OPERATION SINDOOR

Anatomy of a Multi-Domain Conflict & Technological Asymmetry

100%

Indian Interception Rate

India's 'Sudarshan Chakra' shield successfully neutralized all incoming Pakistani missile and drone threats.

ZERO

Successful Pakistani Interceptions

The Chinese-made HQ-9 based air defense system failed to stop a single Indian precision munition.

4 DAYS

Duration of Conflict

A swift, high-intensity operation from May 7-10, 2025, that reshaped regional deterrence.

THE TWO SHIELDS

The conflict's outcome was decided by the vast difference in the design, integration, and technology of the two nations' air defense networks. India's was a deeply integrated, multi-layered fortress; Pakistan's, a porous and ineffective wall.

🇮🇳 INDIA: The 'Sudarshan Chakra' Shield

Central Nervous System: IACCS

The indigenous Integrated Air Command & Control System fused all sensor data into one picture, assigning the best weapon to each threat.

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Outer Ring: S-400 Triumf (400km)

Engaged long-range missiles & aircraft, providing the first line of defense and deep monitoring of enemy airspace.

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Core Defense: MR-SAM & Akash (45-100km)

A dense, cost-effective mix of Indo-Israeli and indigenous systems defeated saturation attacks on key assets.

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Offensive-Defense: IAF Fighters

Rafale and Su-30MKI jets established air superiority and actively suppressed enemy air defenses (SEAD).

🇵🇰 PAKISTAN: The Porous Shield

Core System: CLIAD

The Comprehensive Layered Integrated Air Defence system, centered on Chinese tech, proved fragmented and ineffective.

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Primary Defender: HQ-9 SAM

This flagship Chinese system was blinded by Indian EW and bypassed by modern cruise missiles. It was unable to defend itself, with one battery destroyed by a loitering munition.

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Hardware Failure

The entire network collapsed, failing to intercept any incoming threats. A total system failure from technology to operator.

TECHNOLOGY SHOWDOWN

S-400 TRIUMF vs HQ-9B

The performance gap between the Russian-made S-400 and the Chinese-made HQ-9B was a decisive factor. The data below illustrates the vast technical superiority of the system chosen by India.

THE 'MADE IN CHINA' LIABILITY

The conflict provided a rare and damning dataset on the combat effectiveness of Chinese export-grade weaponry, validating years of anecdotal reports from other client states.

UCAV Unreliability

Pakistan's fleet of Chinese-made drones, including the Wing Loong and CH-4, suffered from a litany of well-documented, mission-critical failures.

  • ✖ GPS Failures: Rendered navigation and targeting unreliable.
  • ✖ SATCOM Link Drops: Lost connection for beyond-line-of-sight operations.
  • ✖ Sensor Malfunctions: EO/IR camera and SAR pods failed repeatedly.
  • ✖ Poor Support: Compounded by substandard spare parts and incompetent maintenance teams.

JF-17 Thunder Outmatched

The workhorse of the Pakistan Air Force was unable to contest Indian air superiority or prevent deep-penetration strikes by the more advanced Rafale fighters.

  • ✔Contested Claim: PAF claimed a successful strike on an S-400.
  • ✖ Decisively Rebutted: India publicly displayed the fully operational S-400 unit, nullifying the claim.
  • ✖ Failed to Defend: Could not establish an effective defensive screen against Indian strike packages.