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First Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Operation Sindoor: For India, deterrence lies in hard military power
Operation Sindoor has proved that conventional power, wielded with precision, can eliminate threats and convey a message without the attendant fear of a mushroom cloud read more From Left to Right: Air Marshal AK Bharti, Director General (DG) of Air Force Operations, DG of Military Operations Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, and DG of Naval Operations, Vice Admiral AN Pramod at a press briefing for Operation Sindoor. May 11, 2025. File image. After 88 hours of clinical and precision strikes, the Indian Armed Forces, who had been given full 'operational freedom', achieved their objectives in a calibrated, controlled and decisive manner. What also stood out in an era of unending conflicts was the wise drawing of a finish line. Operation 'Sindoor' represented an evolution in our war-fighting doctrine, showcasing the capability and ability of our Armed Forces. There was a marked escalation in the scope, intensity and precision targeting compared to India's earlier responses to terror attacks. Soon after the prime minister articulated India's 'new normal'. The doctrine was clear and unambiguous. This watershed moment marked the unveiling of a new national security posture, one that treats state-sponsored terrorism as an act of war. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Parliament, Mumbai, Pathankot, Uri, Pulwama and now Pahalgam all had one thing in common: Pakistan's use of terror as an instrument of state policy, but now the Indian armed forces had drawn the 'sindoor line' and targeted terror sites in the heartland of Pakistani Punjab, literally going for Pakistan's 'jugular'. The fact is that India's actions were aimed at forcing Pakistan to change its behaviour as far as using terrorism as an instrument of state policy is concerned. The question remains as to whether our political will and military action have ensured deterrence. Understanding Deterrence The challenge of deterrence, implying discouraging states from taking unwanted actions, especially military aggression, is a principal theme of a nation's defence policy. In his press briefing after the initial operation, the Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that Pakistan's failure 'to take action against the terrorist infrastructure on its territory' necessitated a military operation 'to deter and to preempt'. Deterrence can be further amplified as the practice of discouraging or restraining someone in world politics, usually a nation-state, from taking unwanted actions. It involves an effort to stop or prevent an action, as opposed to the closely related but distinct concept of 'compellence', which is an effort to force it to do something. If a state considers attacking an adversary but refrains due to concern over that adversary's military power, it has been deterred. Deterrence typically takes two forms: deterrence by denial and deterrence by punishment. Deterrence by denial strategies seeks to deter an action by making it infeasible or unlikely to succeed, thus denying a potential aggressor confidence in attaining its objectives by deploying sufficient local military forces to defeat a design, in other words, convincing an adversary that its attack would be unsuccessful because it would be physically blocked. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Whereas deterrence by punishment, on the other hand, threatens severe penalties if an attack occurs. It is based on the threat of imposing costs through retaliation. Steps taken include placing significant military capabilities directly in the path of an aggressor, which speaks loudly and clearly. Deterrence is usually unnoticed by the public since it is about preventing aggression rather than taking visible action. However, crises reveal where and how deterrence is failing or succeeding, since visible military decisions are now made public. India earlier deterred terror attacks attributed to militants based in Pakistan by threatening a conventional military response. Following the Parliament attack India mobilized its troops all across the border with Pakistan. As per Jaswant Singh 'the objective of India's mobilisation was to defeat cross border terrorism and infiltration without conflict'. Pakistan, in turn, looked to prevent retaliatory conventional military action through the threat of nuclear weapons. The fact is that if these terrorist incidents keep happening at a regular pace followed by India's retaliation, it suggests there were gaps in deterrence. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The failure of deterrence has led to leaders and policymakers sometimes referring to military operations as being designed to 'restore deterrence'. However, even this can be a misleading phrase, as Professor Debak Das of the University of Denver states, 'There may be something wrong with the method of deterrence'. Over the coming weeks and months, analysts and policymakers will assess how successful both sides' military operations were in restoring deterrence, a key question with the potential to shape regional security dynamics going forward. Nuclear Deterrence The most powerful deterrent a state can possess is nuclear weapons. Soon after the development of nuclear weapons, scholars argued that these capabilities were so powerful that no two nuclear-armed states would dare to fight one another. In other words, they would be deterred from doing so. But while nuclear weapons may ensure stable deterrence at the strategic or nuclear level, instability and conflict are likely to occur at lower levels because both sides believe in controlling escalation till that point. This led to Pakistan feeling there was space to conduct a sub-conventional proxy war against India. