During the recent Operation Sindoor, the Indian Army confronted not just Pakistan, but a complex web of adversaries, with China playing a pivotal role as a backer and enabler for Pakistan. Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development & Sustenance), provided a candid assessment of the conflict at a FICCI event, highlighting the strategic lessons and the evolving nature of regional threats.

China’s Role: Proxy Warfare And Real-Time Support

Lt Gen Singh described China’s approach as “killing with a borrowed knife,” a reference to one of the 36 ancient Chinese stratagems. Rather than engaging India directly on the northern borders, China chose to use Pakistan as a proxy to inflict pain on India. This strategy allowed China to avoid direct confrontation while still advancing its interests in the region.

A striking revelation was that 81% of Pakistan’s military hardware is of Chinese origin, underscoring the depth of military dependence and collaboration between the two countries.

During Operation Sindoor, China provided Pakistan with real-time intelligence, including live updates on Indian troop and weapon deployments. This intelligence pipeline was so effective that, during DGMO-level talks, Pakistani officials referenced specific Indian military vectors that were “primed and ready for action,” information they could only have received from Chinese surveillance and satellite assets.

Operation Sindoor: The Conflict Unfolds

Operation Sindoor was launched by India on May 7, 2025, in response to a terrorist attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians. The operation targeted terror bases and military headquarters in Pakistan’s Punjab province and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The ensuing four-day conflict saw intense exchanges involving fighter jets, missiles, drones, long-range artillery, and heavy weaponry.

Pakistan retaliated with a series of missile and drone strikes, many of which were believed to be supplied by China and Turkey. Indian air defence systems managed to neutralize most of these attacks, but the scale and sophistication of the response highlighted the growing technological capabilities of India’s adversaries.

Turkey’s Involvement: The Third Adversary

Lt Gen Singh emphasized that India was not just facing two adversaries—Pakistan and China—but a third: Turkey. Turkey played a significant role by supplying advanced drones, including Bayraktar models, and providing trained personnel to support Pakistan’s military operations. This trilateral nexus—Pakistan, China, and Turkey—transformed the conflict into a multi-front challenge for India.

The “Live Lab” Phenomenon

A key lesson from the conflict, as articulated by Lt Gen Singh, was that China used the India-Pakistan conflict zone as a “live lab” to test its weapons and military technology. By observing how its equipment performed against Indian systems in real combat conditions, China gained valuable data and insights, furthering its own military development without direct risk.

Intelligence Vulnerabilities And Strategic Implications

The revelation that Pakistan had real-time visibility into Indian military deployments exposed significant vulnerabilities in India’s operational security. The seamless flow of intelligence from China to Pakistan fundamentally altered the nature of the conflict, making it clear that future confrontations could involve even more sophisticated and coordinated adversarial actions.

Ceasefire And Aftermath

The conflict concluded with a ceasefire after Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations reached out to his Indian counterpart. While there were claims from the US about brokering the ceasefire, India has denied any external mediation.

Conclusion

Operation Sindoor has underscored the reality of a multi-front, technologically advanced threat environment for India. China’s use of Pakistan as a “borrowed knife” and the active involvement of Turkey have exposed new dimensions of proxy warfare, intelligence sharing, and military technology testing. The Indian Army’s leadership has called for urgent improvements in air defence, intelligence, and indigenous military capabilities to counter these evolving challenges.

With Input From Agencies