Operation Sindoor: A Model for Effective Conflict Resolution According to Indian Air Force Chief

New Delhi:

Air Chief Marshal Amarpreet Singh of the Indian Air Force has highlighted the importance of the timely resolution of the conflict with Pakistan in May, stating that Operation Sindoor offers valuable lessons to the world on conflict termination. During his address, he contrasted India's focused approach with ongoing global conflicts that have continued for years without clear objectives.

"The world needs to learn from Operation Sindoor how to properly end a conflict. Selection and maintenance of aim is where many global conflicts fail. Countries often forget their initial objectives—how and why the conflict began versus where they eventually end up. Current prolonged wars are increasingly driven by ego and pride rather than strategic goals," the Air Force Chief remarked yesterday.

He emphasized that this wasn't the case with Operation Sindoor, during which Indian forces successfully targeted nine terrorist installations deep within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7. The subsequent four-day conflict concluded when Pakistani commanders requested a ceasefire on May 10, which India accepted.

The Air Chief Staff credited the clear objectives of Indian forces for preventing an extended conflict. "Our objective was precisely defined and achieved on the first day itself. We had offered a ceasefire immediately, though it wasn't initially accepted. When the adversary later requested to stop hostilities, it was the right decision to agree," he explained.

Air Chief Marshal Singh suggested that without this timely conclusion, the conflict could have escalated unpredictably. "We managed to terminate the conflict within approximately 85 hours. Without this resolution, the trajectory would have been uncertain—a fact many haven't fully appreciated."

These observations were shared at the India Defence Conclave 2025, organized by defense think-tank Bharat Shakti.

At the same event, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan mentioned that the Indian forces had gathered valuable insights from Operation Sindoor that should be incorporated into planned theaterisation models.

Following May's decisive operation, General Chauhan emphasized that India must develop "ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) and kinetic operation capabilities across the length and breadth of Pakistan," describing this as "the new normal."

This evolution would require enhanced operational readiness in air defense, counter-measures against unmanned aerial systems, and electronic warfare capabilities. "This level of preparedness should become our standard as it reflects the nature of warfare we anticipate facing," General Chauhan concluded.