Op Sindoor: IAF Hits Wide and Deep – In Just 90 hours Sets a New Normal
Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retd)
New Delhi. India launched “Operation SINDOOR” in response to Pakistan’s April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. It was intended to destroy the terrorist launch pads set up by ISI at various places.
Pakistan attempted a response using drones and shelling to hit Indian military and civilian locations including religious sites. That was unacceptable and India responded by striking military targets across the length and depth of Pakistan to denude their offensive capability. As India struck, the world watched in awe and surprise about the resolve, and crossing the nuclear red line threatened by Pakistan. Enough was Enough.
India Hits Terror Targets
Numerous terror camps and training sites were identified. The targets were finally shortlisted with due diligence. The self-imposed operational ethics and restraint meant avoiding collateral civilian damage even though many targets were deep inside Pakistan.
It was decided that Air will be the best means for long-range precision strikes in the shortest possible time. The Indian Air Force (IAF) was thus to do the Heavy Lifting, and 14 terror targets at 9 locations were struck in the early hours of 07 May. India successfully destroyed the major terror training centres and launch-pads both in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), located in the cover of mosques. These included Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) facilities. The targets were hit with precision and over 100 terrorists were killed, including JeM chief Masood Azhar’s ten family members at his Bahawalpur HQs.
The five targets in PoJK included in Muzzafrabad (2), Kotli, Gurpur, and Bhimber. Those in Pakistani Punjab were Sialkot, Sarjal, Muridke (near Lahore), and Bahawalpur which is around 140 kilometres from the Indian border.
Weapons used were air launched cruise missiles, and ground loiter munitions, including indigenous ones. India clarified its response as focused, measured, and non-escalatory.
Pakistan was also told that IAF was limiting its attacks only to the terrorist dens, not any military targets. And that any Pakistani attacks on military targets in India will invite a suitable response.
Pakistani Response
Pakistan’s retaliatory Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos, targeted several Indian military bases, and civilian areas, including Hindu and Sikh religious sites. They used aircraft, surface-to-surface missiles (SSM), drones and cruise missiles. Pakistan’s aim was also to swarm and saturate Indian air defences. These were thwarted and neutralised by India’s air defence systems which included S-400, Akash, and other Surface-to-Air-Guided Weapons (SAGW) systems including the Pechora, OSA, Igla, L-70 and Shilka AD systems. Only a few Pakistani weapons reached close to the targets but made no impact because of low accuracy and small warheads.
India has an indigenously developed counter-drone grid called 4D (Drone, Detect, Deter, and Destroy). IAF’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) controls all airborne and ground-based combat assets and supported all interceptions.
Aircraft from either side did not cross the border.
Pakistani Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) also started running a media campaign stating a large number of Indian fighters were shot down during 7th morning raids. The claims were credited to Chinese PL-15 missiles fired from J-10CE and JF-17 aircraft. India countered all such claims with facts, and pointed out it had shot four Pakistan Air Force (PAF) hi-tech fighters, one High-Altitude Very High-Value Asset, 2 SSMs, 2 Hypersonic Cruise Missiles and numerous UAVs and Loitering Munitions (LM). IAF also destroyed one AEW&C and 4 F-16s on the ground. Since any wreckages would have fallen in own countries, the truth will take some time to unfold.
Meanwhile India displayed a complete PL-15 which had landed in India unexploded. Obviously it had either failed to lock-on, or had a technical malfunction, or may have been fired well outside the authorised range of the weapon. These would need deeper technical analysis.
IAF strikes Major Military Targets
India responded to Pakistani strikes by destroying a HQ-9 supporting radar installation near Lahore and radar facilities near Gujranwala.
India followed this by major military strikes across the length and depth of Pakistan. On May 9–10, India became the first country to strike 11 airbases of a nuclear-armed nation in a single operation, destroying 20 percent of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) assets, including in their hangars and blast pens. The targets included airfields at Skardu, Nur Khan (Chaklala), Murid, Sargodha, Rafiqi, Rahim Yar Khan, Jacobabad, Sukkur, and Bholari. AD systems, and ammunition storage was hit at Looni (Sialkot), Pasrur, Dha (Lahore), Arifwala, Chunian, Malir cantonment (Karachi). These massive airstrikes covered the entire country.
