Imagine a nation, long accused of harboring terror, suddenly stripped bare—its defenses crumbling, its military humiliated, and its leadership scrambling for a lifeline.
On the fateful day of May 7, 2025, India didn’t just retaliate; it orchestrated a symphony of destruction that exposed Pakistan’s fragile facade.
Operation Sindoor, a meticulously planned aerial assault by the Indian Air Force (IAF), wasn’t merely a strike—it was a masterclass in modern warfare, proving that patience has limits and terror sponsors pay a heavy price.
As the dust settled, Pakistan’s once-boastful military machine lay in ruins, a house of cards toppled by India’s unyielding resolve. This operation, echoing the boldness of past conflicts yet surpassing them in sophistication, redefined deterrence in South Asia and sent shockwaves across the globe.
The Genesis: From Terror In Paradise To A Nation’s Fury
The seeds of Operation Sindoor were sown in the serene valleys of Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025. What began as a peaceful pilgrimage turned into a nightmare when Pakistan-based militants ambushed tourists, killing 26 people.
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This brazen attack, claimed by groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was the latest in a long line of proxy aggressions orchestrated from across the border.
Indian intelligence swiftly linked the perpetrators to terror hubs in Muridke and Bahawalpur, deep inside Pakistan, where these outfits operated with apparent impunity under the shadow of state protection.
The outrage was immediate and unified. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, drawing lessons from the 2019 Pulwama attack that claimed 40 lives and led to the Balakot airstrike, vowed a response that would not only punish the guilty but deter future threats.
Unlike Balakot, where India targeted a JeM camp in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing an estimated scores of militants (though Pakistan dismissed it as “trees hit”), Operation Sindoor was broader in scope. It aimed to dismantle the infrastructure of terror, striking at the heart of LeT and JeM operations.
Planning commenced the very next day after the Pahalgam assault. On April 24, 2025, high-level meetings involving the Army, Navy, and Air Force outlined operational options.
Tactical preparations kicked off on April 29, with political clearance granting the military unprecedented freedom.
The operation’s name, “Sindoor,” symbolized the vermilion mark worn by Indian women—a tribute to the bereaved families and a cultural nod to unyielding resolve. By May 5, the timeline was set: strikes would unfold in the early hours of May 6, 7, and 9, 2025, under the cover of darkness to maximize surprise.
This wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction but a calculated escalation. Historical parallels abound: In 1971, during the Indo-Pak War, the IAF decimated Pakistani airfields, leading to Bangladesh’s liberation.
Balakot in 2019 marked India’s shift to pre-emptive strikes against non-state actors. Sindoor built on these, integrating advanced technology and joint-service coordination to achieve “conflict domination” with minimal escalation risks.
The Pahalgam attack was the catalyst, but Sindoor was the culmination of years of doctrinal evolution—from reactive defense to proactive punishment.
The Execution: A Symphony Of Precision & Power
Operation Sindoor unfolded like a well-rehearsed opera, with the IAF as the lead performer. On May 7, between 1:05 and 1:30 a.m. IST, 80-90 aircraft, including 12 Mirage 2000 jets armed with Spice 2000 precision-guided munitions and Crystal Maze missiles, crossed into Pakistani airspace.
Supported by four backup aircraft on the Indian side, the strikes targeted nine terror camps: Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur (JeM headquarters), Syedna Bilal in Muzaffarabad, Markaz Taiba in Muridke (LeT headquarters), and others in Kotli and beyond.
UAV footage and satellite imagery confirmed the hits—administrative blocks, leadership residences, and training facilities reduced to rubble.
The weapons arsenal was a testament to India’s indigenous prowess and global partnerships. BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, integrated onto Su-30MKI fighters since 2013 through homegrown efforts, enabled standoff strikes at speeds exceeding Mach 3, evading defenses with pinpoint accuracy.
