India Showed Unmatched Strike Capability in ‘Operation Sindoor’, Says CDS Gen Anil Chauhan

Precision airstrikes during May's brief conflict demonstrated India's military edge, says Chief of Defence Staff at Singapore security summit.

HH News Desk 3 weeks agoLast Updated: June 8, 2025

7 2 minutes read

New Delhi/Singapore, May 31 — India decisively asserted its military superiority over Pakistan during this month’s brief but intense conflict, with precision strikes that exposed vulnerabilities deep inside Pakistani territory, according to Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan.

Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Gen. Chauhan confirmed that India’s armed forces had suffered losses during the early phases of “Operation Sindoor” but recalibrated their approach quickly and responded with overwhelming force.

Deep Strikes and Tactical Adjustments

“So what I can say is, on May 7 and the initial stages, there were losses, but the numbers and that’s not important. What was important is why did these losses occur, and what will we do after that?” General Chauhan said in the interview, adding that the forces “rectified the tactics” and carried out fresh strikes on May 7, 8, and 10.

On May 10, Indian air and missile assets reportedly struck 11 Pakistani airbases, including the strategically located Nur Khan airbase near Islamabad. The precision of these strikes, backed by satellite imagery from Indian and international platforms, has been described as “pinpoint accurate” with some impacts recorded within a metre of designated targets.

Satellite Imagery Confirms Impact

“Now that the satellite images for all the strikes are available, not only through Indian media but from global sources… you would have seen that most of the strikes were delivered with pinpoint accuracy,” the CDS remarked, underlining the technological edge employed in the operation.

These operations targeted Pakistani radar systems, command infrastructure, and key airbases. According to Air Marshal Bharti, speaking on May 11, aircraft losses were expected given the intensity of the conflict. “I can’t comment about loss of Aircraft as we are in a combat scenario and losses are part of combat,” he noted.

Controlled Escalation, Strategic Messaging

Dismissing Pakistani claims that India scaled back its offensive after May 7, Gen. Chauhan insisted that India’s response only grew in intensity. “We penetrated all their defences with impunity,” he stated.

Despite the proximity of strikes to sensitive nuclear installations, General Chauhan said both nations showed restraint. “There’s a lot of space before that nuclear threshold is crossed,” he said, adding that professional military leadership on both sides contributed to rational decision-making under pressure.

Implications for South Asian Security

The operation, which concluded with a cessation of hostilities agreement on May 10, has reset the strategic calculus in South Asia. Indian officials believe it has demonstrated that conventional, large-scale precision operations are viable even against a nuclear-armed rival, without necessarily escalating to strategic-level conflict.

“Operation Sindoor not only showcased India’s readiness and ability to strike deep and with precision,” a senior defence official said, “but also set a new conventional threshold—on India’s terms and at India’s choosing.”

Written by Raj C. | Published on 31 May 2025 | Source: NDTV

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