Bengaluru: Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh on Saturday said the success of Operation Sindoor was driven by “political will, clear directions, and no restrictions” from the country’s leadership, rejecting suggestions that the mission was hindered by political constraints.
His remarks came after Captain Shiv Kumar, India’s defence attaché to Indonesia, claimed at a seminar earlier this month that the IAF had lost some fighter jets during the operation due to “constraints” imposed by political leaders.
“There was political will, clear directions given to us, and there were no restrictions,” Singh said, stressing that if there were any limitations, they were “self-imposed”. He added, “We had full freedom to plan and execute. Our attacks were calibrated because we wanted to be mature about it… There was synchronisation between the three forces.”
Detailing the operational gains, Singh revealed that India’s air defence systems destroyed five Pakistani fighter jets and an AEW&C/ELINT surveillance aircraft during the offensive. He also said parked F-16s were destroyed in Jacobabad, and the AEW&C was shot down over Bholari.
The IAF chief defended the decision to pause the operation despite calls to prolong the offensive. “We cannot afford to be continuously at war… Once objectives were achieved, we were in a mode of deterrence, and the higher-level decision was to stop — we were part of it,” he said.
Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, was India’s retaliatory strike following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. The mission targeted nine terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, delivering what Singh described as a “synchronised and mature” military response.
