The CIA used a secret tool called 'Ghost Murmur' to find and rescue a downed American airman in southern Iran. The technology was deployed to locate a wounded weapons systems officer, known publicly as 'Dude 44 Bravo', who had been shot down over southern Iran. The pilot was hiding in a mountain cave or crevice after his F-15 fighter jet was shot down last week, surviving for two days in harsh terrain while Iranian troops scoured the area.
Ghost Murmur uses long-range quantum magnetometry to detect the electromagnetic signal of a human heartbeat. The tool pairs the data with artificial intelligence software to isolate an individual signature from background noise. Normally the heart signal is so weak it can only be measured in a hospital setting with sensors pressed nearly against the chest, but this technology overcomes that limitation through advanced quantum techniques.
Advances in quantum magnetometry, specifically sensors built around microscopic defects in synthetic diamonds, have made it possible to detect these signals at dramatically greater distances. Quantum magnetometry is a cutting-edge technique that can detect extremely subtle variations in magnetic fields. These sensitive instruments work by firing lasers through specially created artificial diamonds to probe atom-sized imperfections called colour centres, which react on the quantum level to magnetic fields, enabling unprecedented sensitivity for remote detection.
Ghost Murmur was developed by Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works division. Skunk Works is Lockheed Martin's secretive advanced development division responsible for creating the U-2 and Blackbird spy planes. The technology has been successfully tested on Black Hawk helicopters for future potential use on F-35 fighter jets, indicating ongoing military integration efforts.
The barren landscape provided an ideal first operational use of Ghost Murmur due to low electromagnetic interference and few competing human signatures. The capability is not omniscient; it works best in remote, low-clutter environments and requires significant processing time to analyze data and pinpoint targets accurately.
The source did not know how long these processing times were or whether they were short enough to make Ghost Murmur practical in offensive operations. It was unclear how long the processing time was in this use. It's unclear if the technology may have additional wartime offensive uses beyond search and rescue, such as targeting enemy personnel in combat scenarios.
Dude 44 Bravo activated a Boeing-made Combat Survivor Evader Locator beacon, but his precise whereabouts remained unknown until detected by Ghost Murmur, highlighting the tool's critical role in overcoming limitations of traditional rescue equipment.
Typically, quantum magnetometry is used to look at very large objects, like the interior of distant planets, or tiny ones, making this application to human detection a novel and significant adaptation of the technology.
It was the tool's first use in the field by the spy agency, demonstrating its operational readiness and effectiveness in a real-world rescue mission.
The tool was alluded to Monday afternoon by President Trump and CIA Director John Ratcliffe at a White House briefing, though specific details were not disclosed publicly.
The name 'Ghost Murmur' is deliberate, with 'Murmur' as a clinical term for a heart rhythm and 'Ghost' referring to finding someone who has disappeared, reflecting the technology's purpose in locating individuals in challenging environments.