family was developed to provide a flexible way of decoying and distracting an enemy’s air defenses, while also adding to the survivability of allied aircraft and standoff weapons. Raytheon won the U.S. Air Force development contract for the current-generation ADM-160B in 2003. The B design is significantly different from the initial A-model from Teledyne Ryan (later Northrop Grumman), the development of which (https://designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-160.html) had started in the late 1990s . The B also features a more powerful turbojet engine and possesses greater range. ()  MALDs being prepared for loading onto an aircraft. U.S. Air Force   The ADM-160B is approximately 6.5 feet long, has a wingspan of roughly 5.6 feet when deployed, and is powered by a small turbojet. It has an operational range of around 550 miles.  Rather than carrying a conventional warhead, the MALD carries equipment intended to reproduce the radar signature of specific aircraft or standoff weapons. It can therefore provide additional and often highly enticing tracks for an adversary’s radar operators and surface-to-air missile crews to respond to. It can be programmed to fly intricate routes to better rival the target it is emulating and to provoke the attention of air defenders. The related ADM-160C MALD-J adds an electronic warfare capability, allowing it to perform stand-in jamming and other forms of active electronic attacks against enemy air defense nodes. Further improved variants of the MALD, which the U.S. Navy has also been acquiring, have since been developed as you can read more about (https://www.twz.com/23126/recent-mald-x-advanced-air-launched-decoy-test-is-a-much-bigger-deal-than-it-sounds-like) here . The exact variant involved in today’s incident cannot be established from all publicly available imagery at this stage. ()  An ADM-160B under the wing of a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber. U.S. Air Force    The possibility that the United States had used MALDs against Iran had already attracted considerable attention following (https://www.twz.com/air/b-2-strikes-on-iran-what-we-know-about-operation-midnight-hammer) Operation Midnight Hammer , the U.S. strike against Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025. During the operation, U.S. officials described a complex deception plan involving aircraft and other decoy measures designed to prevent Iran from determining the true direction and composition of the attack. This strongly pointed to MALD as one likely component of that deception architecture.  The opening hours and days of Operation Epic Fury also likely saw MALD employments. ADM-160s have also been (https://www.twz.com/wreck-of-miniature-air-launched-decoy-appears-in-eastern-ukraine) used extensively by Ukraine against Russia, primarily for (https://www.twz.com/air/our-best-look-yet-at-an-adm-160-miniature-air-launched-decoy-on-a-ukrainian-fighter) provoking air defense systems into radiating and as penetration aids for cruise missiles.  (MALD® Operational Scenario & Capabilities thumbnail)  MALD® Operational Scenario & Capabilities       (MALD® Operational Scenario & Capabilities)   In the Strait of Hormuz context, the MALD could serve a dual purpose. It could act in its primary role, as a defensive measure for allied aircraft and standoff weapons, drawing (https://www.twz.com/news-features/the-misconception-that-air-supremacy-has-been-achieved-over-iran) Iranian air defense systems away from it and toward the decoy. It can also be used more independently, triggering Iranian defenses and revealing their locations and operating characteristics, as well as the state of Iran’s command and control for those assets. Surveillance platforms, especially those in the air, can then soak up all that signals data. This can then be used to generate intelligence for future operations, and all without putting a person or an expensive piece of equipment at risk. The unique nature of the current state of the Iran conflict would allow for MALD to be used in this unique manner. While kinetic actions have become sporadic, they are still occurring, so firing a decoy that looks like something much more threatening to Iranian air defenders would not be an unprecedented escalation.  ()  An ADM-160 MALD in flight. Raytheon   Iran has characterized the incident as a shoot-down. If Iranian forces did successfully engage the MALD, that would represent a real air defense interception of a U.S. deception system, although these are expendable by design. It is equally possible that the MALD malfunctioned or just flew its route and ran out of fuel and crashed, as designed. The wreckage also does not, by itself, identify the aircraft that launched the MALD. The system has been integrated with a broad range of U.S. aircraft. In the course of U.S. operations against Iran, we have notably seen Air Force (https://www.twz.com/category/a-10) A-10C Thunderbolt II attack jets returning from theater (https://www.twz.com/air/a-10-warthogs-arrive-in-england-festooned-with-nose-art-and-mission-markings-from-epic-fury) with markings depicting MALD missions . ()  An A-10 with mission marks showing a mix of weapons used against Iranian targets. They include MALDs, Small Diameter Bombs, GBU-12 Paveways, Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) laser-guided rockets, AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles, and generic bombs that probably signify Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs). Andrew McKelvey   It is also worth noting that the MALD wreckage has appeared at the same time as reports of unusual, (https://www.twz.com/category/uap) UAP-like objects over Iran, with videos and eyewitness accounts circulating online. Their authenticity and nature remain unclear. A number of videos are circulating showing an unidentified object in the skies above Tehran, Iran, it’s not immediately clear what is being filmed. (https://t.co/bHNAQGFPNv) pic.twitter.com/bHNAQGFPNv  — OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) (https://x.com/sentdefender/status/2101836899702689834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) September 21, 2026    Such reports come amid an (https://www.twz.com/air/did-sensors-on-iranian-drones-help-shoot-down-f-15e) increasingly sophisticated use of low-end drones , decoys, and other forms of deception. These kinds of systems can be employed not only to stimulate adversary air defenses, but also to distract populations and probe how information moves out of a denied area. In such an environment, unusual aerial sightings should be viewed with caution — but not necessarily dismissed as irrelevant. We have been talking about how new forms of misdirection and guile will leverage relatively low-end technologies in future conflicts(https://www.twz.com/31249/disneys-plan-to-fly-x-wings-over-star-wars-park-speaks-to-perception-manipulation-tactics) for many years now. While it isn’t clear if this light show in the sky over Iran was such an activity, it is certainly a reminder to keep that possibility in mind.  I don’t know what this is, or if it’s legit BUT remember we are in a new age of misdirection, decoy and guile. Specifically using low end drone technology. There are more ways to stimulate an enemy air defense system, distract a populous, assess the flow of public info from a… (https://t.co/wW7YVlbayB) https://t.co/wW7YVlbayB  — Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) (https://x.com/Aviation_Intel/status/2101845179204571361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) September 21, 2026    Meanwhile, the prospect of renewed U.S. strikes is increasingly being raised on both sides. Iran’s central military command said Sunday that it had received information that Washington was preparing to resume attacks, while President Donald Trump (https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/iran-war-donald-trump-strait-of-hormuz-09-21) told Fox News that he was in a “deciding mode” and was considering further military action alongside economic pressure and a deal. Trump had also told Axios (https://www.axios.com/2026/09/17/trump-axios-interview-iran-war) last week that he was approaching a major decision on whether to resume large-scale military operations, with U.S. forces in the region being maintained at current levels through the end of the year. Iranian officials have warned that a renewed U.S. attack would trigger retaliation against American forces and interests across the region. At the same time, Qatar and Pakistan are pursuing diplomatic efforts to restart negotiations. This situation is exactly why keeping as detailed intelligence on the status of Iran’s air defense overlay would be so critical. Building a highly detailed electronic order of battle and maintaining it is critical to the effectiveness of future air operations. There is usually an observable (https://www.twz.com/air/rc-135-accompanied-by-fighters-off-venezuela-testing-enemy-air-defenses-u-s-official) burst of such