Operation Sindoor - Post Conflict Analysis

[Aditya_V]

Yes but there is no info from our side of what thier losses are, or engagement details.

[LakshmanPST]

One thing I'm quite surprised is that our side managed to successfully prevent actual photos of crash site(s) from leaking...
I never expected it...

[Aditya_V]

All the more it looks false, given the way the Hindu and Congress handles, AAP handles are peddling it, if there was real IAF crash wreakage it would be out by now.

[krithivas]

CDS stopped short in the Bloomberg interview
- Rapidly pivot to your strengths/accomplishments. No need to "introspect" especially with a foreign adversarial news agency.
- No "satyavaan-syndrome", no need to answer the question asked. Pivot to your accomplishments. Repeat if they repeat the question.
- Use contemporary American lingo vs. legacy raj language (e.g., "decisive retaliation, overwhelming response" vs. "befitting response").
Indian FM is the best of the breed in communication.

That question was the perfect opportunity for CDS to reframe-hammer-in the "real strategic victory" - 11 airfields taken out of service in 23 minutes (Americans love this pithy), unknown number of AD's/IL's/C130's/SAABs/F16's marauded out from Paki hangars etc. etc. Give the action-required to the interviewer to follow up with the Pakis instead of chasing you for a response.

Let us reframe the CDS interview as a lost opportunity

PS - Thank you @A_Gupta for the https://smallwarsjournal.com/2025/05/22 ... modern-war/ pointer. Spreading it at will.

[Y I Patel]

Now we have the most credible source confirming the loss of a jet.

Admitting in public to a known China mouthpiece that the loss was due to a tactical error.

By all accounts, looks like it was a Rafale that was shot down.


So connecting the dots the most obvious conclusion is that the tactical error was related to the first IAF war-time deployment of the Rafale.

Is India preparing to release further news that damages IAF or damages the Rafale?

[Cain Marko]

That one engine photo suggested the loss was a rafale, which would be painful, but then again India was the attacker and defenders often have certain advantages, esp. considering how much time the Pakistans had to prepare for the punch. There was zero element of surprise, so yeah a loss here and there was to be expected. But unlike balakot, there was no pilot loss, let alone loss of life.

In return, India completed an extensive bombing campaign into the very heart of Pakistan. Dozens of heavily defended targets were successfully destroyed.

That's a clear cut victory, period.

I'm really curious to see what kind of trade deal India secures for all the bragging rights Trump and Pakistan secured because of the ceasefire.

[Aditya_V]

It's better to put out claims and losses in public now after that interview.

Let me know the logic of only admitting ones losses without showing enemy losses.

This video will be played by Pak media to get more Jihadi recruits, it will most likely forces against India. I think this was Gandhian type of answers, which does not work in teal life.

[Y I Patel]

All is not well with India-France ties. In the same Shangri La conference Macron came up with an obnoxious == reference to Op Sindoor and I don’t know why Indian media didn’t go to town on that

[Cain Marko]

It's better to put out claims and losses in public now after that interview

Maybe all that media buzz about fighters being downed on our side was Iaf planes? Would explain why there's no enemy pilots in captivity.

[Cain Marko]

All is not well with India-France ties. In the same Shangri La conference Macron came up with an obnoxious == reference to Op Sindoor and I don’t know why Indian media didn’t go to town on that

Of late India (SJ) had been quite loud in putting the euros in there place. Maybe the bonhomie with Trump and straight talk vs Europe suggests a move closer to the US. I think trade deal and possiblity of f35 production might be on the cards ...

[bala]

the https://smallwarsjournal.com/2025/05/22 ... modern-war/ pointer. Spreading it at will.

Saar, here is the correct link for that article.

[Aditya_V]

Maybe all that media buzz about fighters being downed on our side was Iaf planes? Would explain why there's no enemy pilots in captivity.

If true it will be sad but very poor media management, looking at twitter there are enough vested interests who would given away our debris atleast on twitter.

But silence to Indians on operations but full exposure to foreign agenda driven media is beyond my limited understanding.