SCALP (Storm Shadow) / Crystal Maze cruise missiles from Rafale / Mirage 2000 jets penetrated hardened targets up to 500 km away, while AASM Hammer glide bombs, adaptable for various payloads, ensured all-weather precision up to 70 km.
DRDO-developed Akash missiles and SkyStriker loitering munitions added layers of redundancy, neutralizing threats with minimal collateral.
The operation lasted a mere 21 minutes from entry to exit, yet it neutralized 80-100 terrorists, including key leaders from JeM and LeT.
No Indian losses were reported, and civilian casualties were avoided by directing impacts away from populated areas—a stark contrast to Pakistan’s later indiscriminate responses.
Bomb damage assessments, aided by real-time UAV feeds and satellite passes, revealed extensive destruction, though deeper targets like Bahawalpur posed verification challenges akin to Balakot.
As Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari detailed in his NDTV Defence Summit address (from the video summary), “The strikes were calibrated for visual and punitive impact, sending a clear message to prevent future terrorist activities.”
Pakistan’s Retaliation: A Desperate Swarm Meets An Impenetrable Shield
Pakistan’s response was swift but disastrously ineffective.
On the nights of May 8 and 9, over 300 drones, loitering munitions, and CM-400 standoff supersonic weapons targeted Indian air bases like Srinagar, Awantipora, Adampur, Bhatinda, and Bhuj.
Dubbed “Operation Bunyan al-Marsus,” this swarm attack aimed to saturate defenses and provoke escalation. Pakistan even kept civilian airspace open, risking international flights to potentially frame India for collateral damage.
However, India’s layered defenses turned the tide. The Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) and riding on it, Akashteer proved indispensable, forming an “invisible shield” that neutralized every inbound threat.
IACCS, the IAF’s network-centric warfare backbone, fused data from radars, sensors, satellites, and assets across services, enabling real-time detection, identification, and interception. As Tiwari described, “IACCS sees, decides, and strikes faster than anything fielded globally— a disruptive technology that Pakistan couldn’t counter.”
Akashteer, the Indian Army’s automated air defense control and reporting system developed by Bharat Electronics Limited, complemented IACCS perfectly.
Inducted recently and AI-driven, it created a “war cloud” for frontline units, providing seamless situational awareness and automated responses. During Sindoor, Akashteer intercepted hundreds of drones and missiles, including Turkish-origin YIHA and Songar models, with unerring precision.
“It empowered our forces to create hell for Pakistan.”
The S-400 Triumf added lethal punch, downing five Pakistani fighter jets (including JF-17s and F-16s) and one AEW&C surveillance aircraft at ranges up to 300 km—a world record for surface-to-air kills.
Overall, India destroyed six Pakistani aircraft in the air, two on the ground, over ten drones, and a C-130 Hercules, inflicting a “five-year setback” on the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
The Crumble: Pakistan’s House of Cards Collapses Under Its Own Weight
What followed was a rapid unraveling—Pakistan’s defenses, economy, and politics folding like a house of cards.
Militarily, the strikes decimated 11-12 airbases: Nur Khan (Rawalpindi), Mushaf (Sargodha), Rafiqui (Shorkot), Bholari (Jamshoro), Jacobabad (Shahbaz), Sukkur, Murid (Chakwal), Sialkot, Pasrur, Chunian, Skardu, and Rahim Yar Khan.
Runways cratered, hangars obliterated, radars silenced—losses estimated at 20% of PAF infrastructure. Chinese HQ-9 and LY-80 systems in Lahore and Karachi were neutralized, exposing vulnerabilities in imported tech.
Pakistan’s swarm tactic, inspired by recent conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war, backfired spectacularly. With radars switched off in fear and command structures disrupted, their forces suffered heavy casualties. Morale plummeted amid internal security woes—dozens of terror attacks the previous year had already claimed hundreds of personnel.
Economically, the conflict exacerbated Pakistan’s fragility. Airspace closures disrupted trade, stock markets dipped, and IMF aid was linked to ceasefire compliance. Inflation soared, and repairs strained a debt-ridden economy dependent on foreign bailouts.
