US Can Learn From India’s ‘Make In India’ Defence Model, Says Top Urban Warfare Experts

Top US defence experts have praised India’s recent success in Operation Sindoor, urging Washington to draw lessons from New Delhi’s rapid military and industrial transformation.

In a detailed report published in the Small Wars Journal (SWJ), analysts John Spencer and Vincent Viola emphasised the importance of speed, self-reliance, and technological precision in modern warfare — attributes they say India has mastered.

Operation Sindoor Showcased India’s Military Precision

In their article titled ‘India’s Wake-Up Call: Why US Defence Reform Must Match the Speed of Modern War’, Spencer and Viola highlighted India’s swift and effective response to a cross-border terrorist attack.

They described Operation Sindoor as more than just a successful counter-strike; it marked a strategic inflexion point for India’s defence posture.

In just four days, India deployed domestically developed weapons systems to strike fortified enemy targets with precision and overwhelming impact. The analysts noted that India achieved this without relying on US systems or foreign supply chains.

Instead, India utilised indigenous systems such as BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, the Akashteer AI-integrated air defence system, and long-range loitering munitions.

India Becomes a Model for Modern Military Reform

The experts called India a ‘compelling model’ for defence reform, stating that it has become ‘a master of the physics of lethality’.

They emphasised that India’s success came through decade-long investments under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, launched in 2014 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Spencer and Viola noted that this initiative has significantly boosted India’s defence manufacturing capabilities.

From sourcing only 30% of its defence capital domestically in the past, India has now reached 65% domestic sourcing, aiming for 90% by 2030.

The country also raised capital outlays from $6 billion in 2019–2020 to nearly $20 billion in 2023–24.

The report pointed out that Pakistan, which depends heavily on Chinese weapon systems, was unable to counter India’s strikes.

The experts stated that Pakistan’s Chinese-made air defence failed to detect or deter India’s attacks, showcasing India’s military superiority over a Chinese-aligned adversary.

“India didn’t just win,” they wrote. “It demonstrated overwhelming military superiority.”

US Urged to Adopt Rapid Reform and Ground-Level Learning

Spencer and Viola stressed that the US needs an urgent overhaul of its defence ecosystem, warning that future wars will be won not by the slow and bureaucratic, but by those who can ‘build faster, think smarter, and fight harder’.

They urged the Pentagon to replicate India’s pace in reform and deployment.

To do this, they recommended creating permanent, deployable learning teams embedded in combat zones, drone labs, and logistics hubs, rather than relying on after-action reports or media coverage.

These teams should directly capture real-time battlefield insights from places like Ukraine and India.

In conclusion, the analysts called India’s military strategy during Operation Sindoor a wake-up call for the US defence establishment.

They praised India’s ability to combine indigenous manufacturing, policy reform, and operational excellence, and urged the US to adopt similar measures to remain dominant on the global stage.

“India didn’t just talk about reform. It executed it. And it won,” they wrote emphatically.

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