
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.
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Scroll.in
15 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
Sultana Siddiqui: The Pakistani TV veteran making shows with cross-border appeal
For years, political hostilities between India and Pakistan have disrupted entertainment exchange, but rarely have restrictions been as sweeping as those triggered by the Pahalgam fallout. The latest wave of bans targeted Pakistani shows on YouTube, blocked streaming access to cross-border dramas on Netflix and Amazon Prime, and even temporarily disabled Instagram accounts of Pakistani actors and peace activists. The clampdown came at a time when Pakistani dramas have been enjoying immense popularity across the border, on digital and social media. They have not just built massive fan bases there, but are also engaging with radical themes that, as Indian journalist Raksha Kumar points out, are missing from Indian television dramas, due to 'superfluous' research, lack of courage or financial constraints. One standout example is a three-part mini series that aired last August on the privately owned Hum TV, produced by veteran television pioneer Sultana Siddiqui. Each installment tells a stand-alone story. Each is bound by the shared theme of how far-right radicals terrorise individuals and the communities they inhabit at large and the limitations of the state to give justice or security to the victims. The final episode of Tan Man Neelo Neel (Body and Soul Covered in Bruises), the last in the trilogy, elicited emotion for audiences in both countries. The lead characters attacked by an angry mob were their parents' only children. They were young people whose dreams were cut short. The story ends with a chilling mosaic honouring real-life victims of 'blasphemy' mob violence like Mashal Khan, a university student in Mardan in 2017 and brothers Mughees and Muneeb Butt, in Sialkot in 2010. Mob violence Many others could have been included. The list is long and includes those who were victimised on the pretext of religion even if mob violence wasn't involved. The theme resonates wherever this phenomenon has occurred. Since she launched Hum TV in 2005, Sultana Siddiqui, now in her late 70s, has used the television channel as a platform for storytelling from a progressive bent of mind, offering a nuanced portrayal of Pakistani society through deeply grounded characters. This isn't the first time her storytelling has crossed borders. Zindagi Gulzar Hai (Life is Beautiful) in 2012 was a hit in India. The series shows a picture of Pakistan different from the narrative seen in the Indian context. Its popularity, fueled by social media, created a demand for Pakistani content in the Indian market. Its lead actor Fawad Khan, went on to become a Bollywood heartthrob, but was then banned in India along with other Pakistani artists following the 2016 Uri attack. The Pakistani film Maula Jatt that he stars in was due to be released in India, but that has been stalled too. The release of a Bollywood romance he stars in, Abir Gulaal, is now also in limbo due to renewed hostilities. Countering 'foreign' serials What catalysed Sultana Siddiqui to start Hum TV channel was a desire to create relevant content rooted in Pakistan. 'My son asked, 'Are you sure this will work? Indian channels are dominating ratings.' I told him, 'Give it two days – those ratings won't last',' she recalls. 'I was scared too. But when it happened, the entire atmosphere shifted. Not just in Pakistan, but anywhere Urdu is spoken.' She wanted to counter the dominance of 'foreign' serials, particularly Indian dramas known for their sensationalist aesthetics. 'Those vibrant colored walls, the dramatic music, and women cooking without a single stain on their clothes – it all used to bother me,' she says. The series are part of a long line of Hum TV productions that have challenged social norms, like Udaari (Soaring, on child sexual abuse) and Dar Si Jaati Hai Silah (Silah Gets a Bit Scared, on domestic violence). Speaking to Sapan News at her office in Karachi, Sultana Siddiqui recalled the backlash against Udaari (2016), which state-run regulators branded 'immoral ' and threatened to shut down. 'I asked them, 'What exactly do you gain by doing this?'' she recalled. Their reply? 'You get a lot of publicity'.' Public support But Siddiqui believes it wasn't just the regulators. 'When one of my dramas performs exceptionally well, there are always two kinds of competitors – those who respond positively, and those who don't. I choose to rise above. But some out of sheer spite think, 'It's doing well, so let's bring it down,' and they write complaints.' Udaari received a record number of notices from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, an indication of how much pushback such socially conscious shows can get. The subject matter, she was told, was too 'bold' to ignore. Her response: 'Look at the end – the rapist was caught and punished. 