Latest news with #RyanBodenheimer
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Time of India
'Best deception ever seen': US F-16 pilot reveals how a 30 kg device fooled Pakistan into thinking it downed a Rafale
In a major development in air warfare, the Indian Air Force (IAF) reportedly used artificial intelligence-powered technology during a four-day military operation with Pakistan in May 2025. Ryan Bodenheimer, a former US Air Force F-15E and F-16 pilot, described Operation Sindoor as a breakthrough in modern aerial combat, as reported by At the core of the operation was the Rafale's X-Guard, an AI-powered towed decoy system that played a decisive role in neutralising Pakistani air threats. AI-driven X-Guard key to success The X-Guard system is developed by Rafale Advanced Defense Systems. It uses artificial intelligence to generate a 500-watt, 360-degree jamming signal. The device weighs 30 kilograms and trails behind the aircraft on a 100-meter-long fiber-optic cable. It copies the radar signals and Doppler effect of an actual Rafale jet, making it difficult for enemy radar systems and missiles to detect the real aircraft. Ryan Bodenheimer, a former US Air Force F-15E and F-16 pilot, called the X-Guard 'the best spoofing and deception we've ever seen.' He added that the system may have 'redefined the rules of electronic warfare .' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Container Houses Serbia (Prices May Surprise You) Container House Search Now Undo IDRW report suggested that Pakistan's Chinese-made PL-15E air-to-air missiles and J-10C fighter jets could not successfully detect or target the actual Indian jets. The decoy confused enemy radar and misled missile systems. The PL-15E missile, which is an export version of China's PL-15, lacked advanced resistance to spoofing. The X-Guard may have also confused the KLJ-7A AESA radar on Pakistan's J-10C fighters into thinking they had locked onto and hit Rafale jets. Decoy proves reusable, rapid, and reliable The X-Guard works faster than older US systems like the AN/ALQ-50 or ADM-160 MALD. It can be launched in under two seconds and retrieved for reuse. According to Business Today, citing Jane's Defence Weekly, some Pakistani claims of shooting down Indian Rafales may actually have been hits on these decoys. Live Events The system acts like a 'decoy wingman,' attracting enemy fire away from the actual aircraft. The fiber-optic link between the pilot and the decoy allows real-time updates on missile activity and system status, without being affected by jamming efforts. A new chapter in air warfare Operation Sindoor highlighted how AI-driven technology can change the nature of air combat. By using tools like the X-Guard, the IAF was able to reduce visibility without sacrificing control or effectiveness. The mission showed that future air dominance may depend more on electronic deception than physical engagement.
India.com
07-07-2025
- India.com
Operation Sindoor: India used special technique to fool Pakistan, US fighter pilot makes stunning revelations
New Delhi: During Operation Sindoor, India deceived Pakistan in such a way that all its secrets were revealed. This operation brought out the advanced electronic warfare (EW) strategies of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to the world. Former American pilot Ryan Bodenheimer described the IAF's strategies as 'the best spoofing and deception ever'. He attributed this success to the X-Guard jamming decoy and SPECTRA EW suite of the Rafale jet, which deceived Pakistan's PL-15E missiles. Operation Sindoor Operation Sindoor began on 7 May 2025, when the Indian Air Force responded to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025, in which 26 civilians were killed. In this operation, the IAF targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). Rafale, Sukhoi Su-30 MKI and Mirage 2000 jets carried out precision strikes using SCALP cruise missiles and Spice-2000 bombs, without leaving Indian airspace. Pakistan claimed that it shot down five Indian jets, including three Rafales. But Indian sources and international experts rejected these claims, saying that these were destroyed decoys (X-Guards) and not real Rafale jets. In this operation, the IAF's electronic warfare techniques completely confused the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). X-Guard Jamming Decoy: Technical Details X-Guard is an Israeli-made fiber-optic towed decoy, which is integrated with the SPECTRA electronic warfare suite of Rafale jets. This 30 kg device is pulled by a wire behind the Rafale jet. It is designed to deceive enemy radars and missiles. X-Guard sends jamming signals in a radius of 360 degrees, which confuses enemy radars and active seekers of missiles. It fakes the radar signature, making it look like a real jet. X-Guard uses artificial intelligence (AI), which copies the Doppler shift and signature of the radar signal. It keeps changing the signal in real-time to confuse enemy radars, causing missiles to target the decoy instead of the real jet. The X-Guard uses Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM) technology, which records and manipulates enemy radar signals. It creates false targets, thereby misleading enemy radar and missile systems. The X-Guard protects against both air-to-air missiles (such as the PL-15E) and surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). It keeps the Rafale out of the missiles' no-escape zone (where it is difficult to avoid the missile). The X-Guard weighs only 30 kg, making it lightweight and efficient. It is connected to the jet via a fibre-optic cable, which keeps it stable even at high speeds.
