Operation SINDOOR: Forging One Force

2025-05-18 Information

Introduction

In an age of multi-domain warfare, where threats evolve faster than borders shift, India’s national security architecture has demonstrated the strength of jointness and strategic foresight. Operation SINDOOR, initiated on May 7, 2025, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians showcased a calibrated, tri-services response that embodied precision, professionalism, and purpose. Operation SINDOOR was conceived as a punitive and targeted campaign to dismantle the terror infrastructure across the Line of Control and deeper inside Pakistan.

Multi-agency intelligence provided confirmation of nine major camps that were eventually targeted in the operation. India’s retaliatory action was based on meticulous planning and an intelligence-led approach, which ensured that the operations were conducted with minimal collateral damage. Operational ethics were central to the mission, and restraint was exercised to avoid civilian harm.

In the aftermath of Operation SINDOOR, Pakistan initiated a series of retaliatory drone and UCAV attacks targeting key Indian airbases and logistics infrastructure. These attempts, however, were effectively neutralised by India’s comprehensive and multilayered air defence architecture. Central to this success was the Integrated Command and Control Strategy (ICCS), which facilitated real-time threat identification, assessment, and interception across multiple domains. In every single domain of Operation Sindoor there was operational synergy between the forces and fully supported by the Government, agencies and departments.

The operation unfolded across land, air, and sea—a seamless demonstration of synergy between the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy. The Indian Air Force (IAF) played a crucial role in delivering precision strikes against terror infrastructure across Pakistan. It conducted high-impact air operations on targets such as the Nur Khan Air Base and the Rahimyar Khan Air Base, with visual evidence of damage presented during official briefings. The Air Force’s robust air defence environment proved pivotal in protecting Indian airspace during retaliatory drone and UAV attacks from across the border. The indigenously developed Akash surface-to-air missile system and legacy platforms like the Pechora and OSA-AK were deployed effectively in a layered defence grid. The IAF’s Integrated Air Command and Control System enabled real-time coordination of air assets, allowing Indian forces to neutralize aerial threats efficiently and maintain net-centric operations throughout the conflict.

Simultaneously, the Indian Army demonstrated its preparedness and effectiveness in both defensive and offensive roles. The Army’s air defence units worked in tandem with the Air Force, deploying a wide array of systems ranging from shoulder-fired MANPADS and LLAD guns to long-range SAMs. These units were instrumental in countering waves of drones and loitering munitions launched by Pakistan. Despite Pakistan’s unrelenting efforts to inflict damage, Indian forces succeeded in ensuring the security of both military and civilian infrastructure.

The Indian Navy played a critical role in asserting maritime dominance during Operation SINDOOR. Operating as a composite networked force, the Navy deployed its Carrier Battle Group (CBG) equipped with MiG-29K fighter jets and airborne early warning helicopters. This ensured persistent surveillance and real-time identification of threats across the maritime domain. The CBG maintained a powerful air defence shield that prevented hostile aerial incursions, especially from the Makran coast. The Navy’s presence created a strong deterrent and effectively bottled-up Pakistani air elements along their western seaboard, denying them any operational space. Naval pilots conducted round-the-clock sorties, further demonstrating India’s readiness and strategic reach in the region. The Navy’s ability to establish uncontested control over the seas also validated its anti-missile and anti-aircraft defence capabilities in a complex threat environment.

During Operation Sindoor, the Border Security Force (BSF) also played a critical role in thwarting a major infiltration attempt along the International Border in the Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir. BSF troops noticed suspicious movement in the early hours and swiftly responded, leading to a heavy exchange of fire. In the ensuing encounter, the BSF successfully neutralized at least two infiltrators and recovered arms, ammunition, and other war-like stores. The operation underscored the BSF’s vigilance, operational preparedness, and its crucial role in maintaining border security during heightened tensions.

Operation SINDOOR was thus not just a tactical success but a strategic statement. It demonstrated India’s capacity for high-precision, coordinated military action across land, air, and sea. The operation was made possible by years of investment in defence preparedness and the unwavering policy and budgetary support from the Government of India. The message was clear: when appeals to reason and diplomacy are met with continued aggression, a decisive response is both justified and necessary. In sum, Operation SINDOOR will be remembered as a defining moment in India’s defence history—a symbol of military precision, inter-service cooperation, and national resolve. It successfully eliminated terror threats, reaffirmed India’s regional dominance, and sent a strong message that cross-border terrorism would be met with a calibrated yet firm response.

Major Government-Led Coordination Efforts Among the Armed Forces

1. Creation of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)

On 24 December 2019, the Union Cabinet approved the creation of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), a four-star General who heads the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) and acts as the principal military adviser to the Defence Minister on tri-Service matters.

Key roles of the CDS include:

The CDS strengthens unified leadership and fosters integration for a more coordinated and modern Indian military.

2. Integrated Theatre Commands (ITCs)

To modernize the Armed Forces, efforts are underway to restructure forces through the establishment of Integrated Theatre Commands (ITCs) and Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs). These reforms aim to optimize operational preparedness by unifying the Army, Navy, and Air Force capabilities based on geography and function. Studies at the Service Headquarters level are actively exploring Theatre Commands for Land Borders, Maritime, and Joint/Integrated Air Defence to enhance synergy and combat effectiveness. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Anil Chauhan has emphasized that jointness and integration are essential prerequisites for ITCs, which will clearly separate operational roles from administrative Raise-Train-Sustain (RTS) functions, allowing commanders to focus on security and operations. ITCs represent the start of wider reforms toward multi-domain operations, integrating space and cyberspace with traditional domains, and advancing digitization and data-centric warfare.

3. Creation of the Department of Military Affairs (DMA)

Department of Military Affairs (DMA) with CDS as Secretary was created in 2020 to facilitate optimal utilization of resources and promote jointness among the three Services. The subjects allocated to DMA include:

4. Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control & Discipline) Act, 2023

The Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control & Discipline) Act, 2023 promotes jointness in the Indian Armed Forces by empowering commanders of tri-service formations with authority over personnel from all three Services. This unifies the disciplinary chain, speeds up decision-making, and fosters operational and cultural integration. By streamlining command without affecting individual Service identities, the Act lays the legal foundation for future integrated theatre commands. Key implications of this Act are:

5. Joint Logistics Nodes (JLNs)

Three Joint Logistic Nodes (JLNs) have been established and are operational since 2021 at Mumbai, Guwahati and Port Blair for Logistics Integration between the three services. These JLNs will provide integrated logistics cover to the Armed Forces for their small arms ammunition, rations, fuel, general stores, civil hired transport, aviation clothing, spares and also engineering support in an effort to synergize their operational efforts. This initiative would accrue advantages in terms of saving of manpower, economize utilisation of resources, besides financial savings.

6. Joint Training Courses, Seminars & Exercises

7. Technology Integration & Network-Centric Warfare

8. ‘Year of Defence Reforms’ – 2025

Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh, with all the Secretaries of the Ministry of Defence unanimously decided to observe 2025 as the ‘Year of Reforms’ in the MoD. This would aim at transforming the Armed Forces into a technologically-advanced combat-ready force capable of multi-domain integrated operations. The broad areas identified for focussed intervention in 2025 include:

Conclusion

India’s ability to project strength across land, sea, and air is no longer theoretical—it is structured, synchronized, and deeply integrated. The nation’s tri-services architecture now operates as a cohesive force. As modern threats blur traditional boundaries, this integrated posture ensures that whether confronting aggression on the high Himalayas, securing maritime frontiers, or neutralizing aerial intrusions, India stands ready, resilient, and united. The future of national security lies in jointness—and India is already charting that future with purpose and resolve.

References

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