Operation Sindoor: Firepower That Rocked Pakistan

The Indian forces launched Operation Sindoor just after midnight on May 7, 2025. The Pahalgam massacre of April 22, 2025, perhaps motivated this bold act. They carried out multiple strikes and raids against targets deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). Subsequently, the acts purposely targeted terrorist infrastructure of value, costing heavily in material terms to the terrorists, weakening their capabilities to the very extent that this operation posed a severe challenge to Pakistan’s otherwise considered mature military and terrorist nexus.

Diverse sets of advanced weaponry were employed by the Indian Armed Forces to showcase their modern-day military capability. The Indian Air Force used SCALP missiles and HAMMER munitions launched from Rafale fighter jets. Long-range drones and loitering munitions like Nagastra-1 enabled precise strikes and high-tech warfare. The Indian Army used MMGs, ATGMs, and mortars, supported by Akashdeep radar air defence systems. The Indian Navy safeguarded maritime zones with the Carrier Battle Group led by INS Vikrant. INS Vikrant launched MiG-29K jets, supported by Visakhapatnam-class destroyers and Talwar-class frigates.

Operation Sindoor destroyed nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK, including military infrastructure in Leepa Valley. Indian officials estimate reconstruction in affected areas will take between 8 to 12 months.
Beyond physical damage, the operation aimed to end the sense of impunity among Pakistan-based terror groups. It triggered a psychological shift, forcing terrorists into a “cat and mouse game” of hiding and adapting.

Indian Air Force: Precision Strikes and Air Dominance

Aircraft: Rafale Jets

Paramount to Operation Sindoor was the Dassault Rafale multirole fighter aircraft, wherein it carried out the missions of launching precision strike weapons from India’s arsenal, most importantly the SCALP cruise missiles and the HAMMER precision-guided munitions.

Beginning from the middle of 2020, the Indian Air Force (IAF) had inducted the first of its 36 Rafale jets from France: a direct boost to the combat aviation capability of India.

On April 28, 2025, another agreement was signed between India and France. An Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for procurement of additional 26 Rafale-Marine aircraft for the Indian Navy, taking India’s total count of Rafale aircraft to 62. After this deal, India will become the first country to operate both Air Force and Navy variants of Rafale fighter.

Missiles: SCALP Cruise Missiles, HAMMER munitions, BrahMos Cruise Missiles, and Rampage Missile

SCALP, known as “Storm Shadow” is one of the “stand-off weapons” and “heavy duty missiles” extensively employed by India in Operation Sindoor. These long-range low-observable cruise missiles are unconventional high precision weapons designed to strike targets within deep enemy territory. The SCALP EG missiles, developed by European MBDA (France & UK), were first inducted by India under the comprehensive Rafale weapon package in 2020. Emergency procurement powers allowed the acquisition of these crucial equipment during urgent operational requirements.

Rafale jets also launched HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) precision-guided munitions, known for their extremely high accuracy, during the strikes. India ordered “large numbers” of AASM Hammer munitions in September 2020 from Safran Electronics & Defence (France). To ensure immediate deliveries, the French Air and Space Force transferred some of its own Hammer supplies as a sign of utmost urgency and strategic importance. Another landmark event took place on February 11, 2025, with the establishment of a joint venture between Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), India, and Safran Electronics & Defence for the indigenous production, customization, sale, and maintenance of HAMMER in India in line with the concept of “Atmanirbhar Bharat.”

During Operation Sindoor, the Indian military fired BrahMos missiles—classified among the ‘heavy-duty missiles’—at Pakistani targets. India’s DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya jointly developed these high-speed cruise missiles. India has been producing and employing BrahMos missiles since the early 2000s, having first tested one in 2001 and inducting them in the Indian Navy in 2005. Their deployment during Operation Sindoor indicates how valuable they are to India’s long-range attack capability. Rampage missile was also employed to strike targets in Pakistan during the operation. Indian Navy and Indian Air Force purchased this missile using emergency purchase powers.

Drones & Loitering Munitions

The long-range drones and loitering mechanisms found a fruitful application during Operation Sindoor, with India striking nine locations in Pakistan, terror hubs being at the core, such as Muridke and Bahawalpur. It is reported that India employed Israeli-origin Harop drones in the crisis. These drones have the ability to loiter flickering over the target area before delivering a precise strike, thus being a combination of surveillance and attack.

During Operation Sindoor, India’s indigenous Nagastra-1 loitering munition was used by the Indian Armed Forces to strike terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK. These “kamikaze drones” carry an explosive payload and strike high-value targets with intelligence and surveillance capabilities with a precision that limits collateral damage. Nagastra-1 is designed and developed by Solar Explosives, Nagpur, India. It has indigenous content of more than 75 percent.

