India didn't just win on battlefield, it nailed technology referendum during Operation Sindoor: US warfare expert

Washington: The rapid, multidomain military campaign Operation Sindoor not only dismantled cross-border terror networks but became a full-scale validation of India’s defence transformation, a leading American defence analyst said on Thursday. In his extensive analysis titled ‘India’s Operation Sindoor: A Battlefield Verdict on Chinese Weapons — And India’s Victory’, top urban warfare expert John Spencer reckoned that Operation Sindoor wasn’t just a military campaign but a technology demonstration, a market signal, and a strategic blueprint.

“India showed the world what self-reliance in modern warfare looks like — and proved that ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ works under fire,” Spencer wrote.

“Operation Sindoor pitted India’s indigenously developed weapons systems against Chinese-supplied platforms fielded by Pakistan. And India didn’t just win on the battlefield — it won the technology referendum. What unfolded was not just retaliation, but the strategic debut of a sovereign arsenal built under the twin doctrines of Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat,” he added. Spencer, currently the Chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute and a Co-Director of the Urban Warfare Project, stated that “Pakistan’s proxy dependency” was no match to “India’s sovereign power” during Operation Sindoor which demolished terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan after the heinous April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

“India fought as a sovereign power — wielding precision tools it designed, built, and deployed with unmatched battlefield control. Pakistan fought as a proxy force, dependent on Chinese hardware that was built for export, not for excellence. When challenged, these systems failed — exposing the strategic hollowness behind Islamabad’s defence posture,” Spencer wrote.

Spencer also detailed how India’s transformation into a modern defence power began in 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Make in India’ initiative. The goal, he said, was clear: reduce dependence on foreign arms imports and build a world-class domestic defence industry.

“The policy incentivized joint ventures, opened defence to foreign direct investment up to 74 per cent, and encouraged both public and private sector manufacturers to build sophisticated military hardware at home. Within a few years, systems like the BrahMos missile, K9 Vajra howitzer, and AK-203 rifle were being produced inside India—many with technology partnerships but increasing domestic control,” he stated.

Heaping praise on PM Modi, he highlighted how ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, or a self-reliant India, became a national security doctrine than just an economic policy following the combined shock of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Galwan Valley clash with China.

“India imposed phased bans on key defence imports, gave the armed forces emergency procurement powers, and poured investment into indigenous research, design, and production. By 2025, India had increased domestic content in defence procurement from 30 per cent to 65 per cent, with a goal of 90 per cent by the decade’s end,” he said.

India’s new doctrine, the leading expert reckons, was tested under fire on April 22 when Pakistan-backed militants killed 26 Indian civilians in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baisaran Valley. Spencer then goes on to explain in detail how India’s arsenal proved just too much for Pakistan.

Jointly developed with Russia and now largely manufactured in India, the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles was used to strike high-value targets like radar stations and hardened bunkers. (IANS)

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