In a quick retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed, India on Wednesday initiated Operation Sindoor, a coordinated military operation against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operation, which was called ‘focused, measured, and non-escalatory in nature’, was meant to neutralize the main Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) establishments.
Nine such important sites were specifically targeted in the operation, such as JeM headquarters at Bahawalpur and LeT’s headquarters at Muridke, which have long been associated with the plotting of cross-border terrorism. Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force carried out the strike collectively using real-time information and cutting-edge precision-guided weapons, with the utmost care not to engage with Pakistani military bases.
SCALP, HAMMER, and Loitering Munitions
India employed a range of long-range, high-precision weapons to execute the attacks. These included the SCALP cruise missile, the HAMMER precision-guided bomb, and loitering munitions.
Storm Shadow, or SCALP, is an air-to-ground cruise missile that targets fixed, valuable installations such as bunkers and strategic infrastructure located deep within adversary territory. Weighing some 1,300 kg and produced by MBDA, it is normally dropped from Rafale fighter aircraft but has been utilized in Iraq, Libya, and Syria in the past and exported to Ukraine to facilitate deep bombing behind Russian front lines.
The HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range), designed by France-based Safran Electronics & Defense, is an air-to-ground missile system extremely agile. With its modular sets of guidance mechanisms incorporating GPS, infrared, and laser designation, it’s ideal for neutralizing immobile as well as dynamic targets.Because the HAMMER was employed against medium-range dynamic targets in Operation Sindoor, tactical complexity was brought into the operation.
Loitering weapons, or ‘kamikaze drones’, were utilized to perform surveillance and precision strikes. These unmanned aerial vehicles loitered over probable targets and could attack targets automatically or under remote control.
By integrating SCALP for deep, fixed-range targets and HAMMER for mobile, changing sites, India provided for accurate and deep penetration strikes into Pakistan. The operation succeeded in its objectives without incurring ground troops or triggering a wider military escalation.
As the situation unfolds, defence officials remain observant of the consequences of the strikes. The Indian government has reaffirmed its strong commitment towards counterterrorism while maintaining operational restraint to prevent further regional instability.
