Very few operations have had the layered impact that Operation Sindoor has achieved in just a matter of days. What began as a decisive anti-terror offensive by Bharat’s armed forces has turned into a full-blown geopolitical shockwave one that has shattered Pakistan’s military morale, shredded China’s defence export credibility, and sent Washington’s war industry think tanks back to the drawing board.
Operation Sindoor was not announced with fanfare. It was swift, precise, and devastating. Triggered by actionable intelligence regarding the resurgence of cross-border terrorism, Bharat unleashed a series of surgical strikes deep into Pakistani territory, neutralising nine major terror camps with over 500 terrorists eliminated in the first phase alone.
But what followed next wasn’t just a mop-up mission—it was an unprecedented aerial and electronic counteroffensive, one that obliterated critical Pakistani military assets and, in the process, exposed the hollowness of China’s much-touted defence technology.
In the span of days, Indian forces achieved:
- The destruction of 11 Pakistani airbases, either completely disabled or rendered non-operational.
- Neutralisation of over 500 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)—including Chinese CH-series drones and Turkish Bayraktar TB2s.
- Downing of six frontline jets, including Chinese JF-17s and J-10Cs, and American-supplied F-16s.
- Crippling of Pakistan’s layered air defence network, including Chinese LY-80, HQ-9P, FN-6, and PL-15 systems.
- Widespread jamming and cyber-disruption of command-and-control systems in Rawalpindi and Karachi.
This wasn’t just an Indian response to terror. It was a controlled demolition of Pakistan’s military backbone—an infrastructure that China spent years building and promoting as combat-ready.
China’s ‘Made-in-PRC’ mirage collapses
For years, Beijing has tried to position itself as a credible alternative to US, Russian, and European arms suppliers. Pakistan, hungry for weaponry and isolated globally, became China’s testing lab and dumping ground. In just the last six years, China has supplied Pakistan with:
- JF-17 Thunder multirole fighters
- J-10C air superiority jets
- LY-80 (HQ-16) and HQ-9P surface-to-air missile systems
- PL-series air-to-air missiles
- FN-6 man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS)
- Wing Loong, CH-4, and other armed drones
But Operation Sindoor exposed these platforms as tactically weak, technologically inferior, and strategically overhyped. Indian missiles—both Russian-supplied (S-400) and indigenously developed (Akash)—shot down Chinese jets and drones with ruthless precision.
Bharat’s Tejas, Su-30MKI, and Rafale fighters dominated the skies while Israeli-origin kamikaze drones, Rustoms, and Netra surveillance systems conducted deep-strike reconnaissance and live battlefield targeting. Beijing’s embarrassment is now global.
At 0400 hours, when the first wave of Indian drones and fighter jets sliced into Pakistani airspace, nine terror training camps—long suspected hubs for launching jihadist attacks into Jammu and Kashmir were flattened. These camps were no ordinary targets. They were deeply embedded and guarded, often with Chinese-made radar and drone surveillance systems. Within hours:
- Hundreds of terrorists, trainers, and logistical staff were eliminated.
- Real-time footage from Israeli-origin drones like Heron and Netra confirmed direct hits on high-value targets.
- Pakistani defence command scrambled but failed to mount any credible defence.
This wasn’t a symbolic strike like Balakot. This was a full-scale degradation of Pakistan’s terror-industrial complex.
The Fallout: China’s Global Arms Market in Freefall
Bharat’s dismantling of Pakistan’s Chinese defence architecture has sent shockwaves through international defence markets, particularly in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia—regions where Beijing has aggressively pushed its arms exports.
Here’s a look at the growing global rejections of Chinese military hardware post-Sindoor:
- Turkey walked away from the HQ-9 air defence deal.
- Argentina shelved plans to buy JF-17s.
- Malaysia formally declined the JF-17 platform, citing poor performance.
- Myanmar cancelled its JF-17 procurement.
- Nigeria rejected Chengdu F-7s, citing quality issues.
- Thailand, after receiving a naval ship without ammunition, scrapped future deals.
- Indonesia pivoted from Chinese missile systems to Bharat’s BrahMos.
- Bangladesh and Pakistan themselves now report logistical and performance failures.
- Several African nations are actively reviewing or rejecting Chinese deals.
What was once promoted as a “cost-effective alternative” to Western arms is now viewed as insecure, unreliable, and combat-deficient.
America watches closely, but uncomfortably
The United States, too, is watching the fallout nervously. Its long-time strategy of keeping South Asia “militarily simmering” for defence market gains has been disrupted. Pakistan’s American-supplied F-16s once seen as game-changers were neutralised with surgical precision. Moreover, Bharat’s ability to integrate Russian, Israeli, and indigenous systems has created a non-NATO model of modern warfare that is more cost-effective and field-tested.
Washington’s war economy thrives on prolonged conflicts, not quick resolutions. Operation Sindoor was over before the media echo chamber could even spin up. No war fatigue, no arms replenishment orders, no “protracted engagement” dollars.
China’s toolkit in meltdown mode
Desperate to save face, Chinese media proxies and cyber influence units have launched a smear campaign against Bharat’s leadership and defence ecosystem. They aim to:
- Undermine Bharat’s technological edge
- Question the effectiveness of its indigenous systems
- Promote narratives calling for escalation to give Beijing time to rearm Pakistan and rescue its brand
But it’s not working.
The global arms industry, independent observers, and military analysts are now openly questioning the viability of Chinese systems in real conflict. Bharat didn’t just shoot down jets; it shot down narratives.
Pakistan has no sovereignty in defence policy. It is a rented war lab for China and, previously, for the US. Every fighter jet, drone, and missile system it fields is either subsidised, gifted, or strategically dumped by foreign partners. In return, Pakistan offers its geography, terror infrastructure, and perpetual instability.
But Bharat’s Operation Sindoor has now made that war economy unviable. China can’t export what gets destroyed in real combat. The US can’t justify more funding for a client state that can’t defend its own skies.
Operation Sindoor is more than a military success. It is a blueprint for how a sovereign nation can crush terror, dismantle external manipulation, and redefine global defence narratives without falling into the trap of a prolonged war.
(The story is based on the twitter thread on Deepdownanalysis)
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