'Focus on jets is a travesty': Sushant Sareen says Indian firepower forced Pakistan to sue for peace - that's what matters
According to Sareen, the twin goals of the operation were clear: "Op Sindoor had two objectives: 1) hit terrorist bases in Pakistan & PoK. 9 bases were obliterated and objective achieved; 2) to dominate the escalation ladder."
- Jun 1, 2025,
- Updated Jun 1, 2025 10:57 AM IST
Foreign policy analyst Sushant Sareen on Saturday said that the success of India's Operation Sindoor should not be judged by the loss of a few aircraft but by the strategic outcomes achieved during the four-day military conflict with Pakistan. His comments come amid a wider debate over the narrative surrounding India’s offensive following the terror attack in Pahalgam.
"The loss of a couple of aircraft is not the metric on the basis of which Op Sindoor is to be judged. The achievement of the objective is the only metric to judge the success of the operation," Sareen said, addressing criticism that has focused on the Indian Air Force’s initial setbacks.
Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, with India targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan-controlled territory using long-range precision weapons. After Pakistani forces attempted to retaliate on May 9, India mounted a counterattack early on May 10, hitting key Pakistani military installations.
According to Sareen, the twin goals of the operation were clear: "Op Sindoor had two objectives: 1) hit terrorist bases in Pakistan & PoK. 9 bases were obliterated and objective achieved; 2) to dominate the escalation ladder."
He stressed that despite the early losses, India successfully out-escalated Pakistan. "India not only beat back Pakistani attacks but continued to escalate until the Punjabi generals begged for a ceasefire after their air force was grounded, their air bases dysfunctional, their command and control systems damaged, their air defences taken out," he said.
Sareen dismissed attempts to reduce the operation’s impact to the aircraft count. "To limit the entire clash to just the downing of a few aircraft is a travesty. It works for the Pakis who refuse to talk about what happened subsequently, the beating they got," he noted.
He said the real outcomes were far more decisive. "What followed was the grounding of the famed PAF, the complete decimation of Turkish drones and the destruction of Chinese junk tech in air defences and radars. All Indian platforms – Rafales, SU30s, the air defence system – performed splendidly after the initial hiccups and caused enormous damage which forced the terrorist regime to sue for peace."
The Indian government has maintained that its May 10 offensive forced Pakistan to seek a cessation of hostilities. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan confirmed that India suffered aircraft losses but stressed that tactical adjustments were made swiftly, leading to a successful execution of long-range strikes.
Foreign policy analyst Sushant Sareen on Saturday said that the success of India's Operation Sindoor should not be judged by the loss of a few aircraft but by the strategic outcomes achieved during the four-day military conflict with Pakistan. His comments come amid a wider debate over the narrative surrounding India’s offensive following the terror attack in Pahalgam.
"The loss of a couple of aircraft is not the metric on the basis of which Op Sindoor is to be judged. The achievement of the objective is the only metric to judge the success of the operation," Sareen said, addressing criticism that has focused on the Indian Air Force’s initial setbacks.
Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, with India targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan-controlled territory using long-range precision weapons. After Pakistani forces attempted to retaliate on May 9, India mounted a counterattack early on May 10, hitting key Pakistani military installations.
According to Sareen, the twin goals of the operation were clear: "Op Sindoor had two objectives: 1) hit terrorist bases in Pakistan & PoK. 9 bases were obliterated and objective achieved; 2) to dominate the escalation ladder."
He stressed that despite the early losses, India successfully out-escalated Pakistan. "India not only beat back Pakistani attacks but continued to escalate until the Punjabi generals begged for a ceasefire after their air force was grounded, their air bases dysfunctional, their command and control systems damaged, their air defences taken out," he said.
Sareen dismissed attempts to reduce the operation’s impact to the aircraft count. "To limit the entire clash to just the downing of a few aircraft is a travesty. It works for the Pakis who refuse to talk about what happened subsequently, the beating they got," he noted.
He said the real outcomes were far more decisive. "What followed was the grounding of the famed PAF, the complete decimation of Turkish drones and the destruction of Chinese junk tech in air defences and radars. All Indian platforms – Rafales, SU30s, the air defence system – performed splendidly after the initial hiccups and caused enormous damage which forced the terrorist regime to sue for peace."
The Indian government has maintained that its May 10 offensive forced Pakistan to seek a cessation of hostilities. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan confirmed that India suffered aircraft losses but stressed that tactical adjustments were made swiftly, leading to a successful execution of long-range strikes.