Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh has urged the global community to take note of India’s approach to initiating and terminating limited military operations, saying that prolonged wars today reflect a failure to plan for conflict termination. Speaking about Operation Sindoor, Singh argued that avoiding protracted warfare should be a key lesson for nations embroiled in long-running conflicts.
‘No One Thinking About Conflict Termination’: IAF Chief AP Singh
“The main wars that are going on today, be it Russia–Ukraine or the Israel war — they are going on, years have passed, because no one is thinking about conflict termination,” Singh told ANI. He stressed that when the objectives of a military action have been met, continuing the campaign only imposes heavier costs on a country’s economy, preparedness and development. “Yes, they were on the back foot, no doubt, but what were our objectives? Our objective was anti-terrorism. We had to strike them. We had done that. So if our objectives have been met, then why should we not terminate a conflict? Why should we carry on? Because any conflict has a lot of price which has to be paid. It will affect our preparedness for the next one. It will affect our economy. It will affect the progress of the country.”
#WATCH | Delhi: On Operation Sindoor, Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh says, “The main wars that are going on today, be it Russia, Ukraine or the Israel war. They are going on, years have passed, because no one is thinking about conflict termination…We heard… pic.twitter.com/bxdLJCsbX5
— ANI (@ANI) September 19, 2025
Singh acknowledged that rapid termination can leave opponents “on the back foot” but said that achieving the stated military aim — in India’s case, described as an anti-terrorism objective — justified ending the operation once those goals were met. “So, I think this is what the world is forgetting. They do not know what our target was when we started the war. Now their goal post is shifting. Egos are coming in between. And this is where I think the world has to learn a lesson from India how to start and terminate a conflict at the earliest possible opportunity,” he said.
