Operation Sindoor demonstrated that no target is beyond the Indian Air Force's reach, with calibrated strikes across a 1,200-km-wide and 200-km-deep front showcasing its operational capabilities, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh said on Sunday, asserting that air power remains India's primary responder and a strategic deterrent.
Speaking to PTI, the Chief of Air Staff described the operation as a validation of the IAF's capability-centric approach, in which aircraft, sensors, weapons and networks are integrated to maximise combat effectiveness.
Launched in May last year in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor involved precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied territories.
"Operation Sindoor proved that the path we have chosen is the right one. We will continue along it with even greater resolve, so that if the nation calls upon us again, the IAF responds more swiftly, more precisely and more decisively, on the nation's terms," Singh said.
He said the operation underscored the need for a force capable of adapting quickly to changing enemy tactics while retaining multiple operational options.
"Operationally, one lesson stands out: we must always retain multiple options and the ability to adapt rapidly as the adversary changes tactics," he said, adding that this flexibility had helped the IAF calibrate its response and maintain control over escalation.
The operation's success stemmed not from any single weapon or platform but from the combined use of accurate intelligence, networked operations, stand-off and precision weapons, electronic warfare, layered air defence and counter-unmanned aerial systems (UAS), Singh said.
"On the offensive side, calibrated targeting across the entire front, spanning 1,200 km in breadth and 200 km in depth, made it clear that no place is beyond the IAF's reach," he said.
The Air Chief Marshal said some indigenously developed weapons systems performed exceptionally well, inflicting what he described as crippling blows deep inside enemy territory. The IAF also honoured its commitment to "zero collateral damage" throughout the operation, he added.
Singh said India's indigenous, networked air defence system successfully countered the large number of drones and stand-off weapons launched by the Pakistani military.
"Offence and defence reinforced each other, which is precisely what a capability-centric force is designed to achieve," he said.
The operation also highlighted the importance of joint and multi-domain integration, with coordination across the air, land, maritime, space, cyber and electromagnetic domains enabling faster decision-making and greater operational effectiveness, he said.
Focus on strengthening combat capabilities
While describing Operation Sindoor as a validation of the IAF's approach, Singh cautioned against complacency and called for further strengthening the force's combat capabilities.
The priorities include increasing combat mass, enhancing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, strengthening electronic warfare and counter-UAS systems, building resilient networks and developing artificial intelligence-enabled decision-support systems.
The IAF must also be equipped to sustain high-intensity operations over extended periods through robust logistics, maintenance, infrastructure and indigenous production, he said, adding that work was under way on these fronts.
IAF's vision for 2047
Singh said the IAF's long-term plans were aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, asserting that a developed India must also be secure and resilient.
"The Defence Forces Vision 2047 likewise envisages an integrated, multi-domain and technologically advanced military in support of this national ambition," he said.
For the IAF, this means evolving into a multi-domain aerospace force capable of protecting India's expanding economic, technological and strategic interests across the spectrum of conflict.
The IAF's Capability Perspective Plan-2047 sets out long-term priorities based on emerging technologies and feeds into periodically updated 10-year plans, Singh said.
The IAF Space Vision 2047 also reflects the force's expanding focus on space capabilities, he added.
Emphasising self-reliance, advanced aerospace technologies, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, space, cyber capabilities, precision weapons and resilient networks, Singh said India must also develop the industrial ecosystem required to sustain these capabilities.
A secure India would create the conditions for economic growth, while a technologically and economically stronger nation would provide the foundation for greater strategic power, he said.
"Realising this vision will require a whole-of-nation approach, and the IAF is committed to playing its full part," Singh said.
"By 2047, we aim to be one of the world's most capable, innovative and technologically self-reliant aerospace forces, a force that stands as both the guardian and a driver of a developed India," he added.
(With inputs from PTI)