China’s real-time intelligence support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor cannot be established: Former CDS Anil Chauhan

Former Chief of Defence Anil Chauhan said that it could not be established whether China provided Pakistan with real-time intelligence during Operation Sindoor, suggesting that such assessments are in the realm of "speculation". He said that, though it had access to commercial satellite imagery, including that from Chinese Satellite companies. Chauhan made those comments at a lecture at the Vivekananda International Foundation in New Delhi on Monday.

Chauhan drew a distinction between three forms of Chinese assistance- providing Chinese-origin military equipment, commercial satellite imagery and transmission of real-time information through a secure channel. He did not rule out that Pakistan might have access to such information, but there was no way for India to establish what might have happened. But he cautioned that having access to Chinese commercial imagery is not proof of Chinese intelligence support.

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He also added that commercial satellite imagery is available to anyone, and is provided by both US and Chinese companies. However, obtaining it is subject to contracts, payments and waiting periods.

“Commercial satellite facilities are available from a number of US companies, and similarly today there are a number of Chinese companies also in the field which provide you commercial images,” said Anil Chauhan.

Last year, Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Rahul R. Singh had alleged that Pakistan had access to real-time intelligence about Indian assets from China.

“When DGMO-level talks were going on, Pakistan was actually mentioning that we know your important vector is primed, and it is ready for action…He was getting live inputs from China,” Singh had said.

"But the fact is that they're not able to hit targets. They did, of course, try," General Chauhan said.

"I think Pakistan felt that when I said that they were blind and you know they did not know the results of their strikes," the former CDS said. “They were actually after the 10th also, till about the 12th; they were trying their best to obtain images so that they have some evidence of some target with their head.” Chauhan said that since they failed to hit anything so they did not have any evidence .