Following the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 Indian lives, India launched a counteroffensive against Pakistan in May 2025 under the name Operation Sindoor. This extremely audacious and tactically complex military campaign aimed to destroy Pakistan’s air capabilities and air defense systems.
The operation employed a multi-pronged approach that combined sophisticated aerial warfare technology, precision missile strikes, and deception.
The Indian Air Force launched the operation by using fake pilotless aircraft that were disguised to look like fighter jets on Pakistani radars. The goal of this decoy was to incite Pakistan’s air defense systems—including the HQ-9 missile launchers, which are backed by China—to activate and reveal their locations.
India used approximately 15 BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and other cutting-edge missiles, including the Scalp, Rampage, and Crystal Maze, many of which were launched from Rafale fighter jets, to launch precision strikes on 11 of 12 Pakistani air bases after successfully neutralizing the country’s air defense network.
Disabling runways, hardened shelters, and command centers, the BrahMos missile system demonstrated its high precision and destructive capability for the first time in active combat, severely impairing the Pakistan Air Force’s capacity to launch retaliatory air operations.
The Indian Air Force’s Western and Southwestern Air Commands were responsible for executing these strikes, while modern Indian air defence systems, including the Russian S-400, MRSAM, and Akash missile units, successfully thwarted Pakistan’s aerial counter-attacks involving ballistic missiles, air-launched cruise missiles, and unmanned combat aircraft.
Because it combined precision missile strikes on vital military installations, electronic warfare (using dummy planes to fool enemy radars), and the coordinated use of several cutting-edge weapon systems, this operation was strategically ambitious.
The strikes effectively paralyzed Pakistan’s air defence and strike capabilities, forcing Pakistan to relocate aircraft and abandon further plans for retaliation. The intensity and precision of the strikes led to a ceasefire agreement shortly after, underscoring the operation’s strategic success.
India’s counter-offensive was a carefully planned and executed operation leveraging deception, cutting-edge missile technology, and coordinated air power to deliver a crippling blow to Pakistan’s military infrastructure while minimizing civilian casualties, marking one of the most daring and tactically advanced military operations in the history of India-Pakistan conflicts.
Agencies
