Operation Sindoor: Need, Global Implications & Challenges

• Operation Sindoor marks a decisive evolution in India’s counterterrorism and military doctrine, signalling a strategic shift from earlier restraint to an assertive, conventional, and publicly acknowledged retaliatory response to terrorism. The operation is not just a military manoeuvre but a bold doctrinal statement, redefining India’s national security posture in the face of cross-border terrorism.

What is Operation Sindoor?

• Operation Sindoor is India’s most extensive counter-terror military strike in recent years, targeting nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK) in a retaliatory response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
• Executed in the early hours of May 7, 2025.
• Joint military operation conducted by the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy.

Primary Objective of Operation Sindoor

• Eliminate high-value terror leaders and camps: Targeted key leaders and facilities of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen involved in cross-border terrorism.
• Neutralise terror launchpads: Focused on eliminating terrorist camps and launchpads used for training and preparing terrorists for infiltration into India.
• Prevent cross-border terrorism: Aimed to disrupt terrorist operations and prevent further infiltration of militants from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (Pok).
• Send a deterrence message: Delivered a clear message to Pakistan and terror groups that India will not tolerate cross-border terrorism and will retaliate decisively.

Strategic Arguments of Operation Sindoor

Targeted Locations

• Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK): Key terror hideouts and launchpads in PoJK were struck to prevent infiltration into Indian territory.
• Nine key locations hit:
  • Bahawalpur: Headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)
  • Muridke: Major base of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)
  • Muzaffarabad: Hizbul Mujahideen hideout
  • Kotli: Hizbul Mujahideen hideout
  • Rawalakot: Lashkar-e-Taiba camp
  • Peshawar: Jaish-e-Mohammed camp
  • Sialkot: Lashkar-e-Taiba training center
  • Islamabad: Jaish-e-Mohammed facility
  • Quetta: Lashkar-e-Taiba base

Weapons Used

Storm Shadow Air-launched Long-range Precision (SCALP) Missile or “Storm Shadow”

• Type: Long-range, air-launched cruise missile.
• Manufacturer: Missile Business Development Agency (European defence company).
• Range: Over 500 km.
• Combat Use: Deployed for precision strikes against high-value, fixed targets in enemy territory, including fortified positions and critical infrastructure.
• Guidance System: Global Positioning System(GPS), Inertial Navigation System (INS), and Terrain Referenced Positioning Refinement On Map (TERPROM).
• Warhead: BROACH (penetrates bunkers and hardened facilities).
• Strategic Role: It enabled India to strike PoK infrastructure without violating the Line of Control (LoC), thus avoiding direct escalation.

Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range (HAMMER) Precision-Guided Bomb

• Type: Medium-range, air-to-ground bomb.
• Manufacturer: Safran Electronics & Defense (France).
• Range: 60-70 km (with boosters).
• Key Features: Modular design that can be equipped with GPS, infrared, and laser guidance for various targets, making it effective for both stationary and moving targets.
• Warhead: 250 kg-class; can be used for bunker busting or fragmentation.
• Strategic Role: It was crucial for targeting mobile terrorist camps in rugged PoK terrain, offering precise strike capability with minimal personnel risk.

Loitering Munitions (Kamikaze Drones)

• Type: Suicide drones that loiter and strike autonomously.
• Key Features:
  • Real-time Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) gathering.
  • Autonomous targeting and strike capability.
  • Low radar signature, reducing detection by enemy defences.
• Variants: Indigenous (Nagastra-1, ALFA-S) and imported (Israeli Harop, SkyStriker).
• Strategic Role: Best suited for time-sensitive or fleeting targets, such as terror convoys or leadership, reducing the risk to pilots and enhancing operational secrecy.

Rafale Fighter Jet

• The Dassault Rafale is a 4.5 generation, multirole combat aircraft designed by Dassault Aviation, serving as a critical asset for the French Air Force and Navy.
• India enhanced its air combat capabilities by procuring 36 Rafales in a €7.8 billion deal signed in 2016, with deliveries expected to be completed by 2022.

Key Features

• Engines: Powered by 2 engines, enabling supercruise (supersonic flight without afterburners)
• Speed: Mach 1.8 with a combat radius of 1,000 km
• Avionics: Equipped with RBE2 AESA radar, SPECTRA electronic warfare system, and Helmet Mounted Display, providing superior situational awareness and survivability

Weapons

• Air-to-Air: Meteor (Beyond Visual Range missile), MICA (short-range, all-aspect missile)
• Air-to-Ground: SCALP, HAMMER
• Anti-Ship: Exocet and Naval SCALP (for maritime strike operations)

Variants

• Rafale C: Single-seat variant for the Air Force.
• Rafale B: Twin-seat variant for training and operational flexibility.
• Rafale M: Naval variant optimised for carrier operations.

