'Best deception ever seen': Former US pilot hails Indian Rafale’s 'invisible warfare' skills during Operation Sindoor

In May 2025, the Indian Air Force executed what defense analysts are hailing as a modern masterstroke in aerial warfare. Over four tense days, Operation Sindoor unfolded against Pakistan, revealing a glimpse of combat’s future: invisible, intelligent and cunningly deceptive.

At the center of the operation was the Rafale’s X-Guard, an AI-powered towed decoy system that helped foil Pakistan’s Chinese-made PL-15E missiles and J-10C fighters. “It’s the best spoofing and deception we’ve ever seen,” said Ryan Bodenheimer, a former US Air Force F-15E and F-16 pilot as reported by idrw.org. The technology, he noted, may have redefined the rules of electronic warfare.

What is X-Guard

Developed by Rafale Advanced Defense Systems, the X-Guard is no ordinary countermeasure. Weighing just 30 kg and trailing behind the aircraft on a 100-meter fiber-optic cable, it projects a potent 500-watt, 360-degree jamming signal that mimics the radar signature of a Rafale jet. But its edge lies in its intelligence.

Driven by AI, the X-Guard constantly adjusts its signals to replicate Doppler shifts, creating the illusion of a jet roaring through the sky at Mach 1. For enemy radars and missile seekers, the decoy becomes indistinguishable from the real aircraft. Its fiber-optic tether ensures real-time communication with the cockpit, keeping pilots informed of missile locks and decoy status while staying immune to electronic jamming.

Tech edge

This technological sleight of hand proved pivotal in Operation Sindoor. Pakistan’s PL-15E missiles — export variants of China’s longer-range PL-15 — lack robust spoofing resistance, making them especially vulnerable. The X-Guard reportedly misdirected both these missiles and the AESA radars of Pakistan’s J-10C fighters, sending them chasing shadows.

Unlike older US decoys such as the AN/ALQ-50 or ADM-160 MALD, India’s X-Guard can deploy in less than two seconds and be retrieved for reuse. It operates as a “decoy wingman,” drawing enemy fire while the Rafale escapes unscathed. According to Jane’s Defence Weekly, some Pakistani claims of downed Rafales during the operation were likely hits on X-Guard decoys instead.

In the skies above South Asia, India did more than evade enemy fire — it set a new standard for how to fight and win an air war without ever being seen.