Indigenous drone development is seeing aggressive pursuit in India, with the SkyStriker among those efforts. Indian forces have used SkyStriker drones—co-developed by Alpha Design Technologies in Bengaluru (under the Adani Group) and Israel’s Elbit Systems—to silently and precisely destroy terror camps, posts, and ammunition depots across the border. These attacks utterly defied Pakistan’s Air Defence Systems and significantly contributed to the alleged demolition of infrastructure and casualties among terrorist groups.

Effect on Pakistan (Air Domain)

The coordinated strikes effectively targeted crucial terrorist infrastructure and the symbolic centers of Lashkar-e-Taiba at Muridke and Jaish-e-Mohammed at Bahawalpur. It also targeted facilities in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and an identified operational base of Hizbul Mujahideen. On May 7, 2025, India claimed that as a fall-out of these strikes, there had been an obliteration of nine terror camps spread over Pakistan and PoK. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the act vehemently and accused it of killing 31 civilians and 46 wounded in missile strikes, calling the Indian attack an “act of war” and maintaining its right to respond. 

Beyond the immediate material casualties, the precision strikes shattered the long-standing sense of impunity enjoyed by Pakistan-based terror groups and forced a psychological recalibration within organizations like LeT and JeM. This has kick-started a “cat-and-mouse game” where the terrorists will have to keep adjusting, keep hiding, and keep reconstituting, thereby pushing India to keep evolving its intelligence and strike capabilities to remain strategically ahead.

Indian Army: Ground Operations and Defensive Capabilities

Weaponry

The Indian Army effectively used Anti-Tank Guided Missiles to destroy Pakistani posts, reportedly eliminating 10–12 posts in the Poonch area through the pinpoint deployment of these guided weapons. With the indigenous Nag Missile System (NAMIS) Tracked version, an indigenous production of DRDO, India is strengthening its anti-tank warfare. Apart from that, officials signed contracts for NAMIS (Tr) on 27 March 2025, as part of a broader procurement program aimed at boosting indigenous defence production.

The system provided timely mortar support while sub-units engaged in face-to-face battles using their direct firing weapons. The Indian Army is developing a Light Weight 81 mm Infantry Mortar under the iDEX initiative.

Developed by DRDO and manufactured by Indian companies, the Pinaka MBRL tilted the scales much in their favor. Pinaka is able to destroy on the other side 12 rockets in 44 seconds, with the range of 90 km. Using the overwhelming firepower and rapid delivery of the Pinaka system, the Indian Army destroyed Pakistani missile launchers, artillery positions, forward posts, and supply routes, delivering a significant psychological blow to Pakistani forces.

Support Systems

According to Indian made radar systems were “used brilliantly” during Operation Sindoor. This radar was necessary to target and destroy Pakistani aerial platforms which attempted to attack Indian positions with heavy weapons and air assets, thus preserving Indian military infrastructure. Alongside the radar installations, India’s air defence guns destroyed Pakistani aerial threats without allowing any significant damage to Indian positions.

On the midnight hours of May 7 and 8, 2025, the Pakistani Air Force undertook a coordinated aerial attack involving firing of drones and missiles (comprising Chinese A-100 multiple rocket launcher systems, Fatah II, and Shaheen missiles) aimed at many Indian cities and military installations scattered about northern and western sectors (like Awantipora, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Bhuj).

Being able to track targets 600 km away and intercept them at a distance of 400 km, the S-400, integrated with the Indian Air Force command network, successfully detected, tracked, and shot down all aerial threats – drones and missiles. This was the first-ever time that India used the S-400 in a combat scenario, proving its overwhelming power in a real-world engagement.

Effect on Pakistan (Ground Domain)

Indian retaliation ensured the devastating destruction of Pakistani military infrastructure in PoK’s Leepa Valley. This entailed the destruction of at least three posts, an ammunition depot, a fuel storage, and artillery positions. Indian officials, citing intelligence and surveillance sources, reported that retaliatory strikes by the Chinar Corps killed at least 64 Pakistani military personnel and injured 96.  

The intercepted radio traffic during the 25-minute coordinated air and artillery strike carried out on May 7 near Muzaffarabad revealed a heavy state of disarray amongst the Pakistani troops. Quoting the message intercepted from the PoK 75th Infantry Brigade commander, who was allegedly hiding within a mosque, a senior Chinar Corps officer said the order was that “saving lives first, offices can reopen later”. This pointed to a major disruption in command and control. Indian officials have plainly stated that the Indian Army responds to ceasefire violations with a ‘1:3’ ratio of retaliatory force—meaning that for every violation by Pakistan, the Indian Army strikes back with three times the intensity.