Politically, the military establishment—long using anti-India rhetoric for legitimacy—faced erosion of public trust. Leadership, like that of Shahbaz Sharif, delayed retaliation, leading to accusations of cowardice from figures like Omar Ayub Khan: “Strike hard now!” The DGMO’s plea for a “face-saving off-ramp” on May 10 highlighted desperation.
By midday May 10, Pakistan sought U.S. mediation, with General Asim Munir appealing to Marco Rubio and JD Vance. A ceasefire took effect at 5:00 p.m. IST, but punitive measures, such as trade suspensions, continued to linger.
As Carnegie Endowment noted, “The strikes marked the most extensive Indian air attacks on Pakistani soil,” accelerating Pakistan’s internal fractures and exposing its nuclear bluff.
Pakistan’s forces, strained by internal crises, were humiliated, concealing losses and facing morale collapse. Sindoor exposed their outdated tactics against India’s integrated might.
IACCS and Akashteer—India’s Game-Changers
At the core of Sindoor’s success were IACCS and Akashteer, embodying India’s self-reliance in defense. IACCS, operational since 2010 and fully integrated by 2025, is an automated command and control system that links over 150 radars, sensors, and platforms.
It enabled net-centric operations, fusing data for real-time decisions during strikes and defenses.
“IACCS was the tip of the spear,” Tiwari emphasized, ensuring calibrated responses that achieved dominance with fewer than 50 weapons.
Akashteer, inducted in 2024, automated air defense for the Army, connecting to IACCS and Navy systems for tri-service synergy. AI-driven, it neutralized swarms by prioritizing threats and allocating interceptors efficiently.
During the conflict, it foiled Pakistan’s aerial barrage, intercepting every projectile. As PIB stated, “IACCS neutralised every inbound, proving pivotal in thwarting Pakistan’s plan.”
These systems evolved from Balakot’s lessons, where verification was a key challenge. In Sindoor, they provided clear intelligence, convincing skeptics of achievements. Vinod lauds them: “From reactive to proactive deterrence, IACCS and Akashteer shift paradigms, imposing swift costs on aggressors.”
Broader Ramifications
Sindoor’s impact transcended the battlefield. For India, it boosted morale, accelerated modernization, and reinforced the “offensive-defense” doctrine.
Globally, it highlighted air power in limited conflicts, setting templates for counter-terror ops. Nineteen countries sought BrahMos post-strike, elevating India’s defense exports.
For Pakistan, it hastened reforms amid weakened forces and economic strain. Internal dissent grew, with calls for accountability. The Indus Water Treaty remained in abeyance, adding pressure.
Amid this, Donald Trump’s claims of “stopping the war” through personal intervention are utterly bogus. Fact-checks from The New York Times, AP, and PolitiFact rate them “mostly false.”
Trump touted ending “six wars,” including Indo-Pak, but evidence shows bilateral de-escalation via DGMO channels and India’s restraint after objectives were met. No U.S. mediation occurred; Trump’s narrative ties to his “six wars in six months” boast, dismissed as exaggeration. As Al Jazeera noted, “The crisis resolved bilaterally, not via Washington.”
Conclusion: Lessons From The Rubble
Operation Sindoor stands as a testament to India’s strategic maturity—precise, proportionate, and purposeful. It avenged innocents, dismantled terror networks, and humbled a perennial adversary without full-scale war.
Pakistan’s crumble reminds us: Houses of cards, built on denial and proxy aggression, inevitably fall.
“In the face of terror, resolve trumps rhetoric.” In a volatile world, Sindoor’s legacy endures: Deterrence through strength, not submission.
- Group Captain MJ Augustine Vinod (Retd), VSM, is a former Mirage 2000 fighter pilot, air accident investigator, and co-founder of AMOS Aerospace. He writes on emerging defense technologies, AI in warfare, and India’s aviation future.
- This is an Opinion Article. Views Personal Of The Author
- He tweets at @mjavinod
