As an electronics engineer obsessed with radar tech, I thought I’d seen it all—until the Last Mughal from Pakistan Aurangzeb for his dramatic flair, tried to explain the challenge of spotting Russia’s S-400 Triumf air defense system. His grand reveal? It’s the “center of gravity.” Brace for the collective facepalm. Did he think he was scripting a Bollywood blockbuster gone wrong, tossing out a phrase that sounds more like a high school physics quiz than a modern missile defense debate? He could have chosen any out of a zillion cooler terms like “radar,” “Doppler shift,” “Digital Beam Forming” or “AESA” but he chose the phrase that is not even remotely close to the context. But the real comedy gold came when he and his colleagues claimed to have downed Rafale Jets after being played by India in its sly decoy game—mimicking S-400 and Rafale radar signatures —tricked Pakistan into celebrating fake wins while wasting ammo. Join me, for a satirical takedown of this epic briefing blunder and India’s tactical masterclass.

Center of Gravity: A Scriptworthy Flop

When the Last Mughal called the S-400 a “center of gravity,” it was like watching a Bollywood director shout “cut!” on a scene that never should’ve been shot. Was he aiming for “key target” or “strategic prize”? Instead, he delivered a line so out of place it could’ve been a village storyteller’s tale, not a briefing on a high-tech air defense system.

It did feel like an engineering viva where the student had memorized one phrase and no matter what the examiner asked, he would just say “center of gravity”.

Spotting an S-400 isn’t about gravity—it’s about cracking a puzzle wrapped in radar beams and guarded by deception. India treats its S-400 like a national treasure, and with decoys galore, it’s a headache for foes like Pakistan. The Last Mughal went full melodrama, leaving us wondering if he’d misplaced his script, or if knew anything about the radar tech at all.

The S-400’s Radar Wizardry

For those not glued to defense tech like me, the S-400 Triumf is Russia’s ultimate air defense weapon, zapping jets, drones, and missiles from 400 km away. Its secret? Radars that act like super-sharp eyes, spotting threats with deadly precision. Forget old-school spinning dishes—these are high-tech arrays that scan the skies in a flash, tracking hundreds of targets at once. In Operation Sindoor, India’s S-400, nicknamed Sudarshan Chakra, obliterated Pakistani drones and missiles targeting bases like Srinagar and Pathankot, proving it’s no pushover.

The magic lies in Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar—a term the Last Mughal should’ve thrown out to sound like he’d done his homework. AESA lets the S-400’s radars, like the 92N6E Grave Stone, lock onto threats faster than you can say “bad briefing.” It’s the same tech in India’s Rafale jets, which hammered Pakistani targets with precision in Sindoor. Instead of spinning yarns about gravity, a nod to AESA would’ve shown he knew what makes the S-400 tick. Alas, he flubbed it like a rookie actor missing his cue.

Doppler Shift: The Word He probably was looking for and missed

Ma’am, I know it god promise, its just not at the top of my head right now!

If the Last Mughal wanted to shine, he should’ve gone with Doppler shift, the trick that lets the S-400 figure out if a target’s charging in or running away. Imagine a Rafale jet roaring at Mach 1.8 (over 2,200 km/h): the radar catches a change in the signal’s frequency, like a siren shifting as a car zooms by (if the target is approaching the frequency would increase or in other words the wavelength compresses and when the target is going away the frequency decreases or in other words the signal wave stretches) This is called Doppler effect and it helps the S-400 spot a fifth-generation jet barreling toward it versus one fleeing the scene. In Operation Sindoor, it was crucial for nailing Pakistani drones bumbling through PoK’s rugged terrain, picking them out from mountain clutter like a pro.

Doppler shift isn’t just a snappy term—it’s why the S-400 tracks fast movers with scary accuracy. “Center of gravity”? That’s for balancing a seesaw, not outsmarting a radar game. The Last Mughal was probably fishing for something like Doppler shift but ended up sounding like he was reciting a campfire tale, not briefing on modern warfare.

India’s Decoy Extravaganza: S-400 and Rafale dummies

Here’s where Pakistan’s flop turns into a full-on comedy show. The Last Mughal was right that finding the S-400 is tough, but not because of some mystical gravity nonsense. India’s defense masterminds at DRDO surround their S-400 radars and batteries with decoys—fake radar trucks and scattered decoy boxes blasting signals with signatures that mimic the real deal. Picture one S-400 battery, its radar pulsing, and two dozen fake setups dotted across fields, all pretending to be the 92N6E radar. Pakistan’s drones and missiles, like the HAROP loitering munitions used in Sindoor, are left clueless, chasing ghosts while the real S-400 keeps firing.

