Former Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra, who led the Western Air Command during Operation Sindoor, has revealed new details about India’s military response to Pakistan in May 2025.
Mishra said India’s S-400 air defence system became a major challenge for Pakistan during the conflict. According to him, Pakistan was desperate to locate the S-400 systems and even activated spies and sleeper cells inside India to gather information about their positions.
He said the S-400 kept Pakistani fighter aircraft at a distance and also helped India counter airborne surveillance platforms. Mishra claimed that one Pakistani airborne radar aircraft was intercepted at a distance of around 314 km. According to Mishra, Indian forces first targeted Pakistan’s ground-based radars and command centres, weakening its ability to detect and coordinate air operations. India later struck several Pakistani military bases, after which Pakistan sought a ceasefire on May 10.
Mishra also said the armed forces had full operational freedom during Operation Sindoor, with the government directing them to avoid civilian casualties and focus only on terrorists and their handlers. He further revealed that women fighter pilots played an important role in the operation, carrying out multiple combat missions against terrorist facilities and Pakistani military targets.