Daily Mail
29-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Fighter pilot reveals near-miss with 'perfect rectangle' UFO that defied the laws of physics
A veteran U.S. fighter pilot has claimed he had a near-collision with a UFO that defied the laws of physics. Major Ryan Bodenheimer, a retired F-15 and F-16 combat pilot, revealed in a YouTube video that one of the 'wildest experiences' of his career involved a close encounter with a rectangle-shaped UFO as he flew with his squadron over southern Wyoming. Bodenheimer, who served in the Air Force for 13 years, said the large craft suddenly appeared out of nowhere during a training mission and looked to be on a collision course with his plane. He said: 'Then I realized we weren't going to hit, and all of a sudden it came more into view, and it was a rectangular shape. This was like essentially a perfect rectangle.' The military veteran described the UFO as being 30 to 50ft in height and appearing to be glowing around the edges of its bright white body as it flew alongside the Thunderbirds - the Air Force's elite aerobatic demonstration squadron. Bodenheimer added that this craft had no visible vapor trail coming from an engine, no radar signal, and was traveling at approximately 400 knots (460mph). He added: 'It really was defying any type of aeronautical laws that I've learned.' Bodenheimer then revealed that his report to air traffic control left officials in 'dead silence' before the entire matter was apparently dismissed as an 'anomalous object'. The strange rectangle UFO got so close to Bodenheimer's F-16 Falcon at 30,000ft in the air that he said he could make out every detail of the craft before it eventually flew off and was never seen again. When air traffic controllers in Denver asked Bodenheimer if he could give them any more details about the UFO, he revealed that it had a cream-colored interior that became transparent or had a hole in its center. He joked: 'I know it sounds like I'm talking about a delicious pastry, but this was the wildest experience I've ever had.' The only evidence of Bodenheimer's sighting was a report made by air traffic control saying that an object had been spotted in the area where the Thunderbirds were training that day, but he never heard from anyone about the incident again. The former combat officer explained on his channel, Max Afterburner, that this UFO could not have been a weather balloon, a high-tech drone, or some kind of light trick. 'There was nothing that made me think this was some sort of illusion. It was clear as day. It was right down our wing line, a 30 to 50ft object,' the pilot continued. Bodenheimer then speculated whether this could have been an extraterrestrial craft, noting that he's never been a fan of 'science fiction' but admitted that his encounter matched many of the incidents involving military pilots that 'defied physics'. He added: 'Going against aerodynamics definitely blows my mind. Anti-gravity, something that cloaks radar, I didn't see anything on the radar.' The object wasn't tilted to deflect the wind while traveling at speed. It stayed vertical as if the wind did not affect the UFO's ability to fly at over 400mph. This wasn't the only time the Air Force veteran allegedly encountered a UFO. He added that he saw a 'lightning-fast triangle' while training with the Thunderbirds near Area 51 - the military's top secret base in Nevada. 'There's been lots of crazy stuff that's been reported out there,' Bodenheimer said. On that particular day, the mysterious jet-like object flew past Bodenheimer's F-16 as his squadron was coming in for a landing. He alleged: 'This lightning-fast triangle blitzed past me as we were setting ourselves up on a final [approach]. 'I just remember this thing going massively fast past me... It had basically done an interceptor maneuver, a dust-off. So maybe this was its way of having fun, saying maybe this should be Top Gun 3,.' The pilot noted that he hopes coming forward will encourage more of his fellow pilots to reveal what they've seen during their time in the military, noting that there have been roughly 800 UFO reports in just the last four years.
