Giles's speculation was indeed correct. It was a microwave weapon that caused them to be temporarily blind.
The microwave weapon was a prototype from Fallout Shelter 027, a laser array air defense system called "Light Suppression Weapon". It was used by countries as "peaceful" means to repulse fighters trespassing.
But this form of weapon was short-lived and forgotten in history by the end of the twenty-first century. In future warfare, drones dominated the battlefield. Even if piloted fighters were not outdated, they gradually became the supporting cast in air combat.
Disregarding everything else, a fighter jet flying at a speed of ten Mach could experience a force over 10G by making a simple turn. If the turn was a little wide, the pilot's eyeballs would be squeezed out. The human reflex was only so fast, and it was far slower compared to AI's responsiveness.