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India has taken action to punish Pakistan militarily in response to terror attacks. Notable examples have included Operation Parakram in 2001; the development of the Cold Start military doctrine intended to quickly capture territory to extract concessions; 'surgical strikes' across the Line of Control in 2016; and the airstrike at Balakot in 2019. Each response pushed the envelope further both vertically and horizontally, displaying the ability to impose costs within a nuclear overhang. Following Pahalgam, India dramatically increased the scope of its military action against Pakistan in response to terrorism. This represented an expansion in its willingness to conduct conventional operations beneath the nuclear threshold. Operation Sindoor has proved that conventional power, wielded with precision, can eliminate threats and convey a message without the attendant fear of a mushroom cloud. Pakistan's military-backed terrorist groups would no longer be able to operate with impunity, secure in the knowledge that India won't risk nuclear escalation. Pakistan's space for nuclear deterrence has been shrunk due to India's non-contact kinetic actions facilitated by newer technologies. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Escalation During Operation Sindoor What was witnessed were multiple rounds of retaliation, including strikes on major military bases, and the use of capabilities never previously employed between the two countries. On the opening day of strikes, the Indian Armed Forces demonstrated the ability to identify and destroy terrorist-linked infrastructure in Pakistani territory, employing stand-off weapons to deliver precision strikes at speed without crossing the international border. The intent was clear: India was focused on degrading the terrorist ecosystem that exists in Pakistan. In the following days, operations expanded in scope, as Pakistan chose to retaliate, and India then penetrated Pakistan's Chinese-supplied air defence network to target selected airbases for the first time since the 1971 war. Further India's multi-layered air defence ensured the security of Indian airspace by eliminating Pakistani drones and missiles. Operation Sindoor was a calibrated use of force, intended to signal resolve, degrade terrorist infrastructure, demonstrate capability, and impose costs for supporting terrorism. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Escalation control depends on taking carefully calibrated actions in the fog of war. As per Walter Ladwig of RUSI, 'This conflict illustrates that limited military engagement under the shadow of nuclear weapons can be contained provided escalation thresholds are mutually understood, signalling remains disciplined, and objectives are narrowly defined.' Application of Military Power Operation Sindoor demonstrated India's ability to apply military power with restraint and precision. India's signal of intent to retaliate against cross-border terrorism marks a clear shift in posture. Yet deterrence by punishment carries inherent risks – chief among them the possibility that fringe actors may attempt to provoke confrontation in order to manipulate state responses. Hence, in a strategic environment shaped by tempo, perception, and public pressure, preserving space for discretion may be as vital as projecting resolve, particularly when domestic audiences may expect increasingly forceful responses in the wake of future provocations. Equally salient is the operational challenge of maintaining the effectiveness of coercive military action over time. As targeted groups adapt, dispersing their assets, improving their concealment techniques, and altering their operational rhythms, the demands placed on India's intelligence and targeting means will intensify. An iterative contest of adaptation may also play out in which each side seeks to outpace the other's capacity for detection and response. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Conclusion As the damage to Pakistani assets increased and their vulnerabilities were exposed, the Pakistani DGMO reached out over the hotline to his Indian counterpart in asking for a ceasefire. There was no doubt that India had achieved its stated objectives. Its decisive response was not a product of improvisation but due to the professionalism of Indian armed forces and the result of structural reforms and investment in India's defence capabilities to include doctrines, weapon systems and infusion of cutting-edge technologies. The contours of its response toolkit had been redefined. The instrument of force was now more calibrated and precise. There is no doubt that in future, India's response in degrading assets enabling terrorism will be of a greater magnitude. Given the fact that India was able to use force over a long trajectory and attack Pakistan at will with precision and lethality, degrading its capabilities. One of the lessons that stands out is that hard power matters, though building deterrence through hard power may be costly, but wars are even more costly, which is a lesson Europe is facing presently, having prematurely celebrated victory at the end of the Cold War by downsizing military structures and capabilities. Hence, there needs to be an urgency while addressing military imbalances, as despite being tactically and operationally successful, we cannot afford to be prone to coercion. Hard military power is the key. While India has demonstrated its muscular policy, the instrument of force needs to be continuously nourished to ensure that it always retains the element of deterrence. The author is a retired Major General of the Indian Army. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
First Post
12-05-2025
- General
- First Post
What is the Malir Cantonment in Karachi that India hit during Operation Sindoor?