[Y I Patel]

Never thought I would see the day when Reuters gets CDS messaging better than Indians:

https://apple.news/Aym56C-m-SU6SMtKVB2fqvQ

India says changed tactics worked well in conflict with Pakistan

[Aditya_V]

Well Air Marshal Bharti mentioned PAF kills in the air, those details need to out first.

[Vayutuvan]

Our CDS sent several messages, IMHO ofc.

1. While some learn from tactical mistakes (India) others are tactically brilliant and don't learn from their failures.
   IOW, Shittisanis keep on doing terrorist shite, fail, but do repeat the same expecting different results
2. We are keeping track of how Rafales, Su30MKI, and others are performing and we will upgrade them by integrating our own tech advances into those platforms
3. We will never take our eyes off our strategic goals in spite of a tactical setbacks
4. It is counterproductive for munna and and unkils' mouthpieces to do SM and other propaganda to make India blink.
5. We will take POK for sure. But we don't want to break up Pakistan if they behave. If they don't, they will be taught a lesson every time they go off to show off their little Richards

[krithivas]

A question - Why is India not explicitly communicating:
- "India granted Pakistan's request for a ceasefire!" or,
- "Pakistan called India for a ceasefire to which India granted or India agreed-to"
It was one-way first- Had Pakisatan not called, India would have not stopped the punitive action.

[bala]

This blunder stmt from the CDS to bloombergah is about the reply "tactics initially were flawed and we changed them the next day", I am presuming that the armed forces did not take away PAK AD or suppress them on May 7th attack. I still believe no aircraft crossed the LoC or International boundary. India may have sent drones etc which were shot down. Those could be the loss. Shooting down aircraft requires major proof. The pak should show radar trace of the shot like AM Bedi mentioned. If an aircraft was shot down within India then our AD system did not work, which I find implausible.

I seriously feel Indians require proper training in media mgmt. All round disappointment in the way to tackle media, and especially international media who are piranhas waiting to bait you in tricky questions. One thing Indians need to learn is not answer questions from reporters/TV, just think through and provide an answer which defeats their question, for example, CDS could have non-chalantly said Pak lost a bunch of aircrafts and allow the reporter to jump back. I feel disappointed with the caliber of India's CDS, i watched a previous session he had at IIT-M and it was pedestrian to say the least. We need better leaders at such positions.

[RCase]

In a war situation, it is highly unlikely that only one side will have all the loses and the other side will have ZERO losses.
Even IF a few planes were lost in the operation..., SO WHAT? There are no pilots killed or captured as POWs. Pak has not been able to display any downed aircraft. Neither has any aircraft debris been displayed by any Indians. If there was a jet downed and Indian public and media were able to suppress that information from leaking out (especially in a noisy democracy) ... KUDOS! The armed forces can do their own introspection of whether their strategy and tactics can be refined, lessons learned, platform and personnel performance etc. Time for Indians to get beyond the mentality of 'You scored 99%, why did you miss the 1%' syndrome.

Here is from publicly available information:

Indian War Losses:
Potentially a few aircraft lost (less than 6 for sure, even by those spinning fairy tales).
Civilian and military casualties along the LoC due to shelling
Property damage along LoC - Gurdwara, some civilian properties, minor damages outside temple.
Some drones landing getting past Indian AD and landing in Indian territory causing minimal damage.
Possibly some low cost drones that failed to achieve their intended target or were intercepted by Pak.
Possibly a few missiles that did not hit their intended targets.

No meaningful monetary estimates of losses India suffered either from the Indian side or the Pakistani side.

Pakistani War Losses:
9 known terrorist facilities flattened (though Pak might claim them as 'innocent' civilian structures). The Paki awam corroborates that these facilities were used by these Maulanas/ Hafeez etc. who are also UN designated terrorists.
11+ airbases neutralized, runways bombed, hangars bombed and especially that underground structure (Murid?) was 'cooked'.
Main Command and control center in Nur Khan base demolished.
AD and radar systems destroyed.
Mobile trailers/ command centers, mobile missile launch vehicles destroyed.
At least 2 AEWCs, 1 Refuel Tanker, 1 C130 Transport aircraft lost
At least 4 F-16s, 2 JF-17s lost in the air.
Innumerable aircraft lost on ground.
Air force personnel (including a squadron leader) killed/ injured across all airbases.
Unknown number of personnel killed at the airbase strikes
Multiple missiles (including their high end) fired and drones that did not reach their target or were intercepted.
Neutralizing of nuclear threat - Kirana Hills and other installations. Pretty much their nuclear bluff was called out.
Unknown number of nuclear weapons personnel unaccounted.

