The Crystal Maze-2 missile, also known as ROCKS, medium-range ballistic missile

Operation Sindoor was a significant Indian military operation conducted between May 7 and 10, 2025, in which India launched fewer than 50 air-launched weapons targeting Pakistani airbases and radar sites. 

According to the Indian Air Force (IAF) Vice Chief Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, these precise and calibrated strikes compelled Pakistan to come to the negotiating table and seek a ceasefire.

This example of using less than 50 weapons to bring an adversary to negotiate is viewed as a significant cost-benefit case study in air power and is expected to be studied by scholars in the future.

The IAF deployed several fighter jets such as Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Rafale, and Mirage-2000 to launch various weapons including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, as well as missiles like Crystal Maze-2, Rampage, and Scalp.

These strikes were executed against key Pakistani military infrastructure including airbases, radar sites, command and control centres, and some sites close to nuclear facilities, demonstrating India's ability to carry out precision strikes deep into enemy territory.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan emphasised the ongoing relevance of Operation Sindoor, stating that it "still continues" and that the armed forces must maintain very high operational readiness at all times.

He highlighted the evolving nature of warfare and stressed that future military personnel need to be adept as "information warriors, technology warriors, and scholar warriors" for effective multi-domain operations.

Speakers at an aerospace power seminar, where these remarks were made, underscored the strategic importance of aerospace power as a tool for escalation control rather than escalation itself.

Operation Sindoor was seen as an example of establishing escalation dominance over Pakistan, marking a new Indian red line against nuclear blackmail and reaffirming India's resolve to continue cross-border kinetic responses to terrorist attacks.

Additionally, Air Marshal Tiwari noted that despite the rise of unmanned systems like drones, manned fighter aircraft still retain significant advantages in terms of coercive diplomacy and the level of damage or compellence they can impose on an adversary.

Operation Sindoor demonstrated India's enhanced precision strike capability with a relatively small number of air-launched weapons, leading to substantial strategic and diplomatic outcomes—pushing Pakistan to seek negotiations—and setting a precedent for future Indian military doctrine in regional conflicts.

Based On TOI Report