News Brief
Air defence grid (Credit: ANI)
Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the Indian Army, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, emphasised the growing sophistication of cross-border threats in a press briefing on Monday (12 May).
He noted a disturbing shift in terrorist behaviour, “In last few years, the activities of terrorists were being observed as changing, with civilians being also attacked along with the Indian Army personnel,” and cited examples of the 2024 Reasi attack and the recent