Per assessment by Indian sources, damage estimated to be between $7 - $20B.

Bottom line:

While people might have had wet dreams of recapturing PoK as part of the operation or insinuating other objectives like Balochistan, Sindhudesh, surrender of Pak Army etc.; those were never the stated objectives of the GOI or Armed Forces for this operation. The only stated objective was that Pak will this time pay a price beyond their wildest imagination and terrorists and their backers would be targeted, denying them refuge and sanctuary.

Was the mission accomplished? The answer is a resounding YES!
The operation is STILL ON and can deliver more punishment.

Caveat to the mission: Are ALL terrorists neutralized? - NO (That is like asking for World Peace!). We still have know terrorists operating out of Pak, for which unknown gunmen or other means can also be used effectively.

For those busy bodies (especially the Khangis) questioning the loss of aircraft(s), they should be reminded of the loss of aircraft and life during non-combat operations.Their ineptitude of not modernizing the fleet, fostering a culture of non-performance due to their financial greed at the expense of national security should be questioned.

There is no need for validation from any western press, internal presstitutes and anti-nationals.

There is no need to having a pissing contest of who WON or even respond to inane Paki taunts or Western media questioning. We have a stupid country that gets its major airbases bombed, terror centers flattened, numerous aircraft hit/damaged, nuclear bluff called, water turned off and yet claiming that they WON! Let them gloat in their false sense of superiority.

The simplistic answer to the outcome of the war is:

The Paki awam lives under the umbrella of fear of an attack at any moment (probably the fauj too!). Does the average Indian live under the fear of a Pak attack?

The Pakis can live in a fantasy land of thinking they downed so many aircraft, bombed multiple airbases, destroyed S-400 system, took out the electricity supply, hacked the financial systems, intercepted all the drones etc. The reality that they will be facing is food and water shortage. Let us enjoy the jazba of bhooka nanga Pakistan!

Modji rightly summed it up - sukh chain se raho, roti khao, warna to meri goli hai...

[RCase]

I seriously feel Indians require proper training in media mgmt. All round disappointment in the way to tackle media, and especially international media who are piranhas waiting to bait you in tricky questions. One thing Indians need to learn is not answer questions from reporters/TV, just think through and provide an answer which defeats their question, for example, CDS could have non-chalantly said Pak lost a bunch of aircrafts and allow the reporter to jump back. I feel disappointed with the caliber of India's CDS, i watched a previous session he had at IIT-M and it was pedestrian to say the least. We need better leaders at such positions.

I think the DGMOs of the three services were pretty good spokespersons and handled the questions well. It would be better to identify similar personnel with good communication skills, quick wit and media savviness to be the official spokespersons. Most of the chiefs of the armed forces (especially the Air Chief) are not the best of communicators, but probably are the best persons to do the job that they were chosen for. It is better to have a militarily competent person to head military operations than a glib bull shitter that can mouth off media savvy bravado statements.

[Cain Marko]

He's the CDS. It's a political appointment as much as a military one. If you can't talk the talk but can only walk the walk, the position might not be for you.

At the very least, if you can't score points in international media, don't do PR.

On the one hand India is sending shampoo boy delegations across the globe to present and win the narrative and here it is being squandered willy nilly. If everything that India does is questioned and everything that Pakistan does is accepted, it won't take long for the accepted narrative to change into: pahalgam was a false flag orchestrated by the ochre loving fascist that has now taken over the mahatmas country.

Narratives are super important. opinions when accepted as truths become very powerful in convincing decision makers. If propoganda didn't matter, nobody would be doing it.

This disclosure is chutiyapa at it's finest.

[sanjaykumar]

RCase presents the perspective.

What India has done is to establish that Pakistani terrorism will be fought in Pakistan instead of India. In spite of Chinese missiles or American radars or whatever.

With Indian economy and Indian brains driving the technological battlefield, India will almost certainly succeed.

