Operation Sindoor has redefined military tactics and solidified India's stance on cross-border terrorism. Experts hail it as a landmark operation that showcased India's military prowess, technological superiority, and unwavering resolve.

Following the Pahalgam terror attack, India launched precise strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir on 7 May, compelling Islamabad to seek a ceasefire after failed escalation attempts.

India effectively neutralised Pakistani airbases, demonstrating zero tolerance for terrorism. This response marked a pivotal shift from surgical strikes to a doctrine of assured kinetic retaliation. Lieutenant General Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon (Retd), with extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations, emphasised that air defence has become the new sword arm in modern warfare.

Despite evolving regional dynamics—such as protests in Nepal, changes in Bangladesh under Muhammad Yunus, and strengthening India-Afghanistan ties—Pakistan's support for terrorism remains unchanged. Dhillon attributed the Pahalgam attack to Pakistan's internal crises, including political inefficacy, military corruption, economic collapse, and diplomatic failures.

He warned that India, now the world's fourth-largest economy and a military powerhouse, would respond even more forcefully in any future "Operation Sindoor 2.0", spanning military, economic, political, and diplomatic domains.

Operation Sindoor established global benchmarks by pitting two nuclear powers in conflict without ground incursions. Unlike the 1971 war, where India captured territory and 93,000 prisoners, this operation avoided crossing the Line of Control or international borders. Air defences decisively countered Chinese radars, aircraft, missiles, drones, F-16s, and AWACS, heralding a new era of warfare.

Future conflicts will eschew traditional trench or attrition warfare, dominated instead by air defence, electronic warfare, cyber operations, and space-based assets. Wars will extend beyond military realms into economic disruption of airlines, railways, electricity, and banking grids. Kinetic, cyber, electronic, and space domains will overlap in swift, lethal strikes against onshore and offshore targets.

Narrative warfare on social media and traditional platforms will parallel kinetic actions. India must establish a centralised Integrated Information Centre for transparent perception management. Dhillon reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policy: no distinction between terrorists, their organisations, and sponsoring states—all are targets in India's national interest.

India's operations exemplify surgical precision with minimal collateral damage, setting ethical standards for global counter-terrorism. Precision weapon selection underscores the moral fabric of these responses. Ajay Bisaria, former High Commissioner to Pakistan, described Operation Sindoor as the 21st century's most intense India-Pakistan clash.

It highlighted India's conventional superiority and technological edge through drones, loitering munitions, electronic warfare, and layered air defences, orchestrated by the Indian Air Force's Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS). Indigenous capabilities, bolstered by global partnerships, shone prominently. Cross-border terrorism is now an act of war, met with force beyond diplomacy.

This embodies "Integrated Deterrence": military readiness, diplomatic pre-emption, economic pressure, and informational dominance. The Prime Minister's linkage of Pahalgam to the strikes signalled predictable kinetic consequences, evolving from restraint to assured response. Bisaria traced the doctrine's progression: pre-2008 reliance on diplomacy and internal security gave way to 2016 surgical strikes and 2019 Balakot airstrikes, culminating in 2025's doctrinal shift.

India balances deterrence with escalation control, targeting only terror sites amid global conflicts like those in West Asia and Ukraine. The victim-to-responder transition in nuclear South Asia has global resonance. Stronger global media engagement is essential to counter Pakistan's disinformation.

Operation Sindoor punished Pakistan's proxy war, affirming India's capability, resolve, morality, and leadership maturity. It underscores India's push for indigenous defence, with exports surging to ₹23,500 crore, enhancing self-reliance and strategic autonomy.

Based On ANI Report