The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Sunday revealed that it carried out a strike on Malir cantonment in Karachi during Operation Sindoor. Air Marshal AK Bharti, the Director-General of Operations for the IAF, made the announcement in a special briefing. But what do we know about the cantonment? Why is it important? read more From Left to Right: Air Marshal AK Bharti, Director General (DG) of Air Force Operations, DG of Military Operations Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, and DG of Naval Operations, Vice Admiral AN Pramod at a press briefing for Operation Sindoor. On Sunday, India made a big revelation. The Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out a strike on Malir cantonment in Karachi during Operation Sindoor. Air Marshal AK Bharti, the Director-General of Operations for the IAF, made the announcement in in a special briefing Sunday evening. 'We carefully selected our targets. Of the nine chosen, the IAF was tasked specifically with the notorious training camps in Bahawalpur and Muridke,' Bharti said. He added that the response was part of India's 'measured and calibrated' attacks. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But what do we know about the Malir Cantonment? Why is it important? Let's take a closer look: What we know and its importance As per NDTV, Malir Cantonment is a heavily fortified military base in Sindh. It is around 35 kilometers from Karachi. As per it was declared a cantonment by the British government in 1941. The Pakistani Army took over the condonement in 1947. As per it was established as a base in October 11, 1948. The base is eight kilometers east of Shah Faisal Town and seven kilometers east of Jinnah International Airport. The cantonment is important because it is home to key military infrastructure. The Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out a strike on Malir cantonment in Karachi during Operation Sindoor. Representational image. AP The base itself is one of the most posh locations in Karachi. Stretching over 12 square kilometres, the base is home to the Cantonment Bazar Area, Defence Officers' Housing Schemes l & ll, Askari-5 (army officers housing scheme), PAF Falcon Complex and approximately seventy Private Housing Schemes. Home to around 139,000 people, the base is governed through the 'Cantonment Board Malir' under the Pakistani ministry of defence. A majority of the base's population comprise those that serve in the military, ex-armed services forces, civilians and bureaucrats. Interestingly, General Pervez Musharraf's funeral was held at the Polo Ground of Malir Cantonment in February 2023. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He was buried at the Army Graveyard in Karachi. What else do we know? The strike on the cantonment was part of India's efforts at crippling the terror network in Pakistan. 'Each action taken was part of a deliberate and proportionate military response to the pattern of drone, missile, and cross-border aggression originating from Pakistan,' Bharti said. 'Our fight is with the terrorists and not with Pakistani military or civilians.' 'Our fight was against terror, and on May 7, we hit only terror hubs, but the Pakistani Army converted it into its own fight by supporting terrorists,' Bharti added. As per News18, the IAF's military targets included airbases at Chaklala, Rafiq, and Rahim Yar Khan, followed by strikes on Sargodha, Bhulari, and Jacobabad. 'This multi-dimensional operation successfully neutralised terrorist threats, deterred Pakistani aggression, and reinforced India's zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism, all while maintaining strategic restraint and international support," the IAF said. As per The News Minute, Bharti said the IAF also took out a radar site near Lahore. This was done by reportedly using an Israeli-origin HARPY loitering munition system to hit a Chinese HQ-9 air defence system. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India also took out a second radar installation near Gujranwala in Punjab province. 'We are in a combat scenario and losses are part of combat. However, we have achieved all our objectives and all our pilots are back home,' Bharti was quoted as saying by Economic Times. 