I believe India will field weapons in low earth orbit. This is necessary for China and will make it even easier against Pakistan.

I realise that India made it look easy, but much went on to ensure Pakistan’s civilisational defeat.

[vaibhavs]

The most concerning thing from the interview was the admission of tactical errors on our part. Surely, that was taking a clear dig at IAF and these kind of things should have been internally discussed and rectified. I don't think its some 4D chess strategic step which would fructify in due time. Its either a gaffe or we have been pressurized by masa to assuage the pakis to some extent in case we have inflicted immense losses on them.

[sanjaykumar]

Yes India always gives Pakistan a face saver. Witness 1971 and the status quo ante, they got what they wanted.

Perhaps the culture needs to be maximalist. But Pakistan needs to be degraded to a subsistence economy first.

[RCase]

Talking about narratives...

Let us compare it with:
'Iraq has WMD and poses a threat to the world' (Collin Powell)
'Mission Accomplished' (Bush on an aircraft carrier)
'Saddam Hussein is a bad dude and responsible for 9/11'
'We are there to bring freedom and democracy'
'Shock and awe'
'Known knowns, Known unknowns...' (Rumsfeld)
'The Mujahadeen are freedom fighters fighting the infidel Soviets'
'The Taliban are bad dudes' - later they sign the Doha agreement, leave weapons and beat a hasty retreat.
'We'll bomb them to the stone ages' (Threat to Musharat that succeeded. The Taliban couldn't care less for MOAB, Bunker buster etc.)

While the above made for good TV soundbites and urban legends, they now stand discredited. These 'spokespersons' came out sounding like Rambos, but the outcomes have been tepid. The most telling narrative was the video of poor Afghans surrounding a taxiing C17 transport aircraft and clinging onto to it while taking off! Just imagine if those Afghans had attacked the aircraft with sticks and stones or punctured the tires. Words are not required.

Wars were fought for years on end, with no major outcomes to show. We were fed the wonders of super duper equipment, high tech etc. and led to believe the opposition would fold right away. Recently, we have been witnessing the Houthis taking on the US - three jets lost, including a F-35!

We tend to view all this narrative BS from an Unkil angle. So the question is did the narrative matter or the end result?

[RCase]

The most concerning thing from the interview was the admission of tactical errors on our part. Surely, that was taking a clear dig at IAF and these kind of things should have been internally discussed and rectified. I don't think its some 4D chess strategic step which would fructify in due time. Its either a gaffe or we have been pressurized by masa to assuage the pakis to some extent in case we have inflicted immense losses on them.

Let us not over analyze every statement and give it air. I would rather take down to earth statements backed by real action from army honchos, than bluster bullshit like Niazi during the Bangladesh war (the video is now memorialized on Youtube).

In the meanwhile, we can enjoy the popular sloganeering of Rajnathji and Modiji. They are politicians and know how to communicate to the masses that matter (India, Pak and possibly near neighbors). For the average person in the West/ rest of world, they could care less of what is happening in India or Pakistan.

[Amber G.]

Witness 1971..

For someone who watched 1971 unfold from the U.S. through the lens of American news media—some things never change: Pakistan’s propaganda machine and the West’s colonial-style narrative gymnastics.

It’s amusing how some try to keep the ‘lost aircraft’ story aloft.

Fun fact: According to a New York Times article, India lost 73 tanks and 45 planes in the 1971 war. But when we talk about 1971, is that what history remembers—or is it the birth of Bangladesh?



(Really amazing to see that even after 55 years their IQ is same -- using the same scrips! - Note that Pak army already surrendered on December 16.. and NYTimes is doing Paki bidding on Dec 18.. )

[Y I Patel]

I went and reheard the response to that question. The one idea he repeated twice in his to the point response: what is important is why they went down. He wants everyone to start asking “why did the Indian jet go down”. Rest is noise

[Cain Marko]

Narratives are important because they influence decisions and create room for policy execution. in hindsight those decisions and policies could indeed be wrong, but that is not relevant. The job of the narrative is done.

