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First Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
How India tricked Pakistan into believing it shot down a Rafale during Operation Sindoor
India, during Operation Sindoor, reportedly tricked Pakistan into believing it shot down a Rafale aircraft. It did so by using Rafale Advanced Defense System's X-Guard – an AI-powered decoy system. But what do we know about the X-Guard? How does it work? How did India bamboozle Pakistan and rewrite the rules of electronic warfare? read more During Operation Sindoor, India tricked Pakistan into believing it show down a Rafale aircraft. India had launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. India did so by using the Rafale Advanced Defense System's X-Guard – an AI-powered decoy system. The news comes on the same day that Dassault Aviation chairman and CEO Eric Trappier revealed that India lost one of its fighter jets due to a technical failure and not at the hands of the enemy. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It also comes as Defence Secretary RK Singh in an interview said it is incorrect to claim that Pakistan shot down of India's Rafale fighter jets. This also comes a day after a report quoted French military and intelligence officials as saying that China used its embassies to tarnish the performance of French-made Rafale fighter jets during Operation Sindoor. But what is the Rafale's X-Guard? How did India trick Pakistan? What did Dassault and the defence secretary say? Let's take a closer look: Rafale's X-Guard The Rafale's X-Guard is a fibre-optic towed decoy. It is part of the craft's electronic warfare (EW) suite. It guards the aircraft against radar-guided air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles. It can also deceive the most sophisticated of radars including Monopulse and Lobe-On-Receive-Only (LORO) trackers. Rafale's website describes it as 'cutting-edge, lightweight and reusable'. The X-Guard, which is kept inside a pod in the aircraft, is retractable. It does so using an advanced reel-out/reel-in mechanism. It is deployed when the aircraft comes into a danger area of if the pilot detects a threat. The X-Guard weighs around 30 kilos. It is deployed using a 100-metre fibre optic capable. It uses AI to create a 500-watt, 360-degree jamming signal. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The fibre-optics capable gives the pilot allows real-time updates on missile activity and system status, without being affected by jamming efforts. It mimics radar signals and Doppler effect of an actual Rafale jet. This makes it harder for the enemy to find the real craft. It also gives any incoming missile an inaccurate location for the craft. Rafale's website describes it the X-Guard as 'cutting-edge, lightweight and reusable'. Image courtesy: Rafale Advanced Defense Syste It can deploy in less than two seconds and is used as a 'decoy wingman' to fool the enemy. It was designed mainly to be carried by fighters. After the mission is finished, it retracts into the aircraft pod. Rafale Advanced Defense Systems in May announced a new version of the X-Guard – the X-Guard RT. A Rafale executive told Jane's Defence Weekly this is a standalone system. 'The independence of the system is certainly an outstanding quality,' the source said. 'This opens up the ability to integrate it with new aircraft, such as cargo, which usually are not equipped with active advanced EW systems.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD How India tricked Pakistan Ryan Bodenheimer, an US Air Force pilot, in an interview wit_h explained how India bamboozled Pakistan using the Rafale X-Guard. Bodenheimer hailed the Indian Air Force's mission as 'the best spoofing and deception we've ever seen.' He said India's tactics completely fooled Pakistan's Chinese-made PL-15E air-to-air missiles and J-10C fighters. The PL-15E missile, which is a version of China's PL-15, could not resist the spoofing. The X-Guard also misled the KLJ-7A AESA radar on Pakistan's J-10C fighters into thinking they had hit the Rafale jets. Bodenheimer said the mission may have 'redefined the rules of electronic warfare'. Jane's Defence Weekly said some Pakistani claims of shooting down Rafale jets may actually have been hits on these X-Guard decoys. What Dassault and defence secretary said Trappier, the Dassault CEO, in an interview with a defence website said India had lost one of their Rafale jets. However, he added that this was due to a technical glitch at a high altitude and not as a result of any enemy operation. The French defence website Avion De Chasse quoted Trapper as saying that the incident occurred 'at an altitude of over 12,000 metres during an extended training mission'. Singh, the defence secretary, denied any claims that Pakistan had shot down India's Rafale jets during Operation Sindoor. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD (File) Operation Sindoor displayed on the screen during a press briefing by the Indian armed forces, in New Delhi on May 11, 2025. PTI 'You have used the term Rafales in the plural, I can assure you that is absolutely not correct. Pakistan suffered losses many times over India in both human and material terms and more than 100 terrorists,' Singh told CNBC-TV18. 'No political constraints on our armed forces and they have full operational freedom in conflict', Singh added. Neither the Indian government nor the Indian Air Force (IAF) have confirmed the loss of a Rafale aircraft during Operation Sindoor. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan last month called Pakistan's claims of downing six Indian aircraft 'absolutely incorrect'. General Chauhan in an interview said Indian forces re-entered Pakistani airspace on multiple occasions and 'penetrated all their air defences with impunity,' executing precision strikes deep within enemy territory. With inputs from agencies
Time of India
7 days ago
- 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.
