SOURCE: AFI
Operation Sindoor, India’s four-day aerial campaign against Pakistan in May 2025, has been hailed as a masterclass in modern aerial warfare, particularly for its sophisticated use of electronic deception. Ryan Bodenheimer, a former U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle and F-16 Thunderbird pilot, described the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) tactics as “the best spoofing and deception we’ve ever seen,” crediting the Rafale’s X-Guard AI-enhanced jamming decoy system for outsmarting Pakistan’s air defenses.
Deployed during Operation Sindoor, the X-Guard system, developed by Rafale Advanced Defense Systems, likely played a pivotal role in neutralizing Pakistan’s Chinese-supplied PL-15E missiles and J-10C fighters, exposing vulnerabilities in their radar and missile systems while protecting India’s prized Rafale jets. This article explores how the X-Guard’s cutting-edge technology redefined the battlefield, drawing comparisons with U.S. decoy systems like the AN/ALQ-50 and ADM-160 MALD, and analyzes its strategic impact.
The X-Guard, an advanced towed decoy system integrated into the Rafale’s SPECTRA electronic warfare (EW) suite, represents a leap in aerial deception technology. Weighing 30 kg and towed on a 100-meter fiber-optic cable, the X-Guard emits a 500-watt, 360-degree jamming signal that mimics a jet’s radar cross-section, creating a false target for enemy missiles and radars. Its AI-enhanced algorithms dynamically adjust signals to replicate Doppler shifts, simulating a Rafale moving at Mach 1, making it indistinguishable from the real aircraft to enemy seekers. The fiber-optic link, immune to jamming, ensures seamless communication with the Rafale’s cockpit, providing real-time alerts on missile locks and decoy deployment status.
According to Bodenheimer, the X-Guard ’s AI-driven jamming can outsmart active electronically scanned array (AESA) seekers, such as those on Pakistan’s PL-15E missiles, a downgraded export version of China’s PL-15 with a 145-km range compared to the domestic 200–300 km. The PL-15E lacks the advanced spoofing protection of its Chinese counterpart, making it vulnerable to the X-Guard ’s deception. Deployable in two seconds and retractable for reuse unless deliberately cut by the pilot, the X-Guard acts as a “decoy wingman,” drawing enemy fire while the Rafale escapes unscathed. During Operation Sindoor, this capability likely fooled Pakistan’s J-10C KLJ-7A AESA radars and PL-15E seekers, leading to claims of downed Rafales that, according to Jane’s Defense Weekly, were likely X-Guard decoys.
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