A perfect example is that of obl. Supposedly the seals went and took him out. Does anyone ask for proof? Otoh the world questions Indias narrative that Pakistan is responsible for pahalgam despite their track record. It peddles a seeming Pakistani victory when reality is quite the opposite. It allows for an equal equal when there is no room for it. This allows Pakistan to continue it's shenanigans and it gives tsp establishment the breathing room it needs to perpetuate it's agenda. It allows the tsp deep state to get loans when it should be designated a terrorist state.

[Bharat]

We are seeing a lot of service personnel interviews. There were a three star DG of Air Defence, then new journos had a lot of interviews with jawans and soldiers to the rank of Colonel. We are going to have some gaffes, misspeaks, facts delivered given the number of people starting to speak up. We could forever debate that this was taken out of context, this was not accurate, this was not complete, this was false, this was a truth better left unsaid etc..

My two cents is that there isn't a single messaging approach b/w the army, air force, ministry of defense and PMO. This could be due to multiple reasons that we can forever speculate on...

Given that the CDS is the Pradhaan Senapati, I would give him the benefit of doubt that he has both, MoD and PMO, in the loop and confidence.

The focus is better to be shifted on ...

1. This place in Muridke was used to plan 26/11.. the terrorists were probably laughing and enjoying the destruction and chaos in Mumbai...Today, this place is a piece of rubble and Pakistan has to do the clean up. LeT will probably build a new place, and we will presented with new targets!

2. This place in Bahawalpur was used to plan the IC814 hijacking.. They were celebrating when India was caught between a rock and a hard place. Today, it's rubble. The relatives of the main beneficiary are dead.

3. PAF considered Sargodha and Nur Ali Khani to be their "center of gravity"... one has multiple craters on the runway, while other probably has it's roof caved in.. or underground bunker destroyed or.. it's hard to keep track on what happened in each air base

1, 2 and 3 are facts ! There is no doubt about it.

[Anujan]

As I have always said, Pakistan air to air missiles are very long, and therefore can attack at long ranges. Their fighter jets can make tight turns in air to air combat. Indians are no match for Pakistani dogfighting, where 1 Pakistani plane can take on 8 indian planes.

When Pakistanis were busy aiming their long missiles and making tight turns, the trecherous small indian planes slipped between Pakistani airplanes and bombed their airbases and runways. The bania Indians claimed they hit 11 bases, but satellite images show damage to more bases and infrastructure in Pakistan, so you cannot believe anything that government of India says

Pakistan DG ISPR is very professional, gave a warning at midnight that IAF had attacked Amritsar with ballistic missiles which I immediately believed because IAF chief is Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, so definitely this was a deceptive operation by India to put a Sikh in charge of the airforce and them bomb Amritsar with the airforce. In general DG ISPR came across as very professional and credible. He successfully negated Indian psyops. India claimed internationally sanctioned terrorist Abdul Rauf Azhar led funeral prayers, DG ISPR effectively countered it by pointing out that the funeral prayers was led by Internationally sanctioned terrorirst Hafiz Abdul Rauf, and not internationally sanctioned terrorist Abdul Rauf Azhar. At this point I dont believe Indian claims at all.

If India did really win, how come their COAS became a Field Marshal and Indian army chief did not get any medals?

It is the duty of every Indian to question the performance of our Armed forces and not believe the propaganda fed to us that they are competent. Please dont believe jingos like Vishnu Som







Jingos like Vishnu Som claim terror infrastructure was totalled, but after attack images do not show the building at all. I am not a structural engineer, but where is there any evidence of damage if there is no building at all?

[bala]

There is another YT in which CDS Gen Chauhan participates in shangri-la dialogue:

Shangri-La Dialogue : India's CDS Gen Chauhan Speaks at Asia Security Summit after Op Sindoor

youtube.com/watch?v=ZX-I7szB6x4

copy above into browser and watch

// I still think he is the wrong person representing CDS for India.

[A_Gupta]

On the facts, India wins hands down. But Mullah Munir got his Failed Marshal promotion on the strength of having dealt grievous losses on India.

The answer to any question about May 7th would be all details are still classified, India is not in the business of giving any information or Indus Water to its adversary.

I would have quipped, if India had the losses Pakistan alleges, how come India doesn’t have a new Field Marshal?

[Vayutuvan]

It is better to have a militarily competent person to head military operations than a glib bull shitter that can mouth off media savvy bravado statements.

