India’s military leadership on Thursday said it was ready to tackle a fresh threat of Chinese-origin missiles from Pakistan and reiterated ‘no terror sanctuary’ is safe in Pakistan, while ruling out a third country’s interference in brokering peace between the two neighbours.
The military leadership, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, Air Marshal AK Bharti and Vice Admiral AN Pramod, who were leading the military operations against Pakistan last year during Operation Sindoor in May, emphasised that Pakistan could not damage any military or civilian infrastructure of India during the skirmish (May 7-10, 2025).
On fresh threats from newer Chinese-origin missiles being tested by Pakistan, Air Marshal Bharti said: “We are continuously doing a scan… to always be ahead of their capabilities”.
Two units of the Russian-origin S-400 air defence missile system are expected to be inducted this year, with one likely to be inducted this month. IAF operates three such systems and two coming in are from an existing order.
On the destruction inside Pakistan during operation Sindoor, Air Marshal Bharti said, “Eleven air bases of Pakistan Air Force were hit, and 13 planes were destroyed during the skirmish, forcing it to call for cessation of hostilities. He advised Pakistan, “A narrative and rhetoric don’t give you a victory”.
Ghai added, “Pakistan lost 100 soldiers. We have given out hard facts of military losses to Pakistan with irrefutable pictures and videos; show us one piece of evidence Pakistan has given about its claims”. The three officers were addressing a press conference at Jaipur on the sidelines of the joint commanders’ conference. Lt Gen Zubin Minwala, the Deputy Chief in the tri-services integrated defence staff (IDS).
On terror infrastructure, Gen Ghai added, “We’ve identified terror launch pads, terror camps, terror infrastructure across the Line of Control (LoC)…no sanctuary across the LoC is safe”. The nature and numbers in these terror camps may keep fluctuating. Some of these camps and launch pads have moved further in depth, where they feel that they will be safer. “ No sanctuary is safe,” Gen Ghai warned.
On the Navy’s role in last year’s skirmish, Vice Admiral Pramod said indigenous ships like the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, the Kolkata and Visakhapatnam class destroyers validated the Indian Navy’s investment in indigenous capability and readiness. “If challenged again, we will not merely respond, we’ll shape the battle space from the outset…" he added.
On being asked about Turkiye, China or Pakistan colluding as they did during last year’s skirmish, General Ghai shrugged off the teaming saying, “Look, you play against the team that turns up on the park. So that’s not something that should worry us so much. It’s not something which is in our control… India and its armed forces are all on the path to meeting these challenges”.
Post Operation Sindoor, there is an ongoing transformation that includes new weapons, missiles, upgrades of air defence systems and networks across traditional and next generation warfare. Gen Ghai said Operation Sindoor was a defining moment in India’s strategic journey. “It played out in clockwork. It is the gold standard of operations.”
Air Marshal Bharti said Operation Sindoor reaffirmed the primacy of air power – means everything travelling through the air, planes, missiles, UAV’s and helicopters.