activity prior to a major operation kicking off, as well. There are also many unseen assets that help with this, from those in space to those in the air and even those under the sea. There have been reports of (https://www.twz.com/air/the-existence-of-israels-secret-stealth-drone-should-come-as-no-surprise) Israel’s secretive RA-01 stealth flying wing drone being spotted over Iran and of course the U.S. has its own (https://www.twz.com/air/new-details-about-secretive-rq-170-sentinel-drone-squadron-shared-with-new-award) RQ-170 and (https://www.twz.com/air/new-views-of-massive-rq-180-stealth-drone-flying-over-greece) RQ-180 aircraft, just to name a couple known penetrating assets that are likely highly capable of collecting this information.  Regardless, the U.S. and Israel will have a lot of ‘maintenance’ to do in order to roll back any air defense capabilities Iran has been able to reconstitute should hostilities break out in full again, and a lot of critical intelligence data will need to be up-to-date in order to support such an operation. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com  (https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick) (Thomas Newdick Avatar)   (https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick) Thomas Newdick   Staff Writer    Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at  TWZ  , where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond.   (https://twitter.com/CombatAir)        (https://www.twz.com/authors/tyler-rogoway) (Tyler Rogoway Avatar)   (https://www.twz.com/authors/tyler-rogoway) Tyler Rogoway   Editor-in-Chief    Tyler’s passion is the study of military technology, strategy, as well as foreign policy, and he has fostered a dominant voice on those topics in the defense and national security space. Tyler was the creator of the hugely popular defense site  Foxtrot Alpha  before developing  TWZ  , which he continues to lead as the Editor-In-Chief to this day.    (https://twitter.com/Aviation_Intel)           (https://www.twz.com/category/around-the-globe) Around The Globe      (https://www.twz.com/category/iran) Iran      (https://www.twz.com/category/middle-east) Middle East      (https://www.twz.com/category/news-features) News & Features         Loading comments…  Comments couldn’t be loaded. Please refresh the page.         Latest in Miniature Air-Launched Decoy (MALD) (https://www.twz.com/air/our-best-look-yet-at-an-adm-160-miniature-air-launched-decoy-on-a-ukrainian-fighter) (Newly published footage shows an ADM-160 Miniature Air Launched Decoy (MALD) fitted to a Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 Flanker fighter. The video confirms that the store is used by both this and Ukraine’s MiG-29 Fulcrum jets and also that it is carried on the same specially adapted underwing pylon that is used for various Western-supplied guided munitions.)     (https://www.twz.com/category/su-27) Su-27   (https://www.twz.com/air/our-best-look-yet-at-an-adm-160-miniature-air-launched-decoy-on-a-ukrainian-fighter) Ukraine Shows Off ADM-160 Miniature Air Launched Decoy On Su-27   The rarely seen but highly valuable MALD helps Ukrainian-operated standoff weapons like Storm Shadow make it to their targets. By (https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick) Thomas Newdick        1:15 PM  August 22, 2025      (https://www.twz.com/air/adm-160-miniature-air-launched-decoy-spotted-on-ukrainian-mig-29) (ADM-160 MALD seen on MIG-29 in Ukraine for the first time.)     (https://www.twz.com/category/mig-29) MiG-29   (https://www.twz.com/air/adm-160-miniature-air-launched-decoy-spotted-on-ukrainian-mig-29) ADM-160 Miniature Air Launched Decoy Spotted On Ukrainian MiG-29   ADM-160 MALD wreckage has been seen in Ukraine before, but this is the first confirmation of the mini cruise missile decoy's launch platform. By (https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick) Thomas Newdick        11:48 AM  May 21, 2024        ()    The TWZ Newsletter  Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.   