India Won Operation Sindoor – But What Does The Army Want Next, And Who Poses The Greatest Threat?
New Delhi: India crushed Pakistan's assault during Operation Sindoor. But after the dust settled, something more alarming came into view. China was not sitting on the sidelines. It was pulling strings from behind the curtain.
Indian radars picked up Chinese-made jets in Pakistani skies. Chinese missiles were used to target Indian bases. Beijing was deeply involved. That means India was not fighting just Pakistan. India was up against two enemies at once.
Military officers have sounded the alarm. They want India's defence budget raised to 2.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Right now, the defence allocation stands at just 1.9%. A huge portion of that money goes into salaries and pensions. Only a quarter of it helps modernise the military. This cannot continue. Not when two hostile neighbours are preparing for something bigger.
China has been pumping weapons into Pakistan. In the May 7-10 clashes, Pakistan deployed Chinese J-10 jets and HQ-9 missile systems. Beijing has promised to send more – stealth fighters, long-range air defence weapons and new-generation drones. China is flooding Pakistan with cutting-edge military tools.
Pakistan's economy is in crisis. But even then, Islamabad raised its defence budget by 20%. It cut development. It ignored debt. It focused on weapons.
India must respond, believe experts, arguing that it is time for total self-reliance in defence production. India must build fighter jets, drones, loitering munitions and missiles on its own. The private sector must step in. Half-measures will not do. Half-prepared armies lose wars.
India's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project has started moving. But it must move faster. Tejas took decades. The same mistake cannot happen again. The Indian Air Force is short on fighter squadrons. It has just 30. The target is 42.5.
Drones are the new face of war. Swarm drones. FPV kamikaze drones. Loitering drones. India needs all of these, and it needs them in bulk. No country will come to India's rescue in a full-scale war. India must stand on its own.
During Operation Sindoor, India used Russian S-400s, Israeli Barak-8s and its own Akash missiles. These systems intercepted and neautralised many Pakistani drone and missile attacks. But more layers are needed. DRDO must now accelerate two things – short-range air defence systems and long-range strike missiles like Project Kusha.
Military reform is also crucial. India has a huge army. It must cut unnecessary spending. It must remove red tape from weapons procurement. And it must create joint theatre commands that allow the Army, Navy and Air Force to fight as one.
A senior military commander put it bluntly. India is now staring at a superpower that is feeding a hostile neighbour. Pakistan may fire the bullets. But China is loading the gun.
India cannot look away anymore. The next battle may not wait for long.
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