Context:

• Launched in early May as retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor marked the first direct drone-led military conflict between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. 

Operation Sindoor: India's Drone-Centric Warfare Breakthrough

• Over a span of four days, India and Pakistan transitioned to a new paradigm of conflict, dominated by Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)—ranging from armed drones and loitering munitions to electronic decoys—all operating below the threshold of full-scale war.
• Prior to the main operation, Israeli Heron MK-II and India’s indigenous TAPAS-BH-201 (Rustom-II) UAVs conducted deep surveillance into Pakistani airspace. Beginning May 7, India launched coordinated strikes on nine high-value targets. Both nations deployed a diverse array of drones for real-time Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), as well as precision attacks.
• Tactical innovations included the use of decoy drones to spoof radar systems and exhaust enemy interceptor stocks. The conflict de-escalated by May 10 following a ceasefire, setting a precedent for future drone-dominated conflicts in South Asia.

India’s Use of Aerial Systems in Operation Sindoor

India employed a sophisticated and layered fleet of UAS, including:

• Nagastra-1: Indigenous loitering munition for deep-strike roles.
• Harop: Israeli-origin suicide drones with autonomous radar-targeting capabilities.
• Swarm drones: Developed by DRDO and private partners to overwhelm enemy air defences via radar saturation.

Tactical Strategy: Sequenced Drone Strikes

India’s air campaign was marked by a phased, high-tech approach:

1. Initial Waves:
   • Deployed decoy drones and Electronic Warfare (EW) payloads to disrupt radar signatures and deplete Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) stocks.
2. Follow-On Attacks:
   • Loitering munitions and armed UAVs executed precision strikes, guided by Heron MK-II and TAPAS-BH-201 ISR feeds.
3. Real-Time ISR:
   • Micro-UAVs and quadcopters relayed dynamic targeting data through the Integrated Battle Management System (IBMS).

Operational Impacts

• A cricket match in Rawalpindi was reportedly halted due to ongoing drone strikes.
• A Chinese-supplied HQ-9 SAM battery near Lahore was allegedly destroyed by a Harop drone.

Strategic Implications

• Operation Sindoor demonstrated India’s evolving strength in autonomous and algorithm-driven warfare.
• Analysts view it as a new deterrence model in South Asia, redefining aerial power dynamics and cross-border engagement norms.

India’s Multi-Layered Air Defence System

IACCS: The Nerve Centre

• The Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) linked ground radars, AWACS, satellites, and airborne sensors into a unified real-time tracking network.
• Designed with redundancy and mobility, it ensured uninterrupted command even under targeted disruption.

Pakistan’s Countermeasures:

Pakistan attempted to exploit vulnerabilities through:

• Varying drone altitudes and flight paths,
• Timing attacks to disrupt command loops,
• Targeting communication nodes.

However, all disruptions were either thwarted or rapidly neutralized.

Resilience and Advanced Features

• IACCS’s mesh architecture ensured:
  • Failover capability if nodes were compromised.
  • Persistent situational awareness through satellite uplinks and mobile radar systems.
• Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs): High-powered lasers and microwaves were used to intercept and disable drones effectively.

Tactical Support: Akashteer System

Developed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Akashteer enabled:

• Real-time coordination between sensors and weapon systems,
• Effective drone interception even under electronic attack conditions.

Layered Defence Architecture

India’s air defence strategy blended legacy systems with modern platforms:

• Low-Level Air Defence (LLAD): Upgraded Cold War-era systems with radar-guided guns and electro-optics; frontline forces like BSF snipers also shot down drones.
• Modern Systems:
  • SPYDER (Israel): Equipped with Python-5 and Derby missiles for close-in UAV and missile defence.

Advanced Missile Systems

India's arsenal also included:

• Akash & Akash-NG: Medium-range defence against aircraft and drones.
• Barak-8: India-Israel joint system for long-range interception of aerial threats.
• S-400 ‘Triumf’: Russia’s state-of-the-art system—three of five ordered units were operational.

All systems were integrated through IACCS, enabling a unified, rapid response to layered threats.

Operation Sindoor: A Technological Turning Point

The operation marked a decisive evolution in military strategy:

• Shift from manpower-intensive operations to autonomous, algorithm-driven warfare.
• Deterrence now hinges on data, drones, and digital precision, not mass mobilization.
• Future conflicts may begin with a silent wave of drones—not soldiers—redefining the very psychology and tempo of warfare.