Visible weapons, invisible enemy: A new era of war
The conflict— the first between the nuclear-armed neighbours since 1999 — marked the combat debut of multiple advanced systems that circumvented conventional confrontations.
Pakistan used Turkish-origin armed drones to target 36 locations simultaneously across a 900-kilometer frontier and deployed Chinese-made PL-15 beyond visual range air-to-air missiles fired from JF-17 fighter jets against India for the first time.
India countered with its own firsts aided by an years-long effort by the government to enhance the nation's air defence capabilities. S-400 air defence systems, Akash surface-to-air missiles, Barak 8 defences, and anti-drone technologies ringfenced Indian territory and repelled the Pakistan's air offensive. In offensive capabilities, Rafale fighter jets launching Scalp cruise missiles and Hammer smart weapons, and loitering munitions—essentially sensor-equipped kamikaze drones—added to the effectiveness of India's strikes on enemy targets.
When Indian Air Force targeted eight Pakistani military sites on Friday and Saturday —including airbases, radar units and ammunition dumps—the attacks came from standoff ranges within Indian territory.
'Operation Sindoor has demonstrated that the dynamics of India's response to cross-border terrorism too have changed,' said a person familiar with the operation, asking not to be named. 'We have shown that we are capable of striking terrorist infrastructure and military installations deep within Pakistan, and that there will be a high cost for cross-border terrorism.'
The new inductions, especially the Rafale- S 400 combination, have given India a direct edge over the adversary, strategic affairs expert Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd) said had said earlier. 'The weapons and systems in our arsenal are a nightmare for Pakistan. We have not only boosted our military capability but are also on track to induct newer weapons and technologies with an eye on the future.'
While physical weapons struck tangible targets, an equally consequential battle raged in the information domain. Officials highlighted Pakistan's 'extensive disinformation campaign' designed to 'cover its failures and deceive the international community and its own population.'
Pakistan's false claims included assertions about destroying Indian S-400 systems at Adampur, damaging airfields at Suratgarh, Sirsa, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Bhuj and Naliya, neutralising a BrahMos base at Nagrota, and eliminating an ammunition dump in Chandigarh.
'India unequivocally rejects these false narratives being spread by Pakistan,' an official declared at an Operation Sindoor briefing.
Foreign secretary Vikram Misri further debunked Pakistan's claims about destroying military installations, critical infrastructure, and power and cyber systems. These weren't merely propaganda efforts but strategic attempts to shape military and diplomatic responses.
Pakistan also falsely accused Indian forces of targeting mosques. 'Let us make this very clear here that India is a secular nation and the Indian armed forces reflect our constitutional values,' Wing Commander Vyomika Singh stated after the ceasefire announcement.
The conflict also saw unprecedented digital incursions targeting both nations. Pakistan's ministry of economic affairs' X account was compromised during peak tensions, with hackers posting appeals for 'international loans after heavy losses inflected by enemy' and references to 'escalating war and stocks crash.' Pakistani officials quickly issued a 'FAKE TWEET ALERT' and worked to disable the account, but not before the false economic distress signals briefly impacted market confidence. The source of the hack remains unidentified.
The conflict also featured deepfake videos. An AI-generated video showed Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar 'apologising' circulated widely before India's PIB Fact Check Unit debunked it. A more sophisticated synthetic video targeted Pakistan's military spokesperson, ISPR director general Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry and appeared to show him 'admitting' to losing two fighter jets. These sophisticated fabrications—origin unknown—were the first time deepfakes were used in information operations in the subcontinent during an active conflict.
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