Op Sindoor reality check for India's preparedness; must adapt to future warfare needs: Defence Secy

Pune, Sep 12 (PTI) Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Friday described Operation Sindoor, which saw the armed forces target terror infrastructure in Pakistan, as a "reality check" that highlighted areas where India can improve and adapt to the changing requirements of future warfare.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the Synergy of Technology, Research & Defence Ecosystem (STRIDE-2025) seminar organised by the Southern Command, Singh said the global geopolitical environment has renewed focus on defence and hard power, and India is no exception.

"I think it is pretty clear in the context of the current geopolitical situation that most countries are paying a lot of attention to defence and hard power. Given our neighbourhood, India is no exception. We just had this experience with Operation Sindoor, which in some ways was a reality check for us — in terms of where we can do better and where we need to adapt to the changing needs of future warfare," he said.

Referring to the evolving threat posed by drones and unmanned systems, Singh said specific capability areas have been identified to strengthen the defence manufacturing ecosystem.

"In the context of Operation Sindoor, certain capability gaps were noticed. These include electronic warfare, counter-unmanned systems, a stronger manufacturing base for military-grade drones that can survive in GPS-denied and contested environments, and various types of low-level radars," he said.

Singh hailed the Mission Sudarshan Chakra initiative mooted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said the mission will incorporate both defensive and offensive elements.

"We already have a fairly strong multi-layered air defence system, which worked very well during Operation Sindoor. We did not suffer any major losses or casualties despite repeated attempts using drones and missiles to penetrate the system. But India has a large landmass, and we must ensure that all critical infrastructure, population centres and industries are covered," he said.

He further said that adequate attention is being given to the preparation of the Sudarshan Chakra mission. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), along with its chairman and a dedicated committee, has been tasked with preparing a detailed project report to address any gaps in the air defence system.

Asked about the ongoing tariff tensions with the United States and their impact on bilateral defence projects, Singh said there has been no spillover effect.

"I think those trade tensions are easing now. We have resumed negotiations with them, and hopefully, they will be successful. Our defence collaboration and talks have continued even during that period of what you described as tensions. We have held delegation-level talks, 2+2 discussions, and those engagements are ongoing," he said.

Singh said deliveries of engines from General Electric for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas were on schedule.

"We had two engines already delivered, and a third one was delivered yesterday. They have given us a schedule, and they seem to be making their best effort to adhere to it," he said. PTI SPK ARU