Operation Sindoor: A Turning Point in India’s Military Strategy

As I write this, my mind goes to the powerful address to the nation made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday evening. I think he has been the greatest Prime Minister India has ever had. It was forceful, direct, and there was no beating about the bush. Operation Sindoor was a new highpoint in Indian military history. It was triggered by the cold blooded killing of 26 Indian men who were holidaying with their families in Pahalgam in Kashmir on April 22, 2025. About seven terrorists -most likely based in Pakistan- entered the beautiful meadows. They accosted innocent men, established that they were Hindus and shot them dead in cold blood, in front of their wives and children. Seldom has the world seen such targeted gruesome killings where innocents were murdered only and only based on their religion. This was reminiscent of the Second World War when Jews were shot dead in cold blood by the SS stormtroopers of the Nazis.

India retaliated with Operation Sindoor on May 6-7, 2025. In this swift operation, which lasted just 25 minutes, 9 terror camps and establishments used by Islamist terror groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and the Hizbul Mujhahideen were attacked with pin point precision. The terror establishments were hit hard. It is estimated that over 100 terrorists were killed in these raids. It was the first time that India had attacked terror camps so deep in Pakistan occupied Kashmir and indeed well within Pakistan itself. With this India had avenged the deaths of the innocents killed on April 22, 2025.

However, on May 8-9 , Pakistan escalated by sending in waves of drones to target Indian air stations and other military establishments. All these attacks were effectively thwarted by the Indian Air Defence System. Full credit should go to those who planned and executed this defensive network. It brought to mind Israel’s famed Iron Dome. This feat is all the more admirable as many of the components/subsystems used in this intricate defence system were indigenously developed and manufactured.

India then went on the offensive. India attacked carefully chosen airfields of the Pakistan Air Force such as Nur Khan near Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Rafiqi to name a few. Extensive damage was caused by the missiles fired by the Indian Air Force.

An uneasy calm came into effect on the evening of May 10, after the Director General of Military Operations of Pakistan called his Indian counterpart and asked for a cease fire.

The key take aways for me as a a keen student of military history are:-

1. The shape of war as we knew it in the Indian subcontinent has changed for ever. No longer will India hesitate to attack Pakistan in their backyard. Past Governments had hesitated because Pakistan had nuclear weapons and always bragged about being ready to use them, unfettered by a No First Use policy.
2. The use of electronic warfare, drones, etc etc have changed the contours of battle. We are unlikely to see hand to hand combat and , tank warfare on a scale that characterised past wars. The attack of airfields deep in Pakistan without Indian Air Force aircraft leaving Indian skies is a major pointer in this direction.
3. The use of economic pressure like shelving the Indus Water Treaty and banning trade etc were aligned with the military objectives making a comprehensive unbeatable strategy.
4. India’s resolve as enunciated by the Prime Minister of treating acts of terror as attacks upon India is a major change from the past. In earlier decades, sheltering under the story of ” Non State Actors” Pakistan used to harbour, train, and fund known terror groups. This was in line with their strategy of inflicting a thousand cuts on India. Going forward, these cuts will now come at a far heavier price than in the past.
5. We witnessed the benefits of close co-ordination between the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force with the Ministry of External Affairs. We saw extensive briefings by the Foreign Secretary accompanied by representatives of the Indian Army and Indian Air Force. Later, we had media briefings by the DGMOs of the three Services. These went a long way in keeping people informed of the factual position. This helped immensely at a time when there was so much of misinformation especially on social media platforms.

The next few days and weeks will continue to be tense. More skirmishes could flare up. However, the families of the 26 innocent tourists who saw their menfolk hot in front of their eyes will have a sense of closure through Operation Sindoor.