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Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said the operation provided valuable insights into areas where India’s defence systems must improve
Army jawans petroll along the line of control (LoC) in Uri sector of Baramulla District of North. (PTI file photo)
Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Friday said that Operation Sindoor, which targeted and destroyed terror bases in Pakistan, served as a “reality check” for the Indian Armed Forces, exposing certain capability gaps that need urgent attention.
Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the Southern Command Defence Tech Seminar (STRIDE 2025) in Pune, Singh said the operation provided valuable insights into areas where India’s defence systems must improve.
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“Certain capability gaps were noticed,” he said, “those include areas like electronic warfare, counter-unmanned systems, better manufacturing ecosystem for military-grade drones.”
Singh highlighted that some of the gaps included weaknesses in operating in GPS-denied environments and the need for low-level radars to enhance detection capabilities.
“Various types of low-level radars as well. So yeah, we had some areas where we thought that we needed to beef up our capabilities,” he added.
The Defence Secretary noted that current geopolitical tensions have pushed most nations to focus again on hard power and defence preparedness.
“Given our neighborhood, India is no exception, and we’ve just had this experience with Operation Sindoor, which was in some ways a reality check for us in terms of where we can do better, where we need to adapt to changing needs for future warfare,” Singh said.
Singh explained that while short-term measures such as emergency procurement rules help plug immediate needs, the long-term strategy remains focused on indigenisation.
“There is a trade-off in the short term,” Singh said, “but in the long run, we are very clear that even if for a short time we buy some or provide for some of our inventory from, say, global buyers, in the long term, the intent is to go fully indigenous for all of these capabilities.”
He added that collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will be key to developing home-grown solutions. One such push has been to ensure at least 75% of defence spending stays within India. In 2024, that figure reached 88%, Singh said.
Despite the challenges, he highlighted the success of India’s multi-layered air defence system during the operation. “I don’t think we suffered any major losses or casualties despite repeated attempts through drones and missiles to penetrate the system,” he said.
(With inputs from ANI)
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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
September 12, 2025, 16:04 IST
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