Thursday marks one year since the Indian Armed Forces executed Operation Sindoor, a high-precision military campaign against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.
The campaign was a calibrated response to the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, 2025, which resulted in the loss of 26 civilian lives.
Launched on May 7, 2025, this operation is being celebrated not merely for its tactical success but for signalling a transition in India’s defence philosophy — moving away from traditional reactive postures toward a more assertive, proactive doctrine.
Consequently, Operation Sindoor produced a four-day masterclass in modern warfare that notably utilised the the air-launched BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, redefining how the indigenous weapon is seen.
Why the air-launched BrahMos is the ultimate ‘bunker buster’
One of the many revelations of Operation Sindoor was the emergence of the BrahMos-A (the air-launched variant) as a definitive “bunker buster.”
While many military observers traditionally associate bunker-piercing capabilities with massive, gravity-fed ordnance
like the American GBU-28, the BrahMos achieves its destructive potential through extreme kinetic energy.
During the concluding phases of the operation, military analysts observed the missile striking its targets at sustained velocities of Mach 2.8 to 3.0.
In practical terms, this equates to a speed of approximately one kilometre per second. Therefore, the impact energy generated by the BrahMos is exponentially greater than that of subsonic counterparts, such as the Tomahawk.
Even when equipped with its standard 300 kg semi-armour-piercing warhead, the sheer momentum allows the missile to drill through reinforced concrete and several meters of earth before its delayed-action fuze triggers a catastrophic internal explosion.
A pivotal technical factor in this “BrahMos revolution” was the reported deployment of the Block III variant. This specific iteration of the missile features a specialised “steep-dive” capability.
It allows the platform to transition from a high-altitude cruise into a near-vertical (90°) terminal descent.
This trajectory ensured that the missiles didn’t just strike the surface of hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) or underground command centres, they penetrated them vertically at peak velocity, ensuring total structural failure.
The BrahMos blitz was complemented by the missile’s low-altitude flight profile. By utilising sea-skimming techniques and flying as low as 10 metres during certain flight phases, the missile effectively stayed beneath the radar horizon.
This allowed it to bypass sophisticated, Chinese-supplied air defense systems like the HQ-9 and LY-80, leaving the adversary with virtually zero reaction time. In many instances, the targets were neutralised before air raid sirens could even be triggered.
How Brahmos decapitated Nur Khan & Rahimyar Khan bases
The tactical execution of Operation Sindoor began at roughly 1:05 am on May 7, 2025, with a multi-pronged assault.
Approximately 15 BrahMos missiles were reportedly unleashed, integrated seamlessly with the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Sukhoi Su-30MKI fleet.
While the initial salvo focused
on terror infrastructure in regions such as Muridke, Bahawalpur, and Muzaffarabad, the most critical phase involved the blunting of enemy air defences to ensure continued aerial dominance.
The strike on Nur Khan Airbase (Chaklala)
On May 10, 2025, the IAF conducted what is now studied in defence academies as a textbook “Command and Control (C2) decapitation.” The target was the underground Command and Control Node of Pakistan’s Northern Air Command located at the Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi.
Two BrahMos-A missiles were launched from Su-30MKIs that remained safely within Indian airspace. These missiles demonstrated a Circular Error Probable (CEP) of less than 5 metres.
The
result was devastating.
The penetration was deep enough to sever vital fiber-optic communication lines and backup power grids. This strike effectively blinded the adversary’s northern air defence network, rendering
the entire base non-operational for the final 24 hours of the conflict.
The strike at Rahimyar Khan
Simultaneously, the strike on Rahimyar Khan Airbase was designed around the philosophy of “Deterrence by Destruction.” This facility served as a vital forward logistics hub and a base for unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs).
Post-strike damage assessments (PDA) released via high-resolution satellite imagery in early 2026 provided a clear picture of the efficacy of the BrahMos.
The missiles successfully pierced through multiple Hardened Aircraft Shelters, obliterating at least three tactical UCAVs and a medium-lift transport aircraft while they were still on the ground.
One missile was programmed for a sub-surface detonation directly beneath the main taxiway. The resulting cratering was so extensive that
the runway remained out of service for repairs until late June 2025, long after the cessation of hostilities.
To ensure these strikes were successful, the IAF employed saturation tactics. On the night of May 10, a ‘missile mix’ strategy was utilised, where loitering munitions were first used to bait and trigger enemy radars.