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Alongside Tan Man Neelo Neel, which runs for 11 episodes, the trilogy features Mann Jogi with nine episodes and Nadaan with eight. The latter tackles the controversial practice of ' Halala Nikah ' and exposes how religious doctrine is exploited for personal political gain. The second installment, Nadaan, directed by filmmaker Mehreen Jabbar (Ramchand Pakistani, 2008), examines the scourge of drug addiction. The story shows how drug addicts pose threats to people around them; they resist the opening of rehabilitation centres that might weaken their grip, hiding behind performative piety to deflect scrutiny, and ultimately incite mob violence to protect their influence and preserve the toxic ecosystems they benefit from. Cross-border drama Sultana Siddiqui has always strongly favoured the inclusion of cross-border talent in Pakistani and Indian cultural productions. She has participated in various bilateral conferences and meetings, including those organised by Aman Ki Asha (Hope for Peace), a joint platform initiated in 2010 by the two biggest media groups of India and Pakistan. At the 2018 inaugural Pakistan International Film Festival, which Sultana Siddiqui hosted in Karachi, she invited prominent Indian industry figures as guests, including the team behind the blockbuster film Baahubali. But when she informally asked one of them, a veteran writer, to create content for Pakistani audiences, he politely declined, citing 'grave risks'. Sultana Siddiqui advocates for a more equitable exchange of cultural assets between India and Pakistan. She doesn't mind Indian productions hiring Pakistani writers but 'it should be a two-way street. For every writer they take, we should get one in return – maybe even agree on a percentage.' There are other kinds of risks involved in collaboration that may derail such efforts. There have been cases of storylines from Pakistan being picked up by Indian productions but then, 'things were added according to their own wishes.' State policy has also played its part. In 2016, Pakistan banned Indian dramas on its television channels, after India's unofficial curbs on Pakistani artists. The blackout, she notes, did give a short-term boom to homegrown content, but the real game-changer has been the rise of digital streaming platforms. Not all of Hum TV's projects have been free from critique. The 2019 television series Ehd-e-Wafa, a collaboration with the military's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations, drew criticism for glorifying the army and depicting other professions and state institutions unfairly. Earlier ISPR-sponsored shows like Alpha Bravo Charlie (1998) and Sunehre Din (1991) focused on military life without overt political messaging. Asked whether private channels should be subject to such influence, Sultana Siddiqui stresses that collaboration should involve professionals who understand the craft. The conversation with Sultana Siddiqui took place in Urdu and the quotes provided are approximate English translations.
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First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Pakistan crumbled, sought ceasefire 'in less than 50' air-launched weapons during Op Sindoor: IAF vice-chief
Although Air Marshal Tiwari did not specify the exact weapons used during the May 7–10 clashes, the IAF deployed Sukhoi-30MKI, Rafale, and Mirage-2000 fighter jets to carry out precision strikes using BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles read more It took less than 50 air-launched weapons fired by India during Operation Sindoor to compel Pakistan to seek a ceasefire, IAF Vice Chief Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari has revealed. 'We have discussed a lot about the cost-benefit, especially of air power. There is no greater example I think than what we did in Operation Sindoor. Less than 50 weapons can bring the adversary to the talking table…that is an example that needs to be studied and will be studied (by scholars),' Air Marshal Tiwari said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Although Air Marshal Tiwari did not specify the exact weapons used during the May 7–10 clashes, the IAF deployed Sukhoi-30MKI, Rafale, and Mirage-2000 fighter jets to carry out precision strikes using BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, along with Crystal Maze-2, Rampage, and Scalp missiles. These targeted Pakistani airbases and radar sites, some located near nuclear facilities and command and control centres. Refresh for updates.


New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
32-hr debate on Operation Sindoor kicks off from Monday
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