The Rafael X-Guard fiber optic supersonic decoy system is expected to be installed on the IAF’s Sukhoi Su-30MKI to help evade air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles, according to media reports. The X-Guard system is a cutting-edge towed decoy solution that can defeat advanced tracking radar types, including monopole and Lobe-On-receive-only (LOBO) radar. It is deployed and retracted mid-flight and can be integrated with any platform’s EW suite as a high-value active suite component.

Towed decoys are objects that are pulled behind an aircraft and work to attract incoming threats towards themselves in order to deceive them. The X-Guard fiber optic supersonic towed decoy is designed to counter RF-guided missiles, including radar-guided missiles, and provides radar jamming while operating as a signal repeater that lures incoming missiles away from their intended target.

The X-Guard system can decoy and jam other radars, including Monopulse and LORO Radars, and can be used multiple times and retracted. It is not on the hardpoint but is added by an additional pylon on the wings. It can fly with the aircraft up to a speed of 1.6 Mach and can withstand the forces and acceleration of 9G. The connection is via optic fiber, ensuring that the power supply is always high.

The technology upgrade for the Su-30s is expected to be particularly helpful against incoming missiles from China and Pakistan and can even beat the PL-15 missiles. With the system’s protection, Su-30MKIs can now take down enemy JF-17 or J-20 using their current set of BVR missiles and can also target enemy radar and electro-optical systems using precision-guided ammunition and anti-radiation missiles.

Since the X-Guard system is linked to the aircraft’s defensive avionics and EW system through a fiber-optic cable, it operates over a wide frequency range to counter various types of radars and missiles. The decoy is retrievable and can be deployed several times during a mission, and the fiber-optic connection to the aircraft allows accurate jamming.