Operation Sindoor has brought to the fore how Indian air power has evolved

 In the pre-dawn darkness of 7 May 2025, the skies over the Line of Control (LC) ignited with a streak no radar could track until it was too late. Rafale jets tore through the silence, launching SCALP missiles and HAMMAR bombs on nine terror camps across Pakistan with surgical precision. In those few seconds, the Indian Air Force (IAF) made clear what decades of investment in stand-off strike capability meant in practice: reach without exposure, accuracy without attrition.

Launched in retaliation for a deadly terrorist attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 civilians, most of them tourists, were brutally killed by Pakistan-based terrorists, the counterterror strategy, code-named ‘Operation Sindoor,’ became a live audit of the IAF’s technological evolution. The operation witnessed the IAF execute devastating precision strikes against terrorist and military infrastructure in Pakistan, reshaping regional strategic calculations, thereby providing a battlefield verdict on the air-launched weapon systems wielded by both nuclear-armed neighbours.

A Modern Air Combat Crucible

Operation Sindoor, which ran from May 7-10, was a masterclass in the application of modern Indian air power. The country’s strategy hinged on achieving air dominance through the initial Suppression and Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD/DEAD), followed by multi-pronged strikes using a sophisticated mix of standoff weaponry.

The IAF unleashed a formidable array of air-to-ground munitions. The offensive was spearheaded by the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile, which struck key Pakistani airbases, including the heavily guarded Noor Khan facility, with what sources described as near one-meter accuracy.

Additionally, Rafale jets launched stealthy SCALP cruise missiles for deep-strike missions against fortified targets, while other platforms deployed HAMMER precision-guided munitions and Israeli-origin Spice-2000 bombs and Crystal Maze-2 missiles.

A critical element of the operation was the effective use of loitering munitions, or ‘kamikaze’ drones. Israeli-made IAI Harop and SkyStriker drones, along with the indigenous Nagastra-1 making its combat debut, were employed to hunt and destroy Pakistani radar and air defence systems, paving the way for manned aircraft. Operation Sindoor demonstrated India’s mature understanding of multi-domain operations.

In contrast, Pakistan’s response highlighted its growing reliance on Chinese military hardware. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) deployed its J-10CE and JF-17 Block III fighters. In the air-to-air domain, the Chinese-made PL-15 long-range missile made its combat debut, with Pakistan claiming to have downed several Indian aircraft, including a Rafale, a claim India has not confirmed.

Nevertheless, debris from a PL-15 was reportedly found in Indian territory, confirming its use in the conflict. Pakistan also attempted retaliatory strikes using Fateh-2 guided rockets and Turkish-origin ‘YIHA’ kamikaze drones, which were largely neutralised by India’s robust, multi-layered air defence network, orchestrated by the indigenous Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS).