Introduction

Modern warfare is no longer about firepower alone; it is equally about deception. As precision-guided missiles, drones, and AI-enabled targeting systems grow deadlier, militaries are turning to decoy technologies to confuse radars, mislead missiles, and protect valuable assets. India’s reported use of the AI-enabled X-Guard decoy during Operation Sindoor shows how deception has become a central element of national security strategy.

The Growing Relevance of Deception in Modern Warfare:

1. Evolving threat environment: Precision-guided munitions, drones, and AI-enabled targeting systems make military platforms highly vulnerable.
2. Strategic asset: Decoys create confusion, waste enemy munitions, and buy crucial time for retaliation.
3. Game-changing event: Operation Sindoor showcased India’s successful use of an AI-enabled decoy, termed by experts as “the best instance of spoofing and deception ever seen.”

Inside the X-Guard Fibre-Optic Towed Decoy 

1. Lightweight & reusable: At just 30 kg, retractable and deployable in flight.
2. Radar mimicry: Replicates the Rafale’s Radar Cross Section (RCS), doppler velocity, and spectral signature across multiple bands.
3. 360-degree jamming: Works seamlessly with the Rafale’s SPECTRA suite to form a layered defensive shield.
4. Operational success: Reports suggest Pakistan’s J-10C fighters misidentified decoys as actual aircraft, wasting advanced PL-15E missiles.

Global landscape of comparable decoy systems: 

1. BriteCloud (Leonardo UL): Used on Eurofighter Typhoons, Gripen-Es, and some F-16s.
2. AN/ALE-50/55 series (Raytheon/BAE Systems): Deployed on U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornets.
3. Adaptability to UAVs: Modified for platforms like Israeli Herons and U.S. MQ-9 Reapers.

Battlefield deception on Land Forces: 

1. Inflatable & heat-emitting decoys: Simulate tanks, artillery, and missile batteries to divert strikes.
2. Ukraine’s wooden & 3D-printed fakes: Exhaust Russian drone and missile stocks.
3. Russia’s Inflatech decoys: Create entire armoured formations in minutes.
4. Indian Army initiative (2025): Issued a request for decoys mimicking T-90 tanks, including thermal and acoustic signatures.

Naval countermeasures and Decoy strategies

1. Layered naval countermeasures: Chaff, acoustic decoys, and offboard active deception protect against missiles and submarines.
2. Nulka decoy (Australia–U.S.): Self-propelled system mimicking large ship radar signatures to mislead missile guidance.

Conclusion

Deception, once limited to camouflage and dummy equipment, has evolved into a sophisticated digital-age shield. Airborne fibre-optic decoys, inflatable ground tanks, and naval missile deflectors now define modern survivability. India’s reported use of the X-Guard highlights its adaptation to the evolving battlefield. For a relatively low investment, such systems deliver high-impact protection, proving that in the wars of tomorrow, deception may be as decisive as destruction.

PYQ Relevance

“How is S-400 air defence system technically superior to any other system presently available in the world?”

Linkage: This question shows UPSC’s focus on defence technology and comparative capability analysis. The same lens applies to India’s deployment of AI-enabled decoys like the X-Guard FOTD, which enhance survivability against advanced missile systems. Both highlight the importance of evaluating cutting-edge military technology for national security.

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