Between May 7 and May 10, 2025, India launched less than 50 air-launched weapons against Pakistani airbases and radar facilities as part of the major Indian military campaign known as campaign Sindoor.
These well-timed and accurate strikes forced Pakistan to negotiate and seek a truce, said Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, vice chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
As a major cost-benefit case study in air power, this example of bringing an adversary to the negotiating table with fewer than fifty weapons is anticipated to be examined by academics in the future.
In order to launch a variety of weaponry, including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and missiles like Crystal Maze-2, Rampage, and Scalp, the IAF used a number of fighter jets, including the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Rafale, and Mirage-2000.
India’s ability to carry out precision strikes deep into enemy territory was demonstrated by these operations, which were carried out against important Pakistani military infrastructure, including airbases, radar installations, command and control centers, and some locations near nuclear plants.
General Anil Chauhan, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), emphasised the continued significance of Operation Sindoor, saying that it “still continues” and that the military must always be in a very high state of operational readiness.
He emphasized that future military forces must be skilled as “information warriors, technology warriors, and scholar warriors” for successful multi-domain operations, highlighting the dynamic character of conflict.
The strategic significance of aerospace power as a weapon for escalation control, rather than escalation itself, was emphasized by speakers at an aerospace power seminar where these statements were made.
Operation Sindoor was viewed as an example of building escalation control over Pakistan, underlining India’s will to pursue cross-border kinetic responses to terrorist acts, and creating a new Indian red line against nuclear blackmail.
Air Marshal Tiwari said that manned fighter aircraft continue to have a lot to offer in terms of coercive diplomacy and the amount of damage or compellence they can inflict on an adversary, even in the face of the growing popularity of unmanned systems like drones.
By showcasing India’s improved precision strike capability with a comparatively small number of air-launched weapons, Operation Sindoor set a precedent for future Indian military doctrine in regional conflicts and produced significant strategic and diplomatic results, including pressuring Pakistan to engage in negotiations.