Need for Operation Sindoor

• Erosion of credible deterrence: The Balakot strike’s deterrence was undermined by the Pahalgam attack, necessitating a bold military response to reaffirm India’s resolve.
• Limits of evidence-based diplomacy: Past efforts, such as the Pathankot investigation and the 26/11 dossiers, have failed to mobilise action, underscoring the ineffectiveness of diplomacy.
• Assertive strategic signalling: India needed to send a clear message—both domestically and internationally—that cross-border terrorism would provoke a direct military response.
• Exposure of Pakistan’s nuclear bluff: By launching Operation Sindoor, India challenged the notion that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal could deter Indian retaliation indefinitely.
• Rising domestic and political expectations: As public anger and political pressure mounted, the demand for a swift, high-impact operation became a national imperative.

Significance of Operation Sindoor

• First Use of Loitering Munitions: The Indian Navy deployed loitering munitions (suicide drones) for the first time, marking a significant advancement in precision strike capabilities.
• Enhanced Inter-Service Coordination: Demonstration of seamless coordination between the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy, highlighting India’s technological and operational synergy.
• Measured and Non-Escalatory Retaliation: India’s response was precise, focused, and non-escalatory, targeting terrorist camps and leadership figures without provoking broader conflict.
• Assertion of Self-Defence Rights: Reinforced India’s right to self-defence under international law, acting in response to cross-border terrorism.
• Deterrence Against Terror Infrastructure: By targeting terror groups protected by state actors, the operation sent a strong deterrent message against harbouring or supporting terrorist activities.

Global Implications of Operation Sindoor

• Redefining Counter–Terrorism Norms: The operation legitimises conventional military force against sub-conventional terrorist threats, reshaping global counter-terror doctrines.
• Erosion of International Mediation Space: India’s assertive stance signals diminishing reliance on third-party mediators, reinforcing its strategic autonomy in regional conflicts.
• Doctrinal Influence on Democracies: Other nations grappling with cross-border terrorism may adopt similar proactive military postures, inspired by India’s precedent.
• Turbulence in South Asian geopolitics: India-Pakistan relations further deteriorate, reducing the scope for diplomatic dialogue and regional cooperation.
• China’s recalibrated strategy: Beijing may either deepen its strategic alignment with Pakistan or reassess its military calculus in the India-China-Pakistan triangle.
• UN Security Council discourse: Triggers fresh debates under Article 51 on the legality and limits of pre-emptive or retaliatory strikes in self-defence against non-state actors.

Challenges After Operation Sindoor

• Military Escalation Risks: Increased likelihood of Pakistani retaliation or cross-border escalation heightens fears of prolonged conflict or a two-front war with China.
• Diplomatic Tightrope: India must balance military assertiveness with global expectations of restraint while maintaining the trust and support of key partners like the US and France.
• Evolving Terrorist Threats: Terrorist groups may change tactics by focusing on soft targets, inciting communal unrest, or using asymmetric warfare to undermine internal peace.
• Internal Security Vulnerabilities: Increased risk of radicalisation, cross-border infiltration, cyber-attacks, and urban terrorism demands enhanced vigilance and intelligence.
• Pakistan’s propaganda leverage: Islamabad may exploit the operation to portray India as the aggressor, consolidate domestic unity, and push a victimhood narrative internationally.

Way Forward: Post-Operation Sindoor Strategy

• Codify India’s Counter-Terror Doctrine: Formally articulate a national doctrine outlining India’s response to cross-border terror, eliminating ambiguity and enhancing strategic credibility.
• Proactive Strategic Communication: Own & shape global narrative by presenting India’s actions as a lawful defence under international norms, particularly Article 51 of the UN Charter.
• Fortify Homeland Security Architecture: Upgrade border surveillance, integrate intelligence through fusion centres, and strengthen local policing to pre-empt future threats.
• Safeguard Social Cohesion: Prevent communal polarisation post-attacks through swift messaging, legal action against hate speech, and community outreach programs.
• Leverage Diplomatic Capital: Sustain global pressure on Pakistan by utilising India’s growing geopolitical and economic influence through G20, QUAD, SCO, and UNSC engagements.
• Ensure Military-Diplomatic Readiness: Maintain high preparedness for counter-escalation and reinforce deterrence through calibrated force posture and war gaming.

Operation Sindoor marks a pivotal shift in India’s security doctrine—from reactive diplomacy to assertive deterrence—conveying a clear message that terrorism will invite swift retribution and that the responsibility to prevent escalation now rests with the adversary.

Reference: IndiasWorld

PMF IAS Pathfinder for Mains – Question 186

Q. Discuss the strategic significance of Operation Sindoor and the challenges it poses for India’s internal and external security. (150 Words) (10 Marks)

Approach

• Introduction: Briefly mention the context of Operation Sindhur as India’s decisive military response to cross-border terrorism after the Pahalgam attack.
• Body: In the body, discuss the strategic significance of this operation and the security challenges.
• Conclusion: Conclude by emphasising the need for calibrated military readiness, resilient internal security, and proactive diplomacy to sustain gains and manage fallout.