Interestingly Nur Khan is within walking distance of the capital, Islamabad, as well as the Pakistan Army HQ at Rawalpindi.
Sargodha has PAF’s nuclear air vector with large nuclear weapon storage. Rafiqi is a major fighter base in the middle of the country. To hit targets in the country’s financial capital, Karachi, actually unnerved them and Pakistan’s stock market went spiralling down.
IAF strikes exposed Pakistan’s nuclear bluff and threat.
India has a policy of not attacking first with nuclear weapons, but it is well understood in Islamabad what a massive Indian nuclear could mean.
Battle Damage Assessment
BDA pictures of each strike were made public the very next day, shutting up all naysayers in India and abroad. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) played a great role for Satellite based Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and communication, among others. The National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), a technical intelligence agency, also supported on target data.
The heavy damage inflicted by IAF strikes, and worried about many more that could come, Pakistan finally itself request a ceasefire.
India accepted the same conditionally. For India it was a pause. Pakistan was warned that any adverse act could restart hostilities. The non-military measures put in place earlier would not be withdrawn. India’s non-kinetic efforts played a crucial role in shaping the strategic environment and ensuring public and international support. Through strategic policymaking, information dominance, and psychological operations, India diplomatically and economically isolated Pakistan while strengthening domestic preparedness and global backing.
Indus Water Treaty
India has held in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960. PM Modi said “Blood and water cannot flow together.” India closed the Integrated Check Post at Attari. India also suspended all bilateral trade with Pakistan imposing significant economic cost.
India revoked visas of all Pakistanis residing in the country and deported them immediately. A total ban was imposed on Pakistani artists. The military attaches were declared Persona Non Grata. The overall strength of the Pakistan High Commission was brought down, and India itself withdrew diplomats and staff for missions in Pakistan.
IAF Succeeded in All Tenets of Air power
Modern air power is characterized by several key principles, including Precision, Reach, Flexibility, Mobility, Responsiveness, Offensive Lethality, and Trans-domain Operational Capability. These characteristics allow for the concentration of force, decisive firepower, and the disruption of enemy systems and networks. Essentially, air power focuses on achieving effects rather than just mass, leveraging superior technology and stand-off weapons to target vulnerabilities and achieve strategic paralysis.
All these tenets were more than amply displayed during this very short and swift air operation.
IAF displayed ability to project power over vast distances (Reach). And the capacity to adapt and respond to changing circumstances (Flexibility), deploying forces and resources in various ways to achieve objectives, including switching from terror to specific military targets.
IAF displayed the ability to move rapidly and strategically (Mobility), taking advantage of the speed of air-based platforms to react quickly to unfolding events. Industry supported, and Naval and Army assets were brought in quickly where needed. The speed and efficiency with which air power can be deployed and utilized in response to evolving threats or opportunities (responsiveness) was very visible. And proved.
Offensive lethality, implying destructive power and precision of air-delivered weapons, enabling the targeting and neutralization of enemy forces and infrastructure was seen globally from the battle damage “Then and Now” pictures released, and sourced from commercial satellites.
Trans-domain Operations
Air Power has trans-domain operational capability. The ability to operate across different domains (Land, Sea, Air, Space, Cyber-space) was achieved through integrated and synergistic effects. Indian Navy’s Carrier Battle Group was dominating the Arabian Sea, and IAF maritime Su-30MKI and Jaguars were closely coordinating. Similarly Indian Army’s offensive Loiter Munitions, and Air defence (AD) assets were fully integrated.
Key principles of “Concentration of Force and Decisive Targeting” was visible. IAF hit Pakistan’s crucial locations and vulnerabilities, to achieve a desired effect. A lot was visibly happening in New Delhi (Centralized Control), but the physical action was taking place in the Regional Air Commands (Decentralized Execution). Resource prioritization was being accordingly done for effects-based results. Maintaining a balance between different air power capabilities, such as combat aircraft, missiles, drones, cyber, and electronic warfare, and logistics support was ensured. The assets guarding India’s other fronts were left in-situ for possible eventualities.