Daily Mail
20-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Fighter pilot reveals near miss with 'perfect rectangle' UFO that defied the laws of physics
A veteran US fighter pilot has broken his silence about a near-collision with a UFO that defied the laws of physics and left the Air Force in stunned disbelief. Major Ryan Bodenheimer, a retired F-15 and F-16 combat pilot, revealed in a YouTube video that one of the 'wildest experiences' of his career involved a close encounter with a rectangle-shaped UFO as he flew with his squadron over southern Wyoming. Bodenheimer, who served in the Air Force for 13 years, said the large craft suddenly appeared out of nowhere during a training mission and looked to be on a collision course with his plane. 'Then I realized we weren't going to hit, and all of a sudden it came more into view, and it was a rectangular shape. This was like essentially a perfect rectangle,' Bodenheimer revealed in his video on June 8. The military veteran described the UFO as being 30 to 50 feet in height and appearing to be glowing around the edges of its bright white body as it flew alongside the Thunderbirds, the Air Force's elite aerobatic demonstration squadron. Bodenheimer added that this craft had no visible vapor trail coming from an engine, no radar signal, and was traveling at approximately 400 knots (460 miles per hour). 'It really was defying any type of aeronautical laws that I've learned,' Bodenheimer said. Bodenheimer then revealed that his report to air traffic control left officials in 'dead silence' before the entire matter was apparently dismissed as an 'anomalous object.' The strange rectangle UFO got so close to Bodenheimer's F-16 Falcon at 30,000 feet in the air that he said he could make out every detail of the craft before it eventually flew off and was never seen again. When air traffic controllers in Denver asked Bodenheimer if he could give them any more details about the UFO, he revealed that it had a cream-colored interior that became transparent or had a hole in its center. 'I know it sounds like I'm talking about a delicious pastry, but this was the wildest experience I've ever had,' the fighter pilot joked. The only evidence of Bodenheimer's sighting was a report made by air traffic control saying that an object had been spotted in the area where the Thunderbirds were training that day, but he never heard from anyone about the incident again. The former combat officer explained on his channel, Max Afterburner, that this UFO could not have been a weather balloon, a high-tech drone, or some kind of light trick. 'There was nothing that made me think this was some sort of illusion. It was clear as day. It was right down our wing line, a 30 to 50 foot object,' the pilot continued. Bodenheimer then speculated whether this could have been an extraterrestrial craft, noting that he's never been a fan of 'science fiction' but admitted that his encounter matched many of the incidents involving military pilots that 'defied physics.' 'Going against aerodynamics definitely blows my mind. Anti-gravity, something that cloaks radar, I didn't see anything on the radar,' he added. The object wasn't even tilted to deflect the wind while traveling at that speed. It stayed completely vertical as if the wind did not affect the UFO's ability to fly at over 400 mph. Bodenheimer said that he has never heard about the UFO sighting since he reported it to officials with air traffic control in Denver This wasn't the only time the Air Force veteran had encountered a UFO. He added that 'lightning-fast triangle' while training with the Thunderbirds near Area 51 - the military's top secret base in Nevada. 'There's been lots of crazy stuff that's been reported out there,' Bodenheimer said. On this day, the mysterious jet-like object flew past Bodenheimer's F-16 as his squadron was coming in for a landing. 'This lightning-fast triangle blitzed past me as we were setting ourselves up on a final [approach],' the pilot revealed. 'I just remember this thing going massively fast past me... It had basically done an interceptor maneuver, a dust-off. So maybe this was its way of having fun, saying maybe this should be Top Gun 3,' Bodenheimer detailed. The pilot noted that he hopes coming forward will encourage more of his fellow pilots to reveal what they've seen during their time in the military, noting that there have been roughly 800 UFO reports in just the last four years.