Once the air defence systems were active and distracted, a salvo of BrahMos missiles followed a complex high-low trajectory to overwhelm the interceptor logic of the defending batteries.
How BrahMos called Paksitan’s nuclear bluff
The success of Operation Sindoor has had profound strategic implications, most notably in challenging
the long-standing nuclear overhang in South Asia.
For decades, it was theorised that high-intensity conventional strikes deep within enemy territory would inevitably trigger a nuclear escalation.
However, by striking deep-seated military infrastructure at Nur Khan without a nuclear response, India demonstrated that a “BrahMos window” exists — a viable space for high-intensity conventional warfare that can achieve national objectives without crossing the ultimate threshold.
This operation proved that India could conduct surgical strikes with minimal collateral damage to civilian areas, as confirmed by satellite imagery showing direct hits on nine terror camps.
This established a “New Normal” where precision-guided, supersonic standoff weapons are no longer just passive deterrents but are active tools of statecraft.
Operation Sindoor also highlighted unprecedented tri-service synergy.
While the Indian Air Force spearheaded the strikes, the Indian Navy’s Carrier Battle Group (CBG) moved into a strike posture in the North Arabian Sea.
Utilising its own fleet of BrahMos-equipped destroyers, the Navy pinned down the opposing fleet, preventing any maritime escalation while the IAF conducted its deep-strike missions.
How BrahMos validated India’s ‘aatmanirbhar’ economy
Produced by BrahMos Aerospace — a joint venture between India’s DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia — the missile’s name reflects the union of the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers.
Today, that partnership
is reaping record-breaking economic rewards.
From a domestic perspective, the conflict served as the first major combat validation of the missile system. This success has fuelled a massive reinvestment in the platform.
On August 5, 2025, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved an additional Rs 10,800 crore for the procurement of 110 more BrahMos-A units. The goal is to ensure every frontline Su-30MKI squadron is “Sindoor-ready.”
The momentum from 2025 has also accelerated the development of the BrahMos-NG (Next Generation). This lighter, sleeker version will allow the LCA Tejas Mk1A to carry two missiles, potentially tripling the precision-strike capacity of India’s indigenous fighter fleet.
The combat performance of the BrahMos during Operation Sindoor also
served as a live-fire sales pitch to the world. As of now, we are categorising the global export demand into three tiers:
-
Tier 1 (Active users): The Philippines, a pioneer customer, received its first batteries in April 2024. As of this month, the Philippine Marine Corps is integrating the system into
the Balikatan 2026 joint exercises with the United States. Reports also suggest they are in follow-on talks for the Philippine Army. Meanwhile, Indonesia
signed a $450 million deal in March 2026 to integrate the air-launched variant with its own Su-30 fleet. -
Tier 2 (Advanced negotiations): Vietnam is currently the most significant prospective buyer,
with a deal valued at approximately $700 million in the final vetting stages. The UAE has also emerged as a frontrunner in West Asia, seeking a specialised variant for naval corvettes. -
Tier 3 (Growing interest): A diverse list of nations including Malaysia, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Oman, Morocco, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile are all queuing for technical briefings or formal interest as of early 2026.
India’s ability to meet this soaring global demand is anchored in the BrahMos Integration and Testing Facility in Lucknow.
Inaugurated in May 2025, this facility achieved “Full Operational Capability” (FOC) recently. In April this year, the facility rolled out its first batch of missiles in record time, significantly reducing the wait time for international clients.
Financially, the results are staggering. BrahMos Aerospace reported a record revenue of Rs 5,200 crore (approximately $625M) for the 2025-26 financial year.
Perhaps more importantly, the missile has reached 83-85 per cent indigenous content as of this month.
With a roadmap to hit 95 per cent by early 2027, India is rapidly reducing its reliance on Russian subsystems like the liquid ramjet engine. This deep indigenisation makes the export process more resilient against international sanctions and supply chain disruptions.
The legacy of Operation Sindoor is not just found in the broken concrete of Nur Khan or the craters at Rahimyar Khan in Pakistan. It is found in the “Sindoor lessons” being applied at the new testing facilities in Lucknow and the strategic confidence of the Indian Armed Forces.
The BrahMos didn’t just hit its targets, it shattered the psychological confidence of the adversary’s air defence command.
With inputs from agencies
First Published:
May 07, 2026, 13:35 IST
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