Very well said sire. I am reminded of the British dude boasting in RRR that he would catch Komuram Bheem and drag him to the viceroy's feet and the rest of the bozos echoing "well said sir, well said".

[Vayutuvan]

I would have quipped, if India had the losses Pakistan alleges, how come India doesn’t have a new Field Marshal?

L'esprit de l'escalier

This name for the phenomenon comes from French encyclopedist and philosopher Denis Diderot's description of such a situation in his "Paradoxe sur le comédien" ("Paradox on the Comedian").[2] During a dinner at the home of statesman Jacques Necker, a remark was made to Diderot which left him speechless at the time, because, he explains, "a sensitive man, such as myself, overwhelmed by the argument levelled against him, becomes confused and doesn't come to himself again until at the bottom of the stairs" ("l'homme sensible, comme moi, tout entier à ce qu'on lui objecte, perd la tête et ne se retrouve qu'au bas de l'escalier").

In this case, "the bottom of the stairs" refers to the architecture of the kind of hôtel particulier or mansion to which Diderot had been invited. In such houses, the reception rooms were on the étage noble, one floor above the ground floor.[3] To have reached the bottom of the stairs means to have definitively left the gathering.

[RCase]

Narratives are important because they influence decisions and create room for policy execution. in hindsight those decisions and policies could indeed be wrong, but that is not relevant. The job of the narrative is done.

A perfect example is that of obl. Supposedly the seals went and took him out. Does anyone ask for proof? Otoh the world questions Indias narrative that Pakistan is responsible for pahalgam despite their track record. It peddles a seeming Pakistani victory when reality is quite the opposite. It allows for an equal equal when there is no room for it. This allows Pakistan to continue it's shenanigans and it gives tsp establishment the breathing room it needs to perpetuate it's agenda. It allows the tsp deep state to get loans when it should be designated a terrorist state.

I prefer the S. Jaishanker method of narrative setting. He is unapologetic and shows that he doesn't give a damn about the European/ Western worldview of how they perceive India when they try their sermons on him.

I think Modi govt. is setting the tone and narrative of a muscular response to TSP. The new normal posture is already being forced down the throat of TSP and pretty soon the rest of the world. We have seen other incidents of narrative setting:
- 'Abeyance' (for all intents and purposes it is abrogation) of IWT.
- Abrogation of 370/ 35A
- Return of PoK (there is no more mutterings of plebiscite).
- CATSAA waiver/ sanctions
- Crude purchase from Russia
- Abstaining from condemning Russia

In the US, nobody asks for proof as they would immediately be labelled anti-national. The population is in group think mode and will rally around the flag, no matter the cause or means adopted. To boot, you will have all the channels parroting the same story. The population is gullible for sound bites, so long as the leaders come across as macho, tough guy.

TSP will keep doing its shenanigans and whore itself to the highest bidder for whoever will pay for its indulgences. It's usefulness is due to its nuisance value. This cannot be stopped, unless India can vote with its checkbook or have tremendous political leverage. My personal take is to balkanize or weaken Pak, keep it on the edge so that it's utility is reduced and impose a huge cost to it's backers. Taking out the financial assets of its jernails and elite and their children might bring home the message. The other is a visible thappad with loss of land. Every terrorist attempt should automatically result in a loss of land, especially in Pakjab (it can be made a no-man's land).

[Cain Marko]

I prefer the S. Jaishanker method of narrative setting. He is unapologetic and shows that he doesn't give a damn about the European/ Western worldview of how they perceive India when they try their sermons on him.

I think Modi govt. is setting the tone and narrative of a muscular response to TSP. The new normal posture is already being forced down the throat of TSP and pretty soon the rest of the world. We have seen other incidents of narrative setting:
- 'Abeyance' (for all intents and purposes it is abrogation) of IWT.
- Abrogation of 370/ 35A
- Return of PoK (there is no more mutterings of plebiscite).
- CATSAA waiver/ sanctions
- Crude purchase from Russia
- Abstaining from condemning Russia

In the US, nobody asks for proof as they would immediately be labelled anti-national. The population is in group think mode and will rally around the flag, no matter the cause or means adopted. To boot, you will have all the channels parroting the same story. The population is gullible for sound bites, so long as the leaders come across as macho, tough guy.

