SRINAGAR: In the wake of Operation Sindoor, which destroyed nine centres of sabotage across Pakistan, the Indian military has successfully thwarted a wave of retaliatory missile attacks launched by Pakistan. The strikes, which targeted Indian military installations in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, were all intercepted mid-air. Not a single missile reached its intended destination, a note issued and circulated by the PIB said.
The swift and coordinated response underscored the resilience and capability of India’s air defence ecosystem—an integrated architecture developed steadily over the past eleven years. The successful interception of the Pakistani strikes highlighted the growing gap between Indian and Pakistani defence capabilities, particularly in aerial warfare.
India’s airspace shield during this attempted escalation was composed of the Integrated Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Grid, S-400 Triumf systems, Barak-8 missiles, Akash Surface-to-Air Missiles, and anti-drone technologies developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). These elements worked in synchrony to protect Indian territory and military assets.
But India did not stop at defence. In a calibrated retaliatory offensive under Operation Sindoor, Indian Armed Forces struck deep inside Pakistani territory, targeting and destroying a Chinese-supplied HQ-9 air defence unit in Lahore and damaging key radar installations. The retaliatory precision strikes were seen as both punitive and preemptive.
The scale and success of Operation Sindoor were made possible by a decade-long overhaul of India’s defence preparedness. Since 2014, the government has invested heavily in modernising air defence. Notable acquisitions include a Rs 35,000 crore deal for five S-400 Triumf squadrons signed in 2018, with three already operational along India’s western and northern borders. India’s frontline bases, such as Bhatinda, are now guarded by Israeli Barak-8 Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles, part of a $2.5 billion agreement signed in 2017. Indigenous Akash missile batteries and DRDO counter-drone systems, along with the recently deployed Man Portable Counter Drone Systems (MPCDS), now form key components of this network.
Operation Sindoor also marked the battlefield debut of Indian-made loitering munitions—also known as kamikaze drones—which were first ordered in 2021. These drones carried out coordinated strikes across sectors, catching Pakistani defences off guard. Additionally, Harop drones of Israeli origin—now manufactured in India—were deployed to destroy air defence sites in Karachi and Lahore.
Backed by the combat-ready Rafale fighter jets equipped with SCALP and HAMMER missiles, India demonstrated a new level of operational confidence and strike capability, the note added.
The recent events highlight a broader shift in India’s defence posture: from reactive to preemptive, from dependent to self-reliant. India’s airspace today is protected by a multi-layered, tech-driven defence system that not only intercepts threats but neutralises them well before they pose any danger.
“Operation Sindoor sent a clear message: India is not just capable of defending its skies—it now controls them,” the note concluded.
