Shot Down in Iran, Found by His Heartbeat: Inside CIA’s Chilling New Tech ‘Ghost Murmur’

The United States military successfully located and rescued an American airman whose F-15 fighter jet had been shot down in southern Iran, using a highly secretive tool developed by the Central Intelligence Agency, according to a report.

A futuristic system capable of detecting a human heartbeat from miles away was deployed during the operation, the New York Post reported.

The airman, identified publicly only as “Dude 44 Bravo,” spent two days hiding in a mountain crevice after his jet went down while Iranian forces scoured the area with a bounty on his capture.

According to the report, the agency used a classified system known as “Ghost Murmur” to track the missing serviceman across rugged terrain. The mission marked the first operational use of the technology in the field.

The system works by detecting the electromagnetic signature of a human heartbeat from long distances.

How does CIA’s ‘Ghost Murmur’ detect a human heartbeat from miles away?

“It’s like hearing a voice in a stadium. In the right conditions, if your heart is beating, we will find you,” a source familiar with the program told the New York Post, describing the technology’s precision.

The report said the system combines quantum magnetometry with artificial intelligence to isolate the pulse signal from environmental noise.

Officials had earlier struggled to pinpoint the airman’s exact location despite signals from a survival beacon. The breakthrough came when “Ghost Murmur” identified his position, confirming where he was concealed.

John Ratcliffe hinted at the operation during a White House briefing, stating that the agency had confirmed that one of America’s best and bravest was alive and concealed in a mountain crevice, invisible to the enemy but not to the CIA.

Donald Trump also alluded to the technology, telling reporters that the CIA had located the pilot from 40 miles away. “It’s like finding a needle in a haystack. The CIA was unbelievable,” Trump said.

“Ghost Murmur” was developed by Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works, the company’s top-secret research division, and this mission marked its first known operational use.

According to the report, the technology had been tested on military platforms including Black Hawk helicopters, with potential future deployment on advanced fighter jets.

“The name is deliberate. ‘Murmur' is a clinical term for a heart rhythm. ‘Ghost' refers to finding someone who, for all practical purposes, has disappeared,” the source said.