But India’s trickery gets even wilder. They’ve got decoys mimicking the Rafale’s AESA radar signatures—the signals from the RBE2 radar that make those jets deadly. During the Operation Sindoor, Pakistan’s forces, puffed up with false bravado, thought they’d downed Rafales when their HAROPs hit these decoy boxes. Spoiler: they were blasting fake drones emitting Rafale-like RF signature signals, not the real jets. India’s Rafales, meanwhile, were untouchable, launching SCALP and BrahMos missiles with swagger. These decoys are pure brilliance—designed to overwhelm enemy attacks and burn through their ammo. Pakistan wasted munitions on dummy targets, crowing about “victories” while India’s S-400 and Rafales ran the show.

Why India’s S-400 Rocked When Russia’s in Russia-Ukraine War Crumbled

Russia’s S-400 took a beating in Ukraine, with U.S.-made rockets like HIMARS smashing batteries in 2024. So why was India’s S-400 a star in Operation Sindoor? It’s not just the system—it’s the team. India links the S-400 with the Akash SAM, Rafale jets, and a command system (IACCS) that works like a high-tech band, playing in perfect sync. This is world class engineering as complicate as it can get. The S-400’s radars feed data to this network, while Rafales jam enemy sensors and drop bombs. Toss in decoys—fake radar trucks for the S-400, decoy boxes for Rafales—and you’ve got a defense that’s less “center of gravity” and more “center of chaos” for Pakistan. No body other than Indian Defence, knows for sure what hit Pakistan. I won’t be surprised if S-400 wasn’t even used. We will have to wait for at least half a decade, when this information gets declassified. What we know for sure is what ever was used made sure that none of Pakistan’s missiles or drone hit any sites in India Military or otherwise.

Pakistan’s forces, stuck in a tactical time warp, can’t keep up. They launched drones and missiles, only to see them swatted by the S-400 or misled by decoys. Their HAROPs hit fake targets, and their briefings—led by the Last Mughal—boasted of downing Rafales that never fell. X posts claiming an S-400 kill were pure hot air, debunked by IAF statements. India’s networked defense, with its decoy dazzle, turned Pakistan’s attack into a pricey game of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey.

The Satirical Smackdown

The Last Mughal’s “center of gravity” gaffe isn’t just a word slip—it’s a billboard for Pakistan’s bafflement against India’s high-tech defense. While he’s comforting tribals and ignorant Pakistanis living in a medieval Gazwa-e-hind era, India’s S-400 and Rafales, backed by a web of fake radar trucks and decoy boxes, are playing a 21st-century game. DRDO’s decoys, mimicking S-400 and Rafale signals, sent Pakistan chasing phantoms, draining their ammo and ego.

Notes for the readers:

• Radar Simplified: The S-400’s radars are like eagle eyes that spot planes and missiles from far away, using AESA tech to scan instantly. Rafale jets have similar radars, guiding their strikes with pinpoint accuracy.
• Doppler Shift: This is how the S-400/or Rafale knows if a target’s coming or going, based on changes in radar signal pitch, like a siren passing by.
• Decoys: India uses fake radar trucks and decoy boxes to mimic S-400 and Rafale signals, tricking enemies into attacking duds and wasting ammo.
• Operation Sindoor: In May 2025, India’s S-400/Akash SAM (Surface to Air Missiles) crushed Pakistani drones and missiles, while decoys fooled Pakistan into thinking they’d downed Rafales. Spoiler: they didn’t.

[Disclaimer: No Mughals were hurt while writing this post—just their modern stand-ins. For more defense laughs, hit me up. I am an Electronics Engineer(firmware lead engineer working on a Synthetic Aperture Radar for an Earth Observation Microwave Instrument Satellite), who Can’t Stop Laughing at Tactical Mishaps]

Thanks for reading! If you want another satirical jab or a simple explainer on defense tech, let me know! I would be happy to do a complete article. Do you know why the US and Donald Trump all of a sudden are behaving so weird with India after Operation Sindoor? Stay tuned for my next blog.

Also read:

• ASAT, ABM and the shifting Nuclear Paradigm
• India’s Defense Dilemma: The High Cost of Staying Behind in the Fifth-Generation Jet Race
• Reasons Why Pakistan Chose Ceasefire in the 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict
• Rafale Deal sums up India’s journey from “Marut” to “Tejas”