Operation Sindoor: How India delivered devastating blow to Pakistan’s air defence with dummy jets, BrahMos missiles | India News

NEW DELHI: In one of the daring and technologically superior operations, the Indian Air Force (IAF) used BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to devastating impact throughout retaliatory strikes on Pakistani airbases in Round 2 of Operation Sindoor on May 10. According to sources quoted by ANI, roughly 15 BrahMos missiles have been launched in precision assaults that focused vital infrastructure throughout 11 of 12 key Pakistani Air Force bases, successfully paralysing its air defence and strike capabilities.The missile strikes got here as a part of Round 2 of India’s counter-offensive following the phobia assault in Pahalgam on April 22, which was carried out by Pakistan-backed teams. On the evening of May 9–10, as Pakistan tried to goal civilian and navy infrastructures in India, New Delhi escalated navy response beneath the broader Operation Sindoor with the BrahMos missiles spearheading the IAF’s multi-layered assault technique.“This was the first time the BrahMos missile system was used in an active conflict,” sources within the defence institution instructed ANI. “Its performance exceeded expectations, delivering high-precision strikes that crippled key Pakistani air assets and defence networks,” they mentioned.The IAF’s plan started with the launch of dummy plane, designed to simulate an incoming fighter menace. This decoy tactic prompted Pakistan to activate its radar and air defence methods, together with the HQ-9 missile batteries. Once these methods have been uncovered, Indian forces launched loitering munitions, such because the Israeli Harop drones, to neutralise the air defence grid.With the Pakistani radar community compromised, the IAF then adopted up with long-range precision strikes. The BrahMos cruise missiles, alongside Scalp, Crystal Maze, and Rampage munitions, have been used to devastating impact. These have been launched from fighter plane working beneath the Western and Southwestern Air Commands.“The BrahMos missiles played a central role in disabling runways, hardened shelters, and command centers, significantly degrading the Pakistan Air Force’s ability to launch counter-operations,” ANI reported, citing a number of defence sources.The aftermath of the strike pressured the Pakistani navy to relocate a lot of its plane to rear bases and reportedly resulted within the lack of a number of high-value property, together with long-endurance UAVs and an airborne early warning system destroyed in a hangar in Sindh province.According to ANI, the depth of the BrahMos-led strikes pressured Pakistan to abandon its plans for additional retaliation. In a telling signal of the harm inflicted, Pakistan urgently sought a Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) stage assembly to suggest a pause in hostilities and discover an understanding with India.The operational use of BrahMos on this battle marks a historic milestone for India’s missile capabilities. Developed collectively by India and Russia, the BrahMos is understood for its Mach 2.8 velocity, precision strike capabilities, and flexibility throughout land, sea, and air platforms.“This operation has not only validated the BrahMos missile’s deterrent value but also demonstrated its potency as a first-strike option in modern warfare,” a senior defence official instructed ANI.