Convener News Desk
New Delhi, May 9: India’s powerful and seamless air defence response to Pakistan’s recent missile attacks has drawn global attention, with officials crediting a decade-long modernization drive under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for the nation’s preparedness.
Following the precision strikes of Operation Sindoor—which destroyed nine terrorist camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)—Pakistan retaliated by attempting to target Indian military installations in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
However, every single missile launched by Pakistan was intercepted or neutralised before reaching its intended target.
Defence experts while talking to Kashmir Convener hailed the defensive success as a testament to India’s strengthened air defence ecosystem, a result of sustained investment, integration, and indigenous development undertaken since 2014.
Official sources confirmed that systems such as the Integrated Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Grid, S-400 Triumph squadrons, Barak-8 MR-SAMs, Akash Surface-to-Air Missiles, and DRDO’s anti-drone technologies worked in perfect coordination to create an impenetrable aerial shield.
“The synergy of these technologies ensured that not one Pakistani missile could breach Indian airspace,” defence sources told Kashmir Convener.
“But India didn’t just defend. It responded. In one of the most assertive postures in recent years, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor, targeting and destroying a Chinese-origin HQ-9 air defence unit in Lahore and damaging critical radar infrastructure inside Pakistan”.
Senior officials emphasized that such swift and precise retaliation reflects a decade of strategic military preparedness. Since 2014, the Modi-led government has reshaped India’s air defence architecture.
Among the flagship initiatives was the Rs 35,000 crore deal for five S-400 Triumph squadrons signed with Russia in 2018—three of which are now operational along India’s sensitive western and northern borders. India also signed a $2.5 billion deal with Israel in 2017 for Barak-8 Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (MR-SAM), which now protect major airbases and military installations.
Indigenously developed Akash missile batteries, DRDO’s counter-drone systems, and Man-Portable Counter Drone Systems (MPCDS), installed in 2024, have added multiple layers of tactical defence.
“This multi-tiered system came into play during Pakistan’s missile launches, proving India’s ability to detect, jam, and eliminate threats across multiple fronts,” sources added.
Defence Sources said Operation Sindoor also marked a turning point in India’s offensive capabilities. For the first time, Indian-manufactured loitering munitions—suicidal drones ordered in 2021—were deployed in combat, executing coordinated strikes on enemy positions.
Harop drones, originally of Israeli origin and now being produced in India, were used to destroy key Pakistani defence assets in Lahore and Karachi. “Rafale fighter jets, armed with SCALP and HAMMER missiles, provided aerial cover and executed surgical precision strikes deep inside hostile territory”.
According to defence officials, India’s defence doctrine under the Modi government has been about building long-term strategic resilience rather than short-term spectacle. “It is not just about defending the skies anymore; it’s about controlling them,” said a senior official.
With its technological edge and strategic foresight, India has not only secured its borders but also reinforced its position as a regional military power capable of launching and absorbing high-stakes operations.
“Operation Sindoor has sent a decisive message to adversaries: India will defend with force and respond with precision” experts said.