'We have downed a few Pakistani planes . So, we don't have wreckage with us, but definitely, we have downed a few Pakistani planes; numbers, we would not like to hazard a guess out here, I have the numbers and we are getting into technical details to establish it. So, I would like to put a figure at this time.' 'Our job is to hit the target, not to count the body bags,' Bharti said. Director General of Military Operations Rajiv Ghai said, 'I want to praise the Border Security Force also, who complemented our efforts by joining our counter-armed response.' 'There has been absolute synergy in the three services, and not only have we been supported by government agencies, but also the 140 crore people,' he added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Pakistan knows what we are going to do' NDTV quoted Vice Admiral AN Pramod as saying that the Indian Navy remained in a 'deterrent posture with full readiness and capacity to strike select targets at sea and on land, including Karachi, at a time of our choosing'. Pramod said this 'compelled Pakistani naval and air units to be in a defensive posture, mostly inside harbours or very close to the coast…' for the entire conflict. 'This time, if Pakistan dare take any action, Pakistan knows what we are going to do, that's all,' Pramod was quoted as saying by Economic Times. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh earlier said 100 terrorists were killed during the strikes. The Indian military carried out strikes on nine targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7. With inputs from agencies
First Post
12-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Watch: DGMOs explain how India's multi-layered air defence system countered Pakistan's attacks
Indian forces gave a detailed graphic presentation of the multi-layered air defence system, featuring Akash, S-400, and Akashteer, intercepted all Pakistani drones and missiles, keeping Indian bases secure after Operation Sindoor. read more From Left to Right: Air Marshal AK Bharti, Director General (DG) of Air Force Operations, DG of Military Operations Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, and DG of Naval Operations, Vice Admiral AN Pramod at a press briefing for Operation Sindoor. In a comprehensive briefing, India's Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) detailed how the country's advanced, multi-layered air defence system successfully countered Pakistan's aerial attacks after Operation Sindoor. This came as India-Pakistan ceasefire remained intact without a major incident on the third day of its implementation. The IAF's AK Bharti, the director general of air force operations, and Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, the DGMO of the Indian Army, outlined the coordinated response that shielded Indian military and civilian targets from waves of drones, missiles, and fighter jets. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Air Marshal Bharti highlighted that the primary objective was to neutralise terror infrastructure, but Pakistan's military escalated the conflict by supporting militants and launching direct attacks on Indian assets. He praised the performance of India's indigenous Akash missile system, which, alongside the Russian S-400, Israeli Barak-8, and SPYDER systems, formed a robust, layered shield capable of intercepting threats at various ranges and altitudes. These systems, integrated via the Akashteer command-and-control network, enabled real-time detection and rapid neutralisation of incoming threats. Watch the video below on how Indian forces thwarted Pakistan's air offensive. During the attacks, Pakistan deployed multiple waves of drones and missiles, including Chinese-origin PL-15 air-to-air missiles, targeting Indian airfields and logistics hubs. All major threats were intercepted, with Indian forces showcasing recovered debris as evidence of their success. Vice Admiral AN Pramod added that continuous surveillance using multiple sensors and inputs ensured early detection and targeting of hostile objects, reinforcing the effectiveness of India's layered defence. The DGMOs asserted that all military bases and systems remain fully operational and ready for future missions if needed. The officers underscored that India's defensive success was the result of years of investment in indigenous technology and seamless coordination among the armed forces.
