Strategic Context
- Trigger: Operation Sindoor was launched in early May in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
- Nature: A limited but intense four-day conflict between India and Pakistan below the threshold of full-scale war.
- New Normal: Marked the shift from traditional manned warfare to autonomous drone-centric combat.
Relevance : GS 3(Defence ,Internal Security)
Key Features of Autonomous Warfare
- No Pilots Involved: Reliance on Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and loitering munitions.
- Autonomous Platforms: Use of AI-driven systems for target recognition, homing, and strike.
- Real-time ISR: Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance became continuous and dynamic through drones.
- Below-threshold Warfare: Allowed strategic strikes without escalating into nuclear or conventional war.
India’s Drone Strategy
- Pre-Strike ISR: TAPAS-BH-201 and Heron MK-II UAVs collected thermal and electronic intel deep in Pakistan.
- UAS Arsenal:
- Nagastra-1 loitering munitions (indigenous).
- Harop drones (Israeli-origin).
- Swarm drones for radar saturation and deception.
- Multi-phase Assault:
- Phase 1: Decoys and electronic warfare to exhaust SAMs.
- Phase 2: Loitering munitions for precision strikes.
- Quadcopters provided real-time ISR to the Army’s IBMS.
Key Indian Targets
- Ammunition depots, SAM batteries, radar sites, forward operating bases.
- Strategic psychological operation: Drone strike disrupted a cricket match in Rawalpindi.
- Destroyed a Chinese-supplied HQ-9 air defence system near Lahore.
Pakistan’s Counter Operation: Bunyan-um-Marsoos
- UAS Assets Used:
- Shahpar-II, Burraq drones (indigenous).
- Bayraktar TB2 (Turkish), CH-4, Wing Loong II (Chinese).
- CH-901 and WS-43 loitering munitions.
- Targets: Indian troop formations, air bases, radar sites across Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
- Outcome: Most attacks neutralized by India’s layered air defence network.
India’s Air Defence Response
- Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS):
- Fusion of ground, airborne, and satellite surveillance into a real-time C2 network.
- Proved resilient despite Pakistani attempts to overload or confuse it.
- Tactical Defence Layer: Akashteer System:
- Enabled rapid threat detection and response at the battlefield level.
- Low-Level Air Defence (LLAD):
- Upgraded vintage systems (Shilka, L/70, Pechora) with modern sensors.
- Supplemented by snipers and short-range air defence.
- Advanced Systems:
- Akash / Akash-NG (medium-range).
- Barak-8, SPYDER, and S-400 Triumf for strategic defence.
- Use of Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) like high-power lasers and microwaves.
Technological Evolution
- Swarm Technology: Radar confusion and defensive saturation.
- Electronic Decoys: Baiting air defences into wasting interceptors.
- Algorithmic Warfare: AI used to process ISR, select targets, and direct attacks.
Implications
- Shift in Deterrence Doctrine:
- Escalation without war—signalling power without triggering retaliation.
- Reduced Risk to Human Life:
- Achieved operational goals with zero pilot casualties.
- Information Warfare:
- Released intercepted footage and wreckage for psychological impact.
- Geopolitical Message:
- Demonstrated India’s autonomous warfare capability to regional and global adversaries.
Conclusion
- Operation Sindoor signals a paradigm shift in South Asian warfare.
- Autonomous, algorithm-driven systems are now central to deterrence.
- Future conflicts may begin with silent drones, not soldier charges.