The IAF could maintain control of airspace and prevented the enemy from any aircraft intrusions through aerial denial.
Most of the intruding drones and missiles were shot up. IAF demonstrated its reach, speed, and shock effect. Adversary could not intercept India’s high speed BrahMos missiles.
As a part of the narrative building, Pakistan claimed to have intercepted and destroyed 84 Israeli-made Harop drones, an absurdly exaggerated number. IAF targeted critical infrastructure, disrupting command and control systems, and impeding enemy logistics through strategic strikes. IAF leveraged technological advancements and strategic principles to achieve decisive effects in warfare and protect national interests.
Indian political leadership had given a well selected “Aim” of the operation.
It was first to hit terror targets, and in case of escalatory response, to hit a host of military targets to dismantle capability. The same was fully achieved by IAF. India’s military assets were fully protected from aerial attacks through very effective air defences.
To Summarise
Throughout the conflict, the focused objective against terrorism remained unchanged. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given very clear political direction and full freedom to the military leadership to deliver firm and clear combat effects.
IAF’s was a measured, yet powerful response. No harm was inflicted upon civilians. This was despite repeated provocations from Pakistan, including using civilian call-signs for military aircraft missions while attacking India. Very careful targeting showed both India’s capability and its commitment to responsible warfare.
Addressing the nation on eve of 12th May, PM Modi made it clear that “Operation Sindoor” is not just a name but a reflection of the feelings of millions of people in the country and an unbroken pledge of justice. He declared that for every terrorist attack on India, a fitting reply will be given. India will not tolerate any nuclear blackmail.
India will strike precisely and decisively at the terrorist hideouts developing under the umbrella of Pakistan army’s ISI and also the so-called nuclear umbrella.
Aircraft and armaments of many countries such as Russia, China, France, Israel and indigenous systems of the two countries were at play. Politico-military-industrial interests were driving narratives to high-light own, and downplay competitor equipment. Authentic sounding analysts were hired to build scenarios.
China was praising performance of J-10CE, JF-17 and PL-15 to attract future buyers. Some Western analysts wanted to downplay Rafale in view of upcoming likely Indian Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRFA) tender for 114 combat jets.
The Chinese MQ-9 had genuinely failed as even Pakistan did not credit it with any intercepts. There was universal praise of S-400 and India’s Akash AD systems.
All the Indian strike weapons had done their job. India’s Counter Drone system had come of age.
Notably, India’s armed forces were fully coordinated, and demonstrated India’s growing joint military prowess. India’s military leadership led from the front. The entire security establishment under the National Security Advisor (NSA) were backing the military operations.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) played their roles with distinction.
International diplomacy was handled very deftly. Yet China and Turkey provided significant hardware support to Pakistan, and China also helped PAF in satellite based ISR and communications, and also supported in command and control. We can say, India was fighting “one-front two-country” adversary.
In the current global scenario, military conflicts will start at short notice after trigger events. A Military would have to be ever ready. Capabilities will have to be in place all the time. Air will remain the preferred medium of real time combat action.
India needs to boost its Defence budget tremendously, at least to 2.75 to 3 per cent of the GDP.
Larger funds have of course been authorised for emergency purchases, but there is a huge backlog and India needs to build IAF’s combat fleet to the sanctioned 42 Squadrons at least, acquire Flight Refuellers and AWAC or AEW&C aircraft.
Every conflict also throws up doctrinal and tactical reviews. IAF has made it clear terror attacks will draw military response, notwithstanding Pakistan’s nuclear threats.
The Indian Air Force has made us Proud. The Government and People of India have to support the IAF with Resolve and, Please, also increased budgets.
(The Author is former Director General, Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS). He was a Test Pilot and in the first IAF Team to ferry the Mirage 2000 from France to India. He has flying experience on the Rafale).
