One year after Operation Sindoor, forces revamp combat units, boosts air defence

Jaipur: A year after Operation Sindoor, the Indian Army is transforming its battle formations to make them more agile while the Indian Air Force will soon receive two more squadrons of S-400 air defence systems to further strengthen the air space, top military officials said here on Thursday.

The officials also note that China’s continuous military assistance is factored into the Indian security matrix.

They further assert that every terror camp in Pakistan is visible to the Indian forces and no sanctuaries are safe even if Islamabad shifts them deep inside the country.

Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, Air Marshal A K Bharti and Vice Admiral A N Pramod who were the director generals of military operations in their respective services during the last year's India-Pakistan conflict spoke to the media at the army’s South Western Command that looks after a part of the Western front. 

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also addressed a Joint Commanders Conference.

Responding to queries, Lt Gen Ghai said critical  transformation in the armoured corps, mechanised infantry and aviation cops were at an “advanced stage of deliberation” and would be implemented.

This comes after the army carried out a series of such transformations in the infantry and artillery regiments to create Bhairav battalions, Ashni platoons, Divyastra batteries and Shaktiban regiments to tackle the emerging threats.

Asked about securing the air space, Air Marshal Bharti said the fourth squadron of S-400 would come by next month and the fifth one by the year end, strengthening the air defence system.The Defence Ministry has recently approved the purchase of five additional squadrons of S-400 that as per Air Marshal Bharti, is a “work in progress”. 

On China-Pakistan collusion, Lt Gen Ghai said, “Pakistan and China, in their own words, have a relationship that is deeper than the seas, higher than the mountains. Pakistan has 80% of its military equipment of Chinese origin. It's not something which is in our control.”

“More importantly, the niche platforms, whether it is ships, aircraft or submarines, are being given. China has already announced that in the next two years, 40-odd J-35s are going to Pakistan,” Vice Admiral A N Pramod said.

“We take China's assistance to Pak into our military calculus in space-based assets, intelligence sharing, cyber support and arms”, he said. 

China has launched four Pakistani satellites in the last 15 months and plans to launch another four by 2026. 

Also during Operation Sindoor, the communist country helped Islamabad by sharing the real time satellite images of Indian troops and equipment positions.

On India’s future space plans, Lt Gen Zubin Minwalla from Integrated Defence Staff said the Indian military would soon be operating ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) and communication satellites.