Indian Air Force superiority forced Pakistan to seek ceasefire during Operation Sindoor Swiss think tank
New Delhi: Pakistan was compelled to seek a ceasefire after witnessing the overwhelming operational superiority of the Indian Air Force during Operation Sindoor, according to a detailed assessment by a Swiss defence think tank.
The report states that the scale and precision of India’s initial air strikes caused significant damage inside Pakistan, leaving it rattled and pushing it to call for de-escalation.
The findings were published by the Switzerland-based Centre d’Histoire et de Prospectives Militaires (CHPM), which analysed the four-day Operation Sindoor launched by India in April 2025 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
The report, titled “Operation Sindoor: The India–Pakistan Air War”, was authored by retired Swiss Air Force Major General Adrien Fontanellaz. According to the study, the Indian armed forces quickly established air superiority, striking terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The report notes that Pakistan attempted a retaliatory response on the night of May 9–10 by targeting Indian military infrastructure, including airbases such as Adampur and Srinagar, and locations up to 100–150 km from the Line of Control. However, these efforts failed to inflict significant damage.
Pakistan relied heavily on unmanned aerial systems, deploying Yiha III, Bayraktar TB2 and Akinci drones. The CHPM report states that these drones were unable to breach India’s air defence network and failed to reach high-value targets.
In response, India focused on suppressing Pakistan’s air defence systems, targeting long-range surface-to-air missile batteries and border surveillance radars. The report highlights India’s use of Israeli-origin loitering munitions such as Harop and Harpy, describing them as stealthy and highly effective.
Between May 8 and 9, Indian strikes neutralised at least four air defence sites, including the destruction of early warning radars at Chunian and Pasrur. Citing Indian Air Force claims, the report adds that between May 7 and May 10, five Pakistani fighter jets, including F-16s and JF-17s, were shot down.
India also targeted at least one HQ-9 air defence battery, significantly degrading Pakistan’s ability to monitor and control its airspace. As a result, several Pakistani radars were reportedly shut down to avoid further losses, enabling Indian aircraft to operate with greater freedom.
The report details deep-penetration strikes using Su-30 MKI, Jaguar and Rafale aircraft, which launched BrahMos, SCALP-EG and Rampage missiles from Indian airspace. These strikes hit seven major targets up to 200 km inside Pakistan, including surface-to-air missile sites and five airbases.
Key installations such as the Nur Khan airbase near Islamabad, Muridke airbase, Rahim Yar Khan airbase and facilities at Rafiqui and Sukkur were damaged. Runways, drone hangars, command-and-control centres and radar installations were struck, significantly impacting Pakistan’s operational readiness.
The CHPM report concludes that India successfully maintained escalation dominance, protected its own air defence assets and demonstrated the capability to conduct deep precision strikes without crossing nuclear thresholds.
This, it says, ultimately forced Pakistan to seek a ceasefire, underscoring the strategic and operational superiority of the Indian Air Force during the 2025 India-Pakistan crisis.
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