Overview
- India launched Operation Sindoor on the night of May 6–7 as a preemptive response to the Pahalgam terror attack, striking terrorist infrastructure across the border after intelligence warned of imminent threats.
- Military accounts describe nine terror camps destroyed during coordinated strikes, a four-day escalation that featured drones and long-range weapons, and a ceasefire understanding reached through DGMO talks on May 10.
- Indian air-defence units reported thwarting multiple drone attacks between May 7 and 10, underscoring an integrated counter‑UAS posture and lessons that fed into doctrine and force design.
- Modernisation accelerated with a BrahMos combat firing on December 1, two new Pinaka regiments operationalised on June 24, a Pinaka LRGR test on December 29 (~120 km range), AH‑64E Apache deliveries, new drone-centric units, and thousands of RPAs inducted alongside a higher defence budget.
- Diplomatic fallout persisted as President Trump publicly claimed credit for ending the May clashes and imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods, even as India maintained that the ceasefire followed direct DGMO engagement and some Indian claims of Pakistani aircraft losses remained disputed.