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More   (https://www.twz.com/evidence-of-adm-160-miniature-air-launched-decoy-use-by-ukraine-emerges) (Evidence Of ADM-160 Miniature Air-Launched Decoy Use By Ukraine Emerges)     (https://www.twz.com/category/russia) Russia   (https://www.twz.com/evidence-of-adm-160-miniature-air-launched-decoy-use-by-ukraine-emerges) Evidence Of ADM-160 Miniature Air-Launched Decoy Use By Ukraine Emerges   By (https://www.twz.com/authors/joseph-trevithick) Joseph Trevithick ,  (https://www.twz.com/authors/howard-altman) Howard Altman ,  (https://www.twz.com/authors/tyler-rogoway) Tyler Rogoway           (https://www.twz.com/air/our-best-look-yet-at-an-adm-160-miniature-air-launched-decoy-on-a-ukrainian-fighter) (Newly published footage shows an ADM-160 Miniature Air Launched Decoy (MALD) fitted to a Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 Flanker fighter. The video confirms that the store is used by both this and Ukraine’s MiG-29 Fulcrum jets and also that it is carried on the same specially adapted underwing pylon that is used for various Western-supplied guided munitions.)     (https://www.twz.com/category/su-27) Su-27   (https://www.twz.com/air/our-best-look-yet-at-an-adm-160-miniature-air-launched-decoy-on-a-ukrainian-fighter) Ukraine Shows Off ADM-160 Miniature Air Launched Decoy On Su-27   By (https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick) Thomas Newdick           (https://www.twz.com/wreck-of-miniature-air-launched-decoy-appears-in-eastern-ukraine) (ADM-160 MALD)     (https://www.twz.com/category/russia) Russia   (https://www.twz.com/wreck-of-miniature-air-launched-decoy-appears-in-eastern-ukraine) ADM-160 Miniature Air Launched Decoy Wreck Appears In Ukraine   By (https://www.twz.com/authors/tyler-rogoway) Tyler Rogoway           (https://www.twz.com/air/adm-160-miniature-air-launched-decoy-spotted-on-ukrainian-mig-29) (ADM-160 MALD seen on MIG-29 in Ukraine for the first time.)     (https://www.twz.com/category/mig-29) MiG-29   (https://www.twz.com/air/adm-160-miniature-air-launched-decoy-spotted-on-ukrainian-mig-29) ADM-160 Miniature Air Launched Decoy Spotted On Ukrainian MiG-29   By (https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick) Thomas Newdick           (https://www.twz.com/a-10s-train-with-air-launched-decoys-alongside-b-1b-bombers) (A-10s Train With Air-Launched Decoys Alongside B-1B Bombers)     (https://www.twz.com/category/b-1) B-1   (https://www.twz.com/a-10s-train-with-air-launched-decoys-alongside-b-1b-bombers) A-10s Train With Air-Launched Decoys Alongside B-1B Bombers   By (https://www.twz.com/authors/joseph-trevithick) Joseph Trevithick           (https://www.twz.com/23126/recent-mald-x-advanced-air-launched-decoy-test-is-a-much-bigger-deal-than-it-sounds-like) (Recent MALD-X Advanced Air Launched Decoy Test Is A Much Bigger Deal Than It Sounds Like)     (https://www.twz.com/category/miniature-air-launched-decoy) Miniature Air-Launched Decoy (MALD)   (https://www.twz.com/23126/recent-mald-x-advanced-air-launched-decoy-test-is-a-much-bigger-deal-than-it-sounds-like) Recent MALD-X Advanced Air Launched Decoy Test Is A Much Bigger Deal Than It Sounds Like   By (https://www.twz.com/authors/tyler-rogoway) Tyler Rogoway           (https://www.twz.com/42694/chinese-flying-wing-drones-launch-swarming-decoys-at-enemy-warships-in-industry-video) (Chinese Flying Wing Drones Launch Swarming Decoys At Enemy Warships In Industry Video)     (https://www.twz.com/category/china) China   (https://www.twz.com/42694/chinese-flying-wing-drones-launch-swarming-decoys-at-enemy-warships-in-industry-video) Chinese Flying Wing Drones Launch Swarming Decoys At Enemy Warships In Industry Video   By (https://www.twz.com/authors/joseph-trevithick) Joseph Trevithick           (https://www.twz.com/air/pentagon-moves-to-replace-weapons-it-used-in-operation-midnight-hammer-that-struck-irans-nuclear-facilities) (U.S. military aircraft employed GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDB) and laser-guided 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rockets as part of the operation to strike Iranian nuclear facilities earlier this year.)     (https://www.twz.com/category/f-22) F-22   (https://www.twz.com/air/pentagon-moves-to-replace-weapons-it-used-in-operation-midnight-hammer-that-struck-irans-nuclear-facilities) Pentagon Moves To Replace Weapons It Used In Operation Midnight Hammer   By (https://www.twz.com/authors/joseph-trevithick) Joseph Trevithick           (https://www.twz.com/category/air) SEE MORE         (https://www.twz.com/) ()    The TWZ Newsletter Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.   (handle_newsletter_email_submission) (acc76e3490)  (/air/adm-160-miniature-air-launched-decoy-wreckage-a-reminder-of-ongoing-spying-on-irans-air-defenses)  (TWZInline) (0) Email address  (Enter your email) (Please enter a valid email address)  Sign Up  Thank you!      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