Operation Sindoor: India heightens security across all fronts amid concerns of Pakistan's retaliation

After India armed forces on early Wednesday (May 7) struck nine terror sites as part of Operation Sindoor, India has bolstered its defenses in the land, air and sea domains with a response from Pakistan likely.

The multi-layered air defence network is fully activated, several frontline warships are deployed in the Arabian Sea, and infantry units along the frontier are fully stocked and prepared to deal with any contingency.

In the backdrop of combat air patrols being conducted by IAF fighter planes, even the tri-Service Strategic Forces Command, responsible for the country's nuclear weapons stockpile, has been placed on high alert as a precautionary measure.

"India has demonstrated considerable restraint in its response. However, it must be said that Indian armed forces are fully prepared to respond to Pakistani misadventures, if any, that will escalate the situation," warned Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, a helicopter pilot, at the briefing by foreign secretary Vikram Misri.

The sentiment in military-diplomatic ranks, though, is that General Asim Munir, who only a week ago warned a 'swift and notched-up response' against any Indian 'military misadventure', has no option but to militarily respond to rally everyone around him in his beleaguered country. "There will be great pressure on him to authorise some kind of a response," a senior officer was quoted saying to The Times of India.

Pakistan had managed to surprise India with its 'Operation Swift Retort', a day after the IAF carried out the Balakot pre-dawn air hits on Feb 26, 2019, in retaliation against the Pulwama terror strike in which 40 CRPF jawans lost their lives.

"Lessons have been learnt. It will not be so easy this time. The armed forces have been preparing for the last 15 days and will not let their guard down," another officer was quoted saying to The Times of India, while acknowledging that a large country like India simply cannot make its airspace totally impregnable.

The armed forces, for their part, have inducted a number of new weapon systems since Balakot in 2019. The Russian-origin S-400 surface-to-air missile systems, capable of detecting and destroying enemy strategic bombers, fighters, missiles and drones at a distance of 380-km, for example, are now integrated into the IAF's integrated air command and control system (IACCS).

At the other end of the spectrum, there are the older Igla-1M air defence systems and the newer shoulder-fired Igla-S missiles with an interception range of up to 6kms.

Between them, there are the Israeli-origin Barak-8 medium range surface-to-air missile systems (70-km range), the indigenous Akash air defence missile systems (25-km) and the Israeli low-level Spyder quick-reaction anti-aircraft missiles (15-km).

Most of them are connected to the fully computerised IACCS network, integrating a diverse array of sensors and weapons. Over the years, IACCS has been steadily augmented to consolidate the broad spectrum of military radar with civil radar. The air-based Netra and Phalcon airborne early-warning and control (AEW&C) planes besides ground radars are all linked to the system.