In just four days, India’s Operation Sindoor ‘blinded, numbed, and paralysed’ Pakistan’s air power, causing a ‘five-year setback’ to the Pakistan Air Force.
India launched the operation in response to missile strikes on military targets. The Indian Air Force acted swiftly and precisely.
Top security sources told ANI the strikes crippled Pakistan’s radar and command systems. They also exposed flaws in Chinese and Turkish weapons.
India struck terror hubs in Bahawalpur and Muridke on the night of May 6–7. Pakistan fired missiles in retaliation. India’s layered air defence neutralised most of them.
Meanwhile, military observers were stunned by what followed.
On the night of May 9–10, Indian jets and missiles hit air bases across Pakistan. Targets included:
- Chaklala,
- Sargodha,
- Rahimyar Khan, and
- Karachi
India used air-launched cruise missiles, standoff weapons, and loitering munitions like Harop and Harpy.
‘Blinded & Numbed’
India’s first goal was to destroy Pakistan’s radar and air defence grid. The strikes knocked out key HQ-9 missile sites and radar near Lahore. This opened big gaps in Pakistan’s aerial surveillance.
“They were flying blind,” said a source. “Their air force had to stay deep inside their territory, afraid of the S-400 and Akash systems we placed along our borders.”
Turkish and Chinese drones launched by Pakistan faced strong Indian defence. Even older guns like L-70 and Zu-23 helped shoot down enemy drones.
By May 9, India targeted command and control centres at Chaklala, Murid, and Sargodha.
Rampage and SCALP missiles fired from Mirage, Rafale, Su-30, and MiG-29 aircraft hit with surgical precision. They broke communication between early-warning planes and ground control.
The strikes left the Pakistani air command in chaos. They could not assess the battlefield or detect incoming threats.
Subsequently, some PAF officers used civilian air corridors to hide their movements, a desperate move.
The Tipping Point
On May 10, around 1 AM, Pakistan launched missiles targeting Indian bases in Adampur, Gujarat, and Punjab.
India’s air defence intercepted most missiles. Some Pakistani missiles landed intact and were recovered by civilians for the Indian forces.
India’s final strikes hit deeper targets. At Bholari air base, a Saab 200 AEW&C aircraft and several Western jets were destroyed in a hangar.
Other bases had runway craters that stopped air operations for hours. AWACS and satellites monitored the strikes.
By dawn, Pakistan was scrambling. With its radar and command systems destroyed and air assets damaged, it sought a ceasefire with India.
In contrast, India’s forces showed a shift from restraint to proactive dominance. Air and ground forces worked together to change the game.
Sources say Operation Sindoor sent a strategic message. India showed it has the reach, will, and means to respond decisively.
Damage assessments are ongoing, but Pakistan’s Air Force lost five years of capability in hardware and morale.
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