
Precision weapons altered the relationship between distance and vulnerability: Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit
'Today, precision-guided munitions like Scalp and BrahMos (missiles) have rendered geographical barriers almost meaningless as strikes with beyond visual range air-to-air missiles and supersonic air-to-ground missiles have become commonplace,' Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, chief of integrated defence staff, said at a seminar on surveillance and electro-optics.
'The lessons from Operation Sindoor have reinforced what military strategists have long understood but perhaps not fully appreciated until now. Modern warfare --- thanks to technology --- has fundamentally altered the relationship between distance and vulnerability.'
Earlier, the horizon marked the limit of immediate threat, he said.
The launch of Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7 --- India's strikes on terror and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following the Pahalgam terror strike in which 26 people were shot dead --- triggered a four-day military confrontation with the neighbouring country involving fighter jets, missiles, drones, long-range weapons and heavy artillery.
The standoff weapons deployed by India during the operation included the Scalp deep-strike cruise missiles, the Hammer smart weapon and BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.
'When weapons can strike targets hundreds of kilometres away with pinpoint accuracy, the traditional concepts of front, rear and flanks, combat zones, and depth areas all become irrelevant. What we call the front and the theatre merge into one. This new reality demands that we extend our surveillance envelope far beyond what previous generations could have even imagined,'Dixit said.
The domain of surveillance and electro-optics systems was earlier a force enhancer but has now become the foundation on which modern military operations will take place, he added.
'Today we stand on the cusp of a revolution that will redefine how we perceive, process and project power in the 21st century. When we look at global conflicts commencing from Armenia-Azerbaijan to Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas, and to our own experiences in Operation Sindoor; one truth emerges with crystal clarity --- the side that sees first, sees farthest and sees most accurately, prevails.'
Between the launch of the operation in the early hours of May 7 and the ceasefire on the evening of May 10, Indian forces bombed nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK and killed at least 100 terrorists, and the IAF struck targets at 13 Pakistani air bases and military installations.
In the early hours of May 7, the IAF struck two terror sites at Markaz Subhanallah in Bahawalpur and Markaz Taiba near Muridke, both in Pakistan's Punjab province, while the army hit targets at seven places, including Mehmoona Joya in Sialkot, Sawai Nala and Syed Na Bilal in Muzaffarabad, Gulpur and Abbas in Kotli, Barnala in Bhimber, and Sarjal.
The Markaz Subhanallah camp was the farthest target for Indian forces. Located around 100 km from the international border, it is the headquarters of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and has been used for recruitment, indoctrinating and training terrorists.
Markaz Taiba is the headquarters of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founded by Hafiz Saeed. Terrorists trained at this camp were linked to many attacks in India, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Ajmal Kasab, the only terrorist captured alive at the time, received training here and so did David Coleman Headley. It is located 25 km inside Pakistan.
During May 9-10, the IAF struck military targets in Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Chunian, Pasrur, Sialkot, Skardu, Sargodha, Jacobabad, Bholari and Malir Cantt in Karachi.
Later it emerged that India's targeting of locations within Pakistan during the May 7-10 clash was more extensive than was previously known, with a Pakistani document acknowledging that Indian drones had struck locations ranging from Peshawar in the northwest to Hyderabad in the south.
The graphics in the May 18 Pakistani document detailing India's drone strikes on May 8, 9 and 10 listed seven locations -- Peshawar in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, Attock, Bahawalnagar, Gujrat and Jhang in Punjab province, and Chhor and Hyderabad in Sindh province -- that were not acknowledged as targets by Indian officials at any briefings held during or after the hostilities.
Pakistan's Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, which was mounted in response to Operation Sindoor, 'folded in eight hours' on May 10 belying Islamabad's ambitious target of bringing India to its knees in 48 hours, chief of defence staff General Anil Chauhan said on June 3.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indian Express
15 minutes ago
- Indian Express
The MiG-21 is set to retire. It is about time
Written by Kuldip Singh On July 22, the Ministry of Defence announced that the last two squadrons of the iconic MiG-21 fighter-interceptor aircraft in the Indian Air Force (IAF) will be retired by September this year, and gradually replaced by the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas Mark-1A (LCA Mark-1A). Although these MiG squadrons are presently based at Nal air base (Rajasthan), the ceremonial decommissioning will be held at Chandigarh air base on September 19. This will mark the end of over 60 years of legendary service. The phasing-out, originally scheduled for 2022 but delayed on account of non-availability of the replacement LCA, will drop the IAF's active squadron strength from 31 (against a sanctioned fighter squadron strength of 42) to 29 – till the first set of LCAs start to arrive by March 2026. Traditionally, the West has followed a revolutionary/generational-jump design policy for its new military platforms. In contrast, the erstwhile USSR/present-day Russia has espoused the evolutionary design model, in which most of its new military products consist of incremental and evolutionary upgrades. The single-engine-single-seater MiG-21 was thus an evolutionary upgrade of the Soviet jet fighter series starting with the subsonic MiG-15 and MiG-17, and the supersonic MiG-19. With a maximum speed of 2230 km/hr, and armed with a 23 mm twin-barrel cannon and four air-to-air missiles, the MiG-21, then comparable to the US's F-104 Starfighter or French Mirage-III, saw several variants, retrofits and improvements, and was thus able to combine ground-attack and fighter-interceptor characteristics in a single aircraft. Designed by Mikoyan-Gurevich (MiG) of the erstwhile USSR and introduced into service in 1959, nearly 11,680 of this aircraft were eventually produced (approximately 10,650 in the USSR, 195 in former Czechoslovakia, and 840 in