Op Sindoor Saw the Dawn of India's Future-Ready and Atmanirbhar Military

When terrorists inflicted a brutal massacre in Kashmir's tranquil Baisaran meadows on 22 April 2025, killing 25 Indian tourists and one Nepali national, India faced an agonising challenge.

- ASHISH SINGH

The country had to respond decisively without triggering a full-scale conflict.

India's reply, Operation Sindoor, was decisive and historic, showcasing a new paradigm of future-ready and self-reliant (Atmanirbhar) military force.

ATMANIRBHARTA ON THE BATTLEFIELD

Operation Sindoor displayed India's military self-reliance by demonstrating the operational maturity of indigenous systems. The indigenously developed Akash Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM), coupled with the sophisticated Rajendra radar, was central to India's layered air defence, effectively intercepting 95% of enemy drones and missiles. This validated the operational effectiveness of home-grown defence technologies, emphasising the military dimension of the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.

Supporting this dominance was DRDO's innovative D4 Anti-Drone System, which neutralised enemy drones through advanced GPS spoofing and RF jamming, dramatically reducing reliance on expensive missile intercepts. Legacy equipment, including upgraded Bofors guns, Pechora missiles, and Low-Level Air Defence (LLAD) guns, seamlessly fused with new technologies, creating a robust defensive shield.

Offensively, India's homegrown Nagastra-1 loitering munition and reportedly the iconic BrahMos missiles, equipped with domestically produced seeker technology, carried out precise strikes against critical terrorist infrastructures in Bahawalpur and Muridke.

These precision strikes eliminated high-value terrorist commanders, such as Hafiz Muhammed Jameel (JeM) and Mudassir Khadian (LeT), highlighting India's precision targeting capabilities.

PRECISION AND INTELLIGENCE-LED OPERATIONS