“We have also [the previous day] reiterated that our fight was with terrorists and their support infrastructure. However, it is a pity that the Pakistan military chose to intervene and bat for the terrorists, which compelled us to respond in kind,” Air Marshal Bharti said.
He was addressing a joint press conference alongside DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai and DG Naval (Operations) Vice Admiral A.N. Pramod.
On claims made by Pakistan military’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Air Marshal Bharti said, “I would like to emphatically state that, in spite of some minor damage incurred, all our military bases and systems continue to remain fully operational, and ready to undertake any further missions, should the need so arise.”
He also spoke about the integrated air defence (AD) and said it helped foil Pakistan’s plans to target civilian and military targets.
“Robust AD system comprises a large variety of AD sensors, and weapon systems—from point defence weapons like the LLAD guns, shoulder-fired MANPADS and short-range SAMS, to area defence weapons like the AD fighter aircraft and longer range SAMs held in our inventory.
“Additionally, the numerous waves of drones and UCAVs employed by Pakistan were also thwarted by the indigenously developed soft and hard-kill counter-UAS systems and the well-trained Indian AD personnel. All this was brought together as an efficient and effective AD environment, by the Integrated Air Command & Control System (IACCS) of the lAF, which accords us Net-Centric Op capability,” he said.
The IAF officer also noted that while much has been said and written about the newer systems, older and battle-proven AD weapons like the Pechora, OSA-AK and the LLAD guns, performed excellently in countering Pakistani threat vectors in the latest flare-up.
Another highlight has been the stellar performance of indigenous AD weapons like the Akash system, he said.
Lt Gen Ghai said every single domain in which Op Sindoor was executed, there was total synergy between the three services.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