New York Post
20-06-2025
- General
- New York Post
Former US fighter pilot claims he nearly collided with UFO in ‘wildest experience' he's ever had
A former US combat fighter pilot claims a UFO encounter he had while zipping around in the sky at 30,000 feet was one of the 'wildest experiences' he's had in his seasoned military career. Maj. Ryan Bodenheimer, a former ace of the US Air Force Thunderbirds and F-15E combat fighter pilot, recounted on his YouTube channel earlier this month how he came close to almost colliding with a UFO shaped like a 'perfect rectangle' while on a training mission in southern Wyoming. Bodenheimer alleged that he was flying during the day at about 30,000 feet in the sky, at a speed of 400 knots (460 mph), when a 'bright object' caught his attention off in the distance, 'out of nowhere.' 4 US Air Force Maj. Ryan Bodenheimer, United States Air Force Thunderbirds pilot #2 speaks with JROTC students at Vanden High School, Fairfield, Calif., on May 5, 2017. U.S. Air Force However, Bodenheimer realized that the object was on a 'collision course' with his aircraft. 'I put my hand on the control stick, I'm about to turn off the autopilot, and then I realized we weren't going to hit, and all of a sudden it came more into view, and it was a rectangular shape,' he said. 'This was like essentially a perfect rectangle.' He claims the object appeared to be '30 to 40 feet' high, with 'bright white' along the outside edges that looked to be 'glowing' and a clear center. 'I know it sounds like I'm talking about a delicious pastry, but this was the wildest experience I've ever had,' the former fighter pilot said. Bodenheimer, for a moment, theorized that the object could be a weather balloon, but he claimed that it didn't look like anything he had ever seen in the sky before. 4 Bodenheimer alleged that he was flying during the day at about 30,000 feet in the sky, at a speed of 400 knots (460 mph), when a 'bright object' caught his attention off in the distance, 'out of nowhere.' Youtube / Max Afterburner 'There's no wings on this thing, no exhaust. The edges were so bright they were pulsing. Aerodynamically, this thing shouldn't be going at close to 400 knots. For a rectangle to be flying through the air was a wild experience,' he said. He said that he wasn't picking up any signal on his radar and wasn't experiencing any radio interference as it kept pace with his jet at 400 knots just a short distance away. 'It really was defying any type of aeronautical laws that I've learned,' Bodenheimer shared. The suspected UFO then 'zooms off,' and Bodenheimer said he called into air traffic control to report the encounter. 4 Bodenheimer claims the object appeared to be '30 to 40 feet' high, with 'bright white' along the outside edges that looked to be 'glowing' and a clear center. Air Force Thunderbirds 4 Bodenheimer maneuvers his F-16 Fighting Falcon on the flight line at Langley Air Force Base, Va., on April 24, 2016. U.S. Air Force After telling the controller what happened, he said there was a 'dead silence' before they told the fighter pilot they'd have other aircraft be on the lookout for the object. 'I never heard anything about it [after],' the former fighter pilot said. However, he did do some searching of his own and said there was a report filed that day on an 'anomalous object' spotted in his area. Bodenheimer said for years he never wanted to discuss his two run-ins with UFOs after worrying about the 'stigma' around other pilots who have shared their encounters. However, the pilot-turned-YouTuber said that since the stigma has dissipated, he is more comfortable opening up about his experience, with more reports of military pilots encountering UFO-like objects in the sky over the last two decades. Southern Wyoming is notoriously known for having some of the most UFO sightings in the country, according to the Cowboy State Daily. The city of Cheyenne, which is home to Warren Air Force Base, has had over 50 reported aerial phenomena, out of the state's 421 sightings since 1995.
