During a media briefing on Monday, Air Marshal AK Bharti stated that India’s battle was against terrorists and it was a pity that Pakistan decided to interfere. This occurs two days following the agreement of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
On May 7, India initiated Operation Sindoor, aiming at nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as a response to the Pahalgam terror strike on April 22.
“It is a pity that the Pakistani military chose to intervene and that for terrorists, and hence we chose to respond,” he said.
Reflecting on Operation Sindoor and India’s interception and neutralization of Pakistani aerial attacks, he noted that India’s proven systems have endured effectively over time.
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Exceptional performance of Akash system highlight of Op Sindoor
He added that the exceptional performance of the indigenous air defense system, the Akash system, has been another highlight. According to Air Marshal AK Bharti, the assembly and implementation of the effective AD environment has only been feasible due to financial and policy backing from the Indian government over the past ten years.
He mentioned that various waves of drones and unmanned combat aerial vehicles used by Pakistan were likewise intercepted by the locally developed soft and hard-kill counter-UAS systems along with the proficient Indian Air Defence forces.
Air Marshal AK Bharti also stated that every one of our military bases and systems remains completely operational and prepared to carry out any future missions if necessary.
Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai stated that the character of terrorists has evolved over recent years. “Over the past few years, the character of terrorist activities has changed. Innocent civilians were being attacked….’Pahalgam tak paap ka ye ghada bhar chuka tha,'” he remarked.
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DGMO Rajiv Ghai’s cricket reference for defence system
Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the Indian Army, referenced Australian cricketers Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee to illustrate the renowned Air Defence system during a briefing on Operation Sindoor.
“Targeting our airfields and logistics is way too tough… I saw that Virat Kohli has just retired from test cricket; he is one of my favourites. In the 1970s, during the Ashes between Australia and England, two Australian bowlers destroyed the batting lineup of England, and then Australia gave a proverb – ‘Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, if Thommo doesn’t get ya, Lillee must’, If you examine the layers, you will understand what I am attempting to convey. Even if you passed through all the levels, one layer of this grid system will strike you,” he stated.
