New Delhi, Oct 25 (PTI) The Indian Air Force’s calibrated strikes across the Western front during Operation Sindoor — spanning 1,200 km in breadth and 200 km in depth–demonstrated that no target is beyond its reach, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh said on Sunday, in an apparent warning to Pakistan.
In an exclusive interview with PTI, the Air Chief described the operation as a validation of the IAF’s capability-centric approach, emphasising that it reaffirmed air power’s decisive role as both the nation’s primary responder and its strategic deterrent. At the same time, the IAF Chief cautioned that validation of the IAF’s approach must not be a reason to “stand still” as the way forward is to deepen and widen this capability across the force.
“Operationally, one lesson stands out: we must always retain multiple options and the ability to adapt rapidly as the adversary changes tactics,” the Chief of Air Staff who oversaw the four-day operation said.
“A capability-centric force is inherently better at this, because it can draw on many tools rather than depend on one. That same flexibility allowed us to calibrate our response and keep control of escalation,” he said.
Launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor saw India carry out precision strikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied territories in May last year– marking the most daring cross-border military action by the country since the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
“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,” he said.
The Chief of the Air Staff also noted that some of the indigenously developed weapons systems performed “exceptionally”, delivering crippling blows deep into enemy territory, and that the IAF honoured its commitment to “zero collateral damage” throughout the operation.
“Operation Sindoor was, above all, a validation of the capability-centric approach the IAF has been pursuing. We have moved from thinking in terms of individual platforms to thinking in terms of capability, where every aircraft, sensor, weapon and network is integrated so that the combined effect is far greater than the sum of the parts,” the IAF Chief said.
“The operation put that philosophy to the test in real operations, and it delivered. It reaffirmed the decisive role of air power as both the nation’s primary responder and its strategic deterrent, and it reinforced the enduring importance of speed, precision, integration and adaptability,” he said.
The Air Chief Marshal was responding to a question on the IAF’s key takeaways from Operation Sindoor across operational tactics, strategic options, setbacks, and firepower.
The operation’s success did not come from any single weapon or platform. It came from the combined effect of accurate intelligence, networked operations, stand-off and precision weapons, electronic warfare, layered air defence and counter-UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) capabilities, all working as one system, he 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.
“Some of our indigenously developed weapons performed exceptionally, delivering crippling blows deep into enemy territory, and we honoured our commitment to zero collateral damage throughout,” he said.
The Chief of the Air Staff said India’s home-grown networked air defence defeated the large number of drones and stand-off weapons launched by the Pakistan military as the nation could act with confidence.
“Offence and defence reinforced each other, which is precisely what a capability-centric force is designed to achieve,” he said.
Air Chief Marshal Singh said Operation Sindoor also demonstrated the value of joint and multi-domain integration, adding bringing together the air, land, maritime, space, cyber and electromagnetic domains enabled faster decision-making and greater operational effect.
The IAF Chief, however, said the force must now focus on strengthening combat mass, ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) prowess, electronic warfare, counter-UAS capability, resilient networks and AI-enabled decision support.
“Equally, we must build the ability to sustain high-intensity operations over time through robust logistics, maintenance, infrastructure and, above all, indigenous production. Work is already under way on each of these fronts.
Air Chief Marshal Singh said the IAF’s vision is closely aligned with the larger national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, as a developed India must also be a secure and resilient India.
“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, the Chief of Air Staff said it means evolving into a multi-domain aerospace force capable of protecting India’s growing economic, technological and strategic interests across the entire spectrum of conflict.
“We have set out a clear, structured path towards that goal. The IAF’s Capability Perspective Plan-2047 lays down long-term priorities based on emerging technologies, and it feeds into ten-year plans that are updated periodically,” he said.
In the space domain, the Air Chief Marshal said the broader direction is reflected in the IAF Space Vision 2047.
“Our emphasis will be on ‘Aatmanirbharta’, advanced aerospace technologies, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, space, cyber, precision weapons and resilient networks. Just as important, we will build the industrial ecosystem needed to sustain all of these capabilities,” he said.
The IAF Chief argued that a secure India creates the environment for economic growth, while a technologically and economically stronger India provides the foundation for greater strategic power.
“Realising this vision will require a whole-of-nation approach, and the IAF is committed to playing its full part,” he 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 noted. PTI MPB DV
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