TLDR: During a four-day military engagement in May 2025, the Indian Air Force successfully deployed the AI-powered X-Guard towed decoy system on its Rafale fighter jets, effectively outsmarting Pakistan’s air defenses. This advanced system mimicked Rafale radar signatures, causing Pakistani PL-15E missiles and J-10C fighter radars to target decoys instead of actual aircraft, leading to false claims of downed jets by Pakistan. Experts have hailed the X-Guard as a significant breakthrough in electronic warfare.
In a groundbreaking display of advanced electronic warfare, the Indian Air Force (IAF) reportedly utilized an artificial intelligence-powered decoy system, known as the X-Guard, during a four-day military operation against Pakistan in May 2025. This strategic deployment, part of what has been dubbed ‘Operation Sindoor,’ allowed India’s Rafale fighter jets to effectively outmaneuver and deceive Pakistani air defense systems.
Developed by Rafale Advanced Defense Systems, the X-Guard is a lightweight, 30-kilogram towed decoy system. It is deployed approximately 100 meters behind the aircraft via a fiber-optic cable, which also ensures real-time communication and feedback to the pilot, even amidst intense electronic jamming. The system’s core capability lies in its ability to generate a powerful 500-watt, 360-degree jamming signal that precisely replicates the radar signature and Doppler effect of an actual Rafale jet. Driven by AI, the X-Guard dynamically adjusts its signals to mimic the jet’s flight patterns, including movements at Mach 1, making it virtually indistinguishable from the real fighter to enemy radar and missile systems.
The effectiveness of the X-Guard was evident in its ability to neutralize Pakistan’s Chinese-made PL-15E air-to-air missiles and J-10C fighter jets. Reports indicate that the PL-15E missiles, an export variant of China’s PL-15, lacked robust anti-spoofing capabilities, causing them to lock onto the decoys rather than the actual Rafales. Similarly, the KLJ-7A AESA radar on Pakistan’s J-10C fighters was reportedly fooled, leading Pakistani forces to believe they had successfully engaged Indian jets and resulting in false claims of downed Rafales—many of which are now understood to have been decoys.
Ryan Bodenheimer, a former F-16 pilot from the U.S. Air Force, lauded the Indian Air Force’s tactics during Operation Sindoor as ‘the best spoofing and deception we’ve ever seen.’ He further suggested that the X-Guard system may have ‘redefined the rules of electronic warfare,’ highlighting its transformative impact on modern aerial combat. Unlike older U.S. decoy systems such as the AN/ALQ-50 or ADM-160 MALD, the X-Guard boasts rapid deployment (under two seconds) and the crucial ability to be retrieved for reuse, functioning as a ‘decoy wingman’ that draws enemy fire away from the primary aircraft.
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Beyond the X-Guard, Indian decoy drones also played a vital role in the operation, generating heat signatures that matched Indian fighter jets, further confusing Pakistan’s air defense network. The success of the X-Guard underscores the increasing significance of artificial intelligence and advanced electronic warfare capabilities in securing air dominance and shaping the future of aerial combat.
