India's counter-offensive against Pakistan, launched under Operation Sindoor in May 2025, was a highly daring and tactically sophisticated military campaign designed to cripple Pakistan's air capabilities and air defence systems following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 Indians.

The operation involved a multi-layered strategy combining deception, precision missile strikes, and advanced aerial warfare technology.

The operation commenced with the Indian Air Force deploying dummy pilotless aircraft camouflaged to appear as fighter jets on Pakistani radars. This decoy tactic was intended to provoke Pakistan's air defence systems, including the Chinese-supported HQ-9 missile launchers, into activating and revealing their positions.

Once the Pakistani radars and air defence systems were engaged and exposed, India launched a coordinated missile attack using Israeli-made Harop loitering munitions to destroy these critical air defence radars and command and control centres.

Following the successful neutralization of Pakistan's air defence network, India launched precision strikes on 11 out of 12 Pakistani air bases using about 15 BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and other advanced missiles such as the Scalp, Rampage, and Crystal Maze, many launched from Rafale fighter jets.

This marked the first time the BrahMos missile system was used in active combat, demonstrating its high precision and destructive capability by disabling runways, hardened shelters, and command centres, significantly degrading the Pakistan Air Force's ability 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.

This operation was tactically ambitious due to its integration of electronic warfare (dummy aircraft to deceive enemy radars), precision missile strikes on critical military infrastructure, and the coordinated use of multiple advanced weapon systems.

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