In a striking revelation, Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, has said that less than 50 weapons deployed by the Indian Air Force (IAF) during the recent clashes with Pakistan were enough to force Islamabad to request an immediate halt to military hostilities. He was speaking at a high-level security summit on Saturday, where he recounted the sequence of events and the precision planning behind Operation Sindoor.
According to Air Marshal Tiwari, the carefully calibrated strikes carried out by the IAF between May 7 and May 10 targeted critical Pakistani military installations. These operations, conducted in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, demonstrated India’s capability to dominate its adversary with limited but highly effective firepower. “In less than 50 weapons, we were able to achieve complete domination over the Pakistan military. It has not happened before,” Tiwari noted, highlighting the unprecedented impact of the operation.
The mission began on May 7 when the IAF launched strikes on terrorist infrastructure located in Pakistan-controlled territories. India made it clear that the objective was limited to neutralizing terror camps and not escalating the conflict. However, the situation intensified on the night of May 9–10 when Pakistan launched a counter-offensive. In response, the IAF expanded its operations, targeting key military assets across a wide front.
Air Marshal Tiwari revealed that some of the sites destroyed by the IAF had remained untouched even during the 1971 India–Pakistan war, underscoring the scale and precision of the current strikes. “We made every weapon count, and that itself is a tacit acknowledgement of the capability of our planners and the people who executed the missions,” he said.
The senior officer, who played a critical role in overseeing Operation Sindoor, emphasized that the IAF maintained strict discipline by only engaging military targets. The strikes were designed to degrade Pakistan’s operational capability while minimizing collateral damage. “The precision targeting from long ranges is not an easy task. The longer the vector, the greater the risk of collateral damage. But our teams ensured every weapon hit its mark with zero collateral impact. That reflects not only the skills of the pilots but also the effort of the planners and ground personnel who make such missions successful,” Tiwari explained.
By midday on May 10, the impact of India’s calculated military action compelled Pakistan to signal its willingness to end hostilities. After securing its objectives, New Delhi responded positively to the request, agreeing to halt further strikes once assurance was given that military escalation would not continue.
The Air Marshal stressed that India’s intent throughout was not to inflame tensions but to send an unambiguous message that terror attacks emanating from across the border would draw a decisive and strong response. “We did not want escalation, but when Pakistan carried out its major attack on the intervening night of May 9–10, we were left with no choice but to demonstrate our full spectrum capability,” he said.
Air Marshal Tiwari also shared graphic presentations of India’s response, showing the effectiveness of the strikes on Pakistani terror and military infrastructure. He reiterated that the operation showcased the IAF’s modern capability, coordination, and preparedness for high-risk missions.
The four-day conflict, triggered by the Pahalgam terror attack, ended with Operation Sindoor establishing India’s overwhelming aerial superiority and compelling Islamabad to seek an early cessation of hostilities.
