Operation Sindoor Was a Pre-Planned Response to Terror Threat, Says Defence Ministry

Defence Ministry: The Ministry of Defence on Wednesday indicated that Operation Sindoor commenced as a measured military response to an emerging trend of asymmetric warfare that increasingly targets unarmed non-combatants along with military forces.

The ministry went on to clarify that the operation was a surgical strike against terrorist targets, using indigenous advanced technology and was a significant step towards independence of military action.

“India's response was deliberate, precise, and strategic. Without crossing the Line of Control or international boundary, Indian forces struck terrorist infrastructure and eliminated multiple threats. However, beyond tactical brilliance, what stood out was the seamless integration of indigenous hi-tech systems into national defence,” the ministry said.

It also emphasised that whether undertaking drone warfare, layered air defence or electronic warfare, Operation Sindoor represented a substantial milestone towards India's self-reliance with respect to technology in military action.

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Pakistan's strike thwarted by India's defence power

On the night of 7-8 May, Pakistan undertook multiple attempts to target military establishments and installations across Northern and Western India, including, Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhathinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai and Bhuj, using drones and missiles.

However, each of these attacks was quickly countered by various elements of India's Integrated Counter UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) grid and air defence systems.

In retaliation, on the morning of 8 May, the Indian armed forces targeted and neutralised several of Pakistan's air defence radars and systems, including an air defence system in Lahore.

“As part of Operation Sindoor, the following systems were utilised: battle-proven air defence systems like the Pechora, OSA-AK, and LLAD guns. Indigenous systems such as the Akash demonstrated exceptional performance,” the statement from the ministry said.

India's consolidated air defence systems that included inputs from the army, navy and primarily the air force exhibited a high level of interoperability by forming a full spectrum defence barrier and denying Pakistan the ability to mount any retaliatory missions.

“The Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) of the Indian Air Force brought all these elements together, providing the net-centric operational capability vital for modern warfare,” said the ministry in a statement.

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India struck Pakistani airbases with precision

India's offensive strikes on important Pakistani airbases including the Noor Khan and Rahimyar Khan airbases exhibited the lethality of India's loitering munitions that each evaded and destroyed few enemy radar and missile systems that subsequently had their vulnerabilities highlighted by the ministry.

“All strikes were executed without loss of Indian assets, underscoring the effectiveness of our surveillance, planning, and delivery systems. The use of modern indigenous technology, from long-range drones to guided munitions, made these strikes highly effective and politically calibrated,” the ministry added.

IAF bypasses and jams Chinese-supplied air defences

The Indian Air Force effectively avoided and jammed Pakistan's air defence systems operated by Chinese sources while accomplishing its mission in 23 minutes. This displayed India's technological advantage.

During Operation Sindoor, we obtained tangible evidence of neutralized hostile technologies including in-service PL-15 missiles, Turkish supplied UAVs called “Yiha” or “YEEHAW,” long range rockets, quad-copters and commercial grade drones.

“These were recovered and identified, showing that despite Pakistan's attempts to exploit advanced foreign-supplied weaponry, India's indigenous air defence and electronic warfare networks remained superior,” the release read.

As the precise strikes on terrorists were executed while preserving the Line of Control or violating the International Boundary, we assumed that the responses from Pakistan would emanate from across the border.

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