TSP will keep doing its shenanigans and whore itself to the highest bidder for whoever will pay for its indulgences. It's usefulness is due to its nuisance value. This cannot be stopped, unless India can vote with its checkbook or have tremendous political leverage. My personal take is to balkanize or weaken Pak, keep it on the edge so that it's utility is reduced and impose a huge cost to it's backers. Taking out the financial assets of its jernails and elite and their children might bring home the message. The other is a visible thappad with loss of land. Every terrorist attempt should automatically result in a loss of land, especially in Pakjab (it can be made a no-man's land).

I'm not in disagreement with your points but believe that narrative management and media blitz is crucial to balkanization or civilian coup, which in turn requires the visible thappad that you mentioned. Narratives control -> visible thappad -> balkanization/civilian coup.

Do the armed forces or the office of the CDS have a PR management crew? If not, they need to get one and an official spokesperson. Jaishankar and the special teams sent out by the GOI are great on the one hand, but wartime and military affairs management needs a technical expertise that IFS and politicos alone can't provide.

India needs to be much more proactive in controlling the story. I think the good general captures it quote well here:
[youtube]https://youtu.be/3X-LHd_wJ7k?si=vHj7tT5_S3NaSdXE[/youtube]

[fanne]

Let me put my 2 cents

In the opening battle, we send many drones (banshee and other drones) that mimicked fighter aircrafts. Their whole purpose was to expose themselves, take hit and map the paki ew and ad assets. Many were (6?) shot down. In the mix were also flying Indian fighters. Now why is DGMO and CDS saying in roundabout way that fighters may have been loss. Because they do not want TSP to refine their tactics.

I think what happened, IDRW first published (some inside leak) that India had used drones mimicking fighter signature and that were downed. After that cat was out of the bag, the PM statement came, that no asset was lost.

So then, why go back on that. Perhaps we have intel that TSP, imbecil that they are, are not buying that they were fooled, and they really think that Indian planes were downed and not drones, hence no need to change tactics (why change when it is successful). Maybe there is a small group there that thinks, guys we failed, let's do something different. How do you muddy that TSPAF brainstorming - perhaps a supposedly bumbling CDS again lets the cat out of the bag - India did loose planes.

Poor TSPAF, did they shoot the planes or the drones mimicking them? Did the ghazis succeed? Should they keep the successful tactics of air fight or they were had and change it? Did the Hindu morale break by taking few hits at the right time and right place and they agreed for ceasefire?

I think we are playing this psyops at a different level, so much so that our side is also confused (on purpose)

[Aditya_V]

This can make sense only if there are follow up operations.

[sanjaykumar]

That is very interesting and plausible.

[Cain Marko]

Let me put my 2 cents

In the opening battle, we send many drones (banshee and other drones) that mimicked fighter aircrafts. Their whole purpose was to expose themselves, take hit and map the paki ew and ad assets. Many were (6?) shot down. In the mix were also flying Indian fighters. Now why is DGMO and CDS saying in roundabout way that fighters may have been loss. Because they do not want TSP to refine their tactics.

I think what happened, IDRW first published (some inside leak) that India had used drones mimicking fighter signature and that were downed. After that cat was out of the bag, the PM statement came, that no asset was lost.

So then, why go back on that. Perhaps we have intel that TSP, imbecil that they are, are not buying that they were fooled, and they really think that Indian planes were downed and not drones, hence no need to change tactics (why change when it is successful). Maybe there is a small group there that thinks, guys we failed, let's do something different. How do you muddy that TSPAF brainstorming - perhaps a supposedly bumbling CDS again lets the cat out of the bag - India did loose planes.

Poor TSPAF, did they shoot the planes or the drones mimicking them? Did the ghazis succeed? Should they keep the successful tactics of air fight or they were had and change it? Did the Hindu morale break by taking few hits at the right time and right place and they agreed for ceasefire?

I think we are playing this psyops at a different level, so much so that our side is also confused (on purpose)

Can't entirely rule this out. If it gives IAF an operational advantage, I can see why the existing narrative would be allowed to continue. India has never shied away from giving out its losses in the past, which lends credence to this pov.