Indian Navy: Asserting Maritime Control

Carrier Battle Group (CBG)

After the Pahalgam attack, India rapidly deployed its Carrier Battle Group to the northern Arabian Sea.
Led by INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, this move demonstrated swift maritime power projection. INS Vikrant, fully operational since November 2023, was central to Operation Sindoor’s naval execution.

The Vikrant CBG was operating MiG-29K fighter jets that conducted round-the-clock sorties. India had initially ordered 12 MiG-29Ks and 4 twin-seat MiG-29KUBs from Russia in 2004, with deliveries commencing 5 years later. Subsequently, a second batch of 29 aircraft was ordered. On 28 April 2025, India agreed to procure Rafale-M jets to replace aging MiG-29K fighters. During Operation Sindoor, MiG-29Ks were still active and used extensively from Indian aircraft carriers. Airborne Early Warning Helicopters supported the Carrier Battle Group with surveillance and real-time threat detection.

Escort Vessels

Part of the INS Vikrant Carrier Battle Group, Visakhapatnam-class guided missile destroyers offered pivotal air defence and anti-surface warfare capabilities. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited built all four Project 15B ships under the “Make in India” initiative. They commissioned INS Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal, and Surat between November 2021 and January 2025. Their commissioning shows India’s ongoing naval modernization and indigenous capability to construct large warships.

The Talwar-class frigates also formed CBG to provide multilayer defence and offensive power. India initially inked a $1 billion deal with Russia in 1997 for three Krivak III-class (Talwar-class) frigates. These were delivered between May 2002 to May 2003.

During Operation Sindoor, India deployed its fleet of nuclear and conventional submarines to establish a credible deterrent posture. The Indian Navy is indigenously building six Kalvari-class (Scorpene-class) conventional attack submarines at Mazagon Dock Ltd. (MDL) in collaboration with France’s Naval Group. India’s Arihant-class nuclear submarines were vital for maintaining a credible nuclear triad and second-strike capability.

Effect on Pakistan (Maritime Domain)

INS CBG was rapidly deployed in the northern Arabian Sea, south of Karachi, forming a de facto blockade. India’s strong maritime presence confined Pakistani naval and air assets to harbors, especially near the Makran coast. This denied Pakistan operational space and created significant strategic pressure during Operation Sindoor. Memories of India’s 1971 naval assault on Karachi likely deterred Pakistan Navy from challenging this blockade.

The Indian naval presence was a compellent factor that consolidated India’s hold over the Arabian Sea. The Indian Navy conducted live-fire exercises hours after the Pahalgam attack to test combat readiness. These drills validated the Navy’s preparedness, refining tactics and weapon systems in a complex threat scenario. The exercises proved India’s anti-missile and anti-aircraft defence capabilities in a realistic operational environment. 

The Navy’s CBG deployment was “part of a broader strategy for synchronized use of force with the Indian Army and Air Force under an established escalation control mechanism”. This means pre-planned integrated operations along with actions by the individual services. The Air Force struck deep, the Army fought on the LoC, and the Navy put pressure in the maritime sector. All the steps complemented each other, establishing multiple points of pressure against Pakistan.

For instance, control of PAF by the Navy would reduce threats to IAF, and IAF attacks would soften targets for ground forces. The success occurred because of the “Integrated Command and Control Strategy (ICCS),”. This implies that there was a joint method of decision-making and functioning across all the services. This capacity to coordinate in various fields significantly enhances India’s capacity to employ robust diplomacy. It allows India to exert pressure in numerous channels simultaneously. Thus, military operations become more robust and difficult for an adversary to handle effectively.

Reported Impact of Operation Sindoor on Pakistan

Forcing Psychological Recalibration and a “Cat and Mouse Game”

The operation “forced Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and others into a psychological recalibration”. This means that the counter-strikes prompted those terrorist organizations to reassess their operational security, planning, and perceived invulnerability. They accordingly shifted their behavior and modus operandi. A “cat and-mouse game” is the very consequence that ensued. The terrorists now understand their own vulnerability: “they will adapt, hide, and reconstitute.” Operation Sindoor thus brought to realization the critical strategic objective of “piercing the sense of impunity long enjoyed by Pakistan-based terror groups.”

Establishing a New Norm

Prime Minister Modi’s doctrine brought forth Operation Sindoor as the “new benchmark” or the “new normal”. This is with the idea that India would henceforth always respond militarily to terrorism, unmoved by any threats of nuclear counteraction. This is a plain and public recognition of policy, meant to serve as a loud declaration of India’s unwavering resolve and commitment to stand firm with a military response should any cross-border terrorism warrant it, and hence to re-establish the rules of engagement itself.

Jai Hind!