NEW DELHI: 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 was 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 news agency PTI, Air chief described the counterterror operation as a validation of the IAF’s capability-centric approach, saying it reaffirmed air power’s decisive role as both the country’s primary responder and its strategic deterrent.
However, the IAF chief cautioned that the operation’s success should not lead to complacency, stressing the need to further strengthen and expand the force’s capabilities.
"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. It marked the country’s most daring crossborder military action 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 IAF chief said some indigenously developed weapons systems performed "exceptionally", delivering "crippling blows deep into enemy territory." He also said the force 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.
Singh was responding to a question on the IAF’s key takeaways from Operation Sindoor, including operational tactics, strategic options, setbacks and firepower.
He said the operation’s success was not attributable to any single weapon or platform, but to the combined effectiveness of accurate intelligence, networked operations, stand-off and precision weapons, electronic warfare, layered air defence and counter-UAS (unmanned aerial systems) capabilities.
"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 IAF chief also said India’s home-grown, networked air defence system countered the large number of drones and stand-off weapons launched by the Pakistan military, enabling the country to act with confidence.
"Offence and defence reinforced each other, which is precisely what a capability-centric force is designed to achieve," he said.
Singh said Operation Sindoor also demonstrated the importance of joint and multi-domain integration. Bringing together the air, land, maritime, space, cyber and electromagnetic domains, he said, enabled faster decision-making and improved operational effectiveness.
Looking ahead, the IAF must focus on strengthening combat mass, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, electronic warfare, counter-UAS systems, resilient networks and AI-enabled decision support, he said.
"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.
Singh said the IAF’s vision was closely aligned with the national goal of Viksit Bharat 2047, arguing that a developed India must also be secure and resilient.
"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, this means evolving into a multi-domain aerospace force capable of safeguarding India’s growing economic, technological and strategic interests across the full spectrum of conflict, he said.
"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.
On the space front, Singh said the broader direction was outlined 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 said national security and economic growth were closely linked, with a secure India providing the conditions for economic progress and a technologically and economically stronger India laying 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.
The counterterror operation launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack saw India strike nine major terror hubs across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Islamabad responded by continuing to shelter terror groups, prompting the IAF to target key Pakistani military installations, with strikes reaching as close as Rawalpindi, the country's military nerve centre.