INTEGRATED POWER

How the Army, Navy and Air Force made Operation Sindoor a success

- BY GROUP CAPTAIN R.K. NARANG (RETD)

Though the details of the weapons used in Operation Sindoor are not revealed, it seems that air-toground missiles, long-range glide bombs and other unmanned assets were employed. After the strike, Indian Air Force fighters carried out combat air patrols to deter Pakistan from launching immediate counter-attacks. The pin-point strikes at multiple locations highlighted the salience of advanced aerial technologies. India, by striking headquarters and training sites of terrorist organisations deep inside Pakistan, crossed an important psychological barrier that prevented employment of air assets for undertaking punitive strikes in the past.

These attacks have demonstrated that air power can be employed in less than conventional war scenarios and also highlighted the need for accurate intelligence if targets have to be destroyed with minimum collateral damage. The precise strikes were carried out without significant loss of life that a ground action may accrue. It increased the cost of terrorism and deprived perpetrators the safety and immunity that they were accustomed to.

India's actions did not provide Pakistan legitimate excuse for escalation as the attacks did not target civilian and military installations. However, Pakistan launched missiles and drones, and attempted to engage a number of military installations in northern and western India on the intervening night of May 7 and the morning of May 8. These were neutralised with integrated counter UAS (unmanned aerial systems) grid and air defence systems. Indian armed forces targeted Pakistani radars and systems at a number of locations on May 8 and neutralised a radar at Lahore. This neutralisation would degrade Pakistan's ability to direct its fighters close to the Indian border.