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Operation Sindoor
India's Operation Sindoor, conducted in the early hours of Wednesday, delivered a big blow to terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), with precision missile strikes reaching targets as deep as Bahawalpur and Muridke. The undetected and unopposed strikes, however, also revealed a critical failure of Pakistan’s Chinese-manufactured HQ-9 air defence system.
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How India made the operation successful?
These strikes were in retaliation to the Pahalgam attack, where 26 civilians and security personnel were killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists. The Indian Air Force used Rafale fighter jets to launch SCALP cruise missiles, targeting high-value terror camps in Bahawalpur, Muridke, Muzaffarabad, and Kotli—some as deep as 100 km inside Pakistan.
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How Indian missiles traversed Pakistani airspace?
What made the operation particularly significant was the complete absence of resistance from Pakistan air defence systems. The Indian missiles traversed Pakistani airspace undetected, not only highlighting a systemic failure in radar coverage, missile interception capabilities, but also response protocols. The incident has not only embarrassed Pakistan’s military establishment but also cast a shadow over the much-touted capabilities of the Chinese-supplied HQ-9 system, which often forms a cornerstone of Pakistan’s air defence architecture.
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What is Pak's HQ-9 air defence system?
Pakistan’s HQ-9 air defence system, which was supplied by China, has often been likened to the Russian S-300. The LY-80 (HQ-16) systems and electronic jammers were similarly ineffective, evidently.
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How HQ-9 failed?
But, one wonders, how was it possible? The SCALP missile, which has a range of over 500 km, uses stealth coating, terrain-following flight paths, as well as a low radar cross-section, making it difficult for radar systems to detect. On top of it, India's use of midnight timing and a nationwide civil defence drill added the element of surprise for the country.
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Jaish, LeT camps hit
Key camps linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba were destroyed. What's interesting is the fact that this is the second time Indian precision weaponry has revealed flaws in these Chinese-made air defence systems after Balakot airstrikes in 2019. Despite years of upgrades, Pakistan’s integrated air defence collapsed under real combat conditions.