A former US Air Force F-16 pilot has hailed the Indian Air Force’s use of AI-powered technology during the recent Operation Sindoor as “the best spoofing and deception ever seen.” The remarks come after reports revealed that Pakistan may have mistakenly believed it had downed Rafale jets, which were in fact protected by an advanced electronic decoy system called X-Guard.
Operation Sindoor, a four-day military engagement between India and Pakistan in May 2025, saw the Indian Air Force deploy cutting-edge electronic warfare tactics. Central to this was the Rafale’s X-Guard, a fiber-optic towed decoy system powered by artificial intelligence. The device, developed by Rafale Advanced Defense Systems, mimics the radar signature and Doppler effect of an actual fighter jet, successfully drawing away enemy fire.
The X-Guard weighs just 30 kilograms and trails behind the Rafale via a 100-meter-long fiber-optic cable. It emits a 500-watt, 360-degree jamming signal, confusing enemy radar and missiles into locking onto the decoy instead of the real aircraft. Former US Air Force pilot Ryan Bodenheimer praised the system as a game-changer, stating that it may have redefined the rules of electronic warfare.
Reports suggest that Pakistan’s Chinese-supplied PL-15E air-to-air missiles and J-10C fighter jets failed to distinguish the decoy from actual Rafale jets. The PL-15E, lacking robust spoofing resistance, reportedly locked onto the X-Guard, while Pakistan’s KLJ-7A AESA radar systems were also misled. These developments suggest that some of Pakistan’s claims of downing Indian fighters may have involved only the decoys.
Unlike older US systems such as the AN/ALQ-50 or ADM-160 MALD, the X-Guard can be deployed in under two seconds and retrieved for reuse. Its fiber-optic link enables the pilot to receive real-time feedback on missile activity and system performance, even under heavy electronic jamming.
The X-Guard functions like a “decoy wingman,” shielding the main aircraft by absorbing radar and missile attention. Operation Sindoor demonstrated how future air combat may depend more on sophisticated deception and electronic dominance than traditional dogfighting. The success of the X-Guard underlines the growing role of AI and electronic warfare in ensuring aerial supremacy.
