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History is being shaped by the Indian Air Force, led by Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, as it successfully hit Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi, the nerve centre of Pakistan’s Air Mobility Command and redefined modern warfare. In Operation Sindoor, the IAF demonstrated exceptional air dominance and precision in standoff capabilities, asserting overwhelming control over the skies and crippling critical enemy infrastructure—all without crossing a single border.
According to official disclosures from the Directorate General of Air Operations, this campaign marked a decisive shift in India’s strategic posture—leveraging long-range precision weaponry, integrated air defence, and indigenous technological strength to redefine the contours of escalation control and deterrence in South Asia.
BrahMos: The Tip of India’s Spear
At the core of this transformation was the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile—a joint Indo-Russian platform now indigenously manufactured and operationalized with unmatched effectiveness. Deployed from Su-30MKI multirole fighters, the extended-range BrahMos enabled deep-strike missions against key enemy infrastructure in Pasrur, Chunian, and Sialkot, all without a single Indian aircraft breaching the Internation Border (IB).
With a top speed of Mach 2.8 and a low radar signature, the BrahMos missile significantly reduces the reaction time of adversaries to just seconds. The combination of the Su-30MKI’s combat radius of 1,500 kilometres and BrahMos’s standoff range of 450 kilometres has transformed the Indian Air Force’s strike capabilities, enabling it to target strategic sites from well within Indian airspace. “The result was devastating for everyone to watch with bated breath,” quipped a military observer.
Precision Without Escalation: A New Warfare Paradigm
Operation Sindoor highlighted India’s increasing reliance on technology-enabled standoff warfare, emphasizing precision over proximity. Official reports through several videos confirm the deployment of a sophisticated arsenal, including Crystal Maze-2 systems for targeting hardened underground bunkers, SCALP and Hammer missiles for neutralizing enemy airfields, and Spice-2000 bombs for deep-strike, bunker-busting missions. Notably, these assets were utilized without violating the Line of Control or international borders, demonstrating India’s strategic maturity and determination.
India’s Integrated Air Defence: A Seamless Shield
While offensive air operations dominated headlines, the robustness of India’s multi-layered air defence network proved equally decisive. The IAF, along with tri-services integration, activated a dense defensive matrix in anticipation of enemy retaliation:
- L-70 anti-aircraft guns, now digitized with thermal imaging and automated fire control, intercepted numerous low-flying UAVs in sectors like Pahalgam.
- Akash SAMs, designed and built in India, formed the first kinetic layer of defence against fast-moving aerial targets up to 25 km away.
- MR-SAMs, developed jointly with Israel, provided medium-range interception, targeting hostile fighters and drones with precision.
- At the apex, the S-400 Triumf system engaged and neutralized long-range threats, including Pakistan’s Fatah-II ballistic missile—proving the credibility of India’s top-tier missile shield.
This integrated air defence grid delivered zero successful penetrations, maintaining full integrity of Indian airspace throughout the operation.
Indigenous Defence on the Rise
The campaign also brought attention to India’s accelerating push for self-reliance in defence manufacturing. BrahMos, now produced entirely in India—including at the newly inaugurated Lucknow facility (launched on National Technology Day, May 11, 2025)—is a flagship of the ‘Make in India’ initiative. With over 130 successful tests, BrahMos has emerged as both a battlefield asset and a geopolitical signal.
The upcoming BrahMos-NG (Next Generation) variant, significantly lighter and faster, will enhance compatibility with platforms like the Tejas Mk1A and Rafale and expand export potential, particularly among ASEAN and Latin American nations.
The Emerging Missile Superpower
India’s missile arsenal, led by BrahMos and bolstered by indigenous R&D, is rapidly expanding into new domains. The BrahMos-NG, along with the naval and submarine-launched variants, represents a credible full-spectrum deterrent. Concurrently, DRDO’s hypersonic ambitions—visible in projects like the HSTDV (Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle)—signal a potential breakthrough that could position India among a select group of hypersonic-capable nations.
As one DRDO scientist put it:
“BrahMos is no longer just a missile—it’s a strategic doctrine. It means India can strike deep, fast, and without warning.”
Strategic Messaging and Deterrence
As one senior Air Force official observed, “This wasn’t just an operation—it was a calibrated message. India can strike with precision, discipline, and overwhelming force—without crossing a single line.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi echoed this sentiment post-operation:
“In just three days, our forces inflicted damage that Pakistan never anticipated. We struck the very airbases they once showcased with pride.”
The IAF’s execution of Operation Sindoor sent a strategic deterrent signal, not just to adversaries but also to the global security community: India is now a standoff power capable of shaping the battlespace without escalation.
Operation Sindoor marks a watershed moment in India’s defence posture. It validated years of doctrinal evolution, indigenous innovation, and joint-force readiness. The IAF didn’t just dominate the skies—it demonstrated how a modern air force deters, dissuades, and delivers with precision in the age of non-contact warfare.
Huma Siddiqui/Ravi Shanakr
Dr Ravi Shankar has over two decades of experience in communications, print journalism, electronic media, documentary film making and new media.
He makes regular appearances on national television news channels as a commentator and analyst on current and political affairs. Apart from being an acknowledged Journalist, he has been a passionate newsroom manager bringing a wide range of journalistic experience from past associations with India’s leading media conglomerates (Times of India group and India Today group) and had led global news-gathering operations at world’s biggest multimedia news agency- ANI-Reuters. He has covered Parliament extensively over the past several years. Widely traveled, he has covered several summits as part of media delegation accompanying the Indian President, Vice President, Prime Minister, External Affairs Minister and Finance Minister across Asia, Africa and Europe.
