Focus on hard military power to ensure deterrence

Operation Sindoor demonstrated India's ability to apply military power with restraint and precision. India's signal of intent to retaliate against cross-border terrorism marks a clear shift in posture. Yet, deterrence by punishment carries inherent risks— chief among them, the possibility that fringe actors may attempt to provoke confrontation in order to manipulate state responses.

- MAJ GEN JAGATBIR SINGH (RETD)

After 88 hours of clinical precision strikes, the Indian Armed Forces, which had been given full operational freedom following the heinous terror attack at Pahalgam, Kashmir on 22 April, achieved their objectives in a calibrated, controlled, and decisive manner. What also stood out in an era of unending conflicts was the wise drawing of a finish line.

Operation Sindoor represented an evolution in our war-fighting doctrine, showcasing the capability and ability of our Armed Forces. There was a marked escalation in the scope, intensity, and precision-targeting compared to India's earlier responses to terror attacks. Soon after the Prime Minister articulated India's "new normal, the doctrine was clear and unambiguous. This watershed moment marked the unveiling of a new national security posture, one that treats state-sponsored terrorism as an act of war. The fact is that our actions were aimed at forcing Pakistan to change its behaviour as far as using terrorism as an instrument of state policy was concerned. The question, however, remains, whether our political will and military action have ensured deterrence.

UNDERSTANDING DETERRENCE

The challenge of deterrence, implying the discouraging of states from taking unwanted actions, especially military aggression, is a principal theme of a nation's defence policy. In his press briefing after the initial operation, India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that Pakistan's failure "to take action against the terrorist infrastructure on its territory" necessitated a military operation "to deter and to pre-empt."