Korean Media: Finding Missing U.S. Military Personnel by "Heartbeat Sounds" — CIA's New Technology "Ghost Murmur"

Reports suggest that a U.S. military fighter pilot shot down during the Iran conflict was dramatically rescued thanks to a classified technology developed by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), capable of detecting heartbeats from tens of kilometers away.

On the 7th local time, according to multiple sources including U.S. officials cited by the New York Post, a technology named "Ghost Murmur" was first deployed during the rescue operation.

It is a long-range quantum magnetometry method designed to detect electromagnetic signals emitted by human heartbeats. The collected data is then processed through artificial intelligence (AI) software, which isolates the heartbeat signals of U.S. personnel from surrounding noise, enabling precise tracking.

According to one source: "The name itself conveys intent." "Ghost" symbolizes the search for missing individuals, while "murmur" refers to heartbeat sounds in medical terminology. He added: "It’s like trying to hear a voice in a stadium—except this stadium spans tens of thousands of square kilometers of desert. As long as the conditions are right, we can find someone whose heart is still beating."

It is reported that the technology was developed by Lockheed Martin’s secretive research division, known as "Skunk Works."

On the 3rd, an F-15E fighter jet operated by the U.S. military was shot down by Iranian forces, prompting a high-difficulty rescue mission for two crew members aboard. After 48 hours, one of them was dramatically rescued. According to reports, the operation involved a total of 155 aircraft, including four bombers, 64 fighters, 48 aerial refueling tankers, and 13 rescue aircraft.

During those 48 hours, the missing U.S. officer hid deep in the mountains, evading Iranian search efforts, making pinpointing his location extremely difficult. According to the New York Post: "Although he activated a combat survivor location signal (CSEL) device developed by Boeing, the search team still could not accurately determine his position." A source stated that the U.S. military then decided to use the "Ghost Murmur" technology, and the moment this system successfully located the officer became a "decisive turning point."

One source described the situation at the time: "The missing U.S. service member had to occasionally emerge to send signals," "What mattered more than the signal itself was the fact that he had to come out to send it."

Exactly how far away the heartbeat signal was detected remains unclear. However, on the 6th, President Donald Trump said in a press conference following the rescue operation that the officer was found "40 miles (64 kilometers) away." Another source noted that at the time, there was minimal electromagnetic interference and almost no other signals present, and human body heat was easily detectable in the desert night—conditions so "clean" that the signal could finally be picked up.

It is expected that the "Ghost Murmur" technology may be applied to the F-35 fighter jet in the future. Lockheed Martin has not yet officially mentioned this technology.

Source: Chosun Ilbo

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861900056211591/

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