India), thereby becoming the most-produced combat aircraft since the Korean War. Named 'Fishbed' by NATO, the MiG-21 has served in the air forces of over 60 countries, with some (including India) still flying it. India opted for a strategic partnership with the USSR in 1955, and the IAF opted to purchase the MiG-21 in 1961 over several other Western competitors as the USSR had offered a full transfer of technology as well as the rights for indigenous assembly in India – and in 1963, the IAF inducted the MiG-21 as its first supersonic fighter. Reportedly, since then, 1,100 to 1,200 MiG-21s (including the original MiG-21, MiG-21PF/Type-77, Type-96, BIS and Bisons versions) have passed through the IAF's inventory, with the IAF operating around 400 MiG-21s in 19 squadrons at one time. It has been unfairly labelled as the 'Flying Coffin' in recent times on account of numerous crashes. The labelling is unfair on three main counts. Firstly, fighter jets are incredibly complex machines with all their parts packed in a compact airframe – combine fuel, hydraulic fluids, electric circuitry, and explosives. Now, add a stressed environment to that mix, and one minor issue can send a flying machine into a catastrophic descent. Even the US Air Force's latest, most sophisticated jet, the F-35, has witnessed 31 crashes since 2006. Secondly, no country in the world, including the US, has the wherewithal to simplistically replace its fighter aircraft inventory every two or three decades. Such numbers also cannot be manufactured in short time-frames. Incidentally, the US Air Force still flies the F-16 (first inducted in the 1970s; periodically upgraded). Thirdly, no professional air force – and the IAF is among the best in the world – wants to undermine its operational capability through loss of aircraft. An objective assessment will reveal that the IAF has done an incredible, cost-effective job of nurturing, tending and utilising the MiG-21 for India's defence. The 'aircraft accident rate' is calculated as the number of accidents resulting in loss of an aircraft per 100,000 hours of flying. The infamous F-86 Sabre of US-origin (which Indian pilots downed in the 1965 Indo-Pak War), had an average mishap rate of 4.4 crashes per 10,000 flight hours. The USAF's mishap rate (of all combat aircraft) was 1.3 in 2018, down from 5.2 in 1960. In contrast, the IAF recorded the lowest-ever accident rate of 0.20-0.27 in the 2020-2024 period, which speaks volumes of the professional focus and exceptional management of a dated inventory by the IAF. That said, technology is progressing at an exponential rate. With technology being a principal force multiplier, present and future wars cannot be fought with weapons of yore – and there are limits to retrofitting and upgrading aircraft built to technological standards of over half-a-century ago. Additionally, by improving accuracy, technology allows higher levels of lethality to be wielded by smaller numbers, and thereby, facilitates downsizing of forces. A couple of 'stealthy' aircraft, using advanced avionics and intelligent weapons, can precisely destroy a large target which otherwise may have required a squadron of legacy aircraft. As India looks beyond its borders and shores, and as the IAF expands its strategic ambit, it needs combat aircraft with technologies compatible with its operational mandate and wars of the future. To paraphrase Tennyson: The old order of the Mig-21s now must yield place to the new. The writer is a retired Brigadier from the Indian Army. He also served as Principal Director in India's National Security Council Secretariat
&w=3840&q=100)

Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Govt extends closure of airspace to Pakistani aircrafts till August 23
The Centre has officially extended Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) restricting Pakistani civil aircrafts from entering Indian airspace until August 23, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol confirmed. "This extension reflects continued strategic considerations and is in line with prevailing security protocols. Stay tuned for further updates," Union MoS Mohol said in a post on X. The previous NOTAM was going to expire on July 24 (Thursday). Earlier on June 24, the ministry had announced a month long extension of the NOTAM restricting Pakistani aircrafts coming into India. The first NOTAM by India was valid from May 1 to May 23. As per the NOTAM, Indian airspace will not be available for Pakistan-registered aircraft and aircraft operated, owned or leased by Pakistan airlines and operators, including military flights. The restrictions on Pakistani aircrafts were first put during Operation Sindoor, due to increased hostilities between the neighbouring nations in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack which killed 26 people, including one foreign national on April 22 The Indian airspace has been closed for planes operated, owned or leased by Pakistan airlines and operators, including military flights, since April 30. On April 23, a day after the Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives, India announced a series of measures against Pakistan, including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, shutting down of the only operational land border crossing at Attari and downgrading of diplomatic ties in view of cross-border links to the massacre. India also launched the decisive Operation Sindoor, which targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan with precision strikes. The government is set to hold a 16-hour discussion on Operation Sindoor next week, during the monsoon Parliament Session, according to sources. The discussion will be finalised after a consensus is reached. Opposition parties have been demanding presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the debate on Operation Sindoor. As per sources, since PM Modi will be embarking on a two-nation tour of the United Kingdom and the Maldives from July 23 to July 26, the discussion on Operation Sindoor is likely to take place next week. Multiple Opposition MPs have also submitted adjournment motions to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent Operation Sindoor.


Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
Lok Sabha Monsoon Session Day 2: Opposition demands discussion on Op Sindoor, Bihar SIR
The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha continued their Monsoon Session on Day 3, with the Opposition pushing for key debates on issues like the Bihar electoral roll and the Air India crash, amid demands for discussion on Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam attack. Parliament proceedings were adjourned amid these demands, highlighting the ongoing tensions between the government and the Opposition. Show more 08:45 05:31 03:21 18:22 12:02 18:58 05:28 03:00 03:57 01:54 12:00 19:16 04:04 02:38 04:17 06:49 09:29 08:38 03:26 03:00 04:56