Operation Sindoor's tactical brilliance showed India can strike at the heart of terror anywhere in Pakistan. What stood out was the seamless integration of indigenous hi-tech systems into national defence. Whether in drone warfare, layered air defence, or electronic warfare, Operation Sindoor marked a milestone in India's journey towards technological self-reliance in military operations.
Operation Sindoor emerged as a calibrated military response to an evolving pattern of asymmetric warfare, one that increasingly targets unarmed civilians along with military personnel, the government said in a statement today. The terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam in April served as a grim reminder of this shift.
India's response was deliberate, precise, and strategic - without crossing the Line of Control (LoC) or the international boundary, Indian forces struck terrorist infrastructure and eliminated multiple threats, the government said in a statement shared by the Press Information Bureau.
The government acknowledged how India's homegrown systems built over the last decade with continuous state investment proved to be force multipliers during the operation. For example, the multi-tier defence prevented Pakistan Air Force attacks on India's airfields and logistics installations during the night of May 9 and 10.
They played a crucial role in ensuring that both civilian and military infrastructure across India remained largely unaffected during enemy retaliation attempts, the government said.
The government said the contribution of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is immense as without satellite and drone technology, the country can't monitor the entire northern part continuously.
ISRO Chairman V Narayanan on May 11 said at least 10 satellites are continuously working round-the-clock for the strategic purpose to ensure the safety and security of the citizens of the country.
India's homegrown surface-to-air missile (SAM) Akash was used to deadly effect. The Akash system can simultaneously engage targets in group or autonomous mode.
All the strikes were executed without any loss of Indian assets, underscoring the effectiveness of India's surveillance, planning, and delivery systems, the government said. The use of modern indigenous technology, from long-range drones to guided munitions, made these strikes highly effective and politically calibrated, it said.
In fact, the Indian Air Force (IAF) bypassed and jammed Pakistan's Chinese-supplied air defence systems, completing the mission in just 23 minutes, demonstrating India's technological edge.
Drone Power: A Rising Indigenous Industry
The Drone Federation India (DFI) is a premier industry body representing over 550 drone companies and 5,500 drone pilots. DFI's vision is to make India a global drone hub by 2030, and it promotes the design, development, manufacturing, adoption and export of Indian drone and counter-drone technology worldwide.
DFI enables ease of doing business, promotes the adoption of drone technology, and hosts several programs like Bharat Drone Mahotsav.
Air Defence: Tech As The First Line of Protection
On the night of May 7 and 8, Pakistan attempted to engage a number of military targets in northern and western India including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj, using drones and missiles.
These were neutralised by the Integrated Counter UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) Grid and Air Defence systems. On the morning of May 8, India targeted air defence radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan, and destroyed an air defence system in Lahore.
Operation Sindoor saw the use of battle-proven AD (air defence) systems like the Pechora, OSA-AK and LLAD guns (low-level air defence guns), and indigenous systems such as the Akash, which demonstrated a stellar performance.
India's Air Defence Systems, combining assets from the Army, Navy, and primarily the Air Force, performed with exceptional synergy. These systems created an impenetrable wall, foiling multiple attempts by Pakistan to retaliate, the government said.
Offensive Actions With Pinpoint Accuracy
India's offensive strikes targeted key Pakistani air bases - Noor Khan and Rahimyar Khan with surgical precision. Loitering munitions were used to devastating effect, each finding and destroying high-value targets, including enemy radar and missile systems.
Loitering munitions also known as "suicide drones" or "kamikaze drones" are weapons systems that can hover or circle a target area, searching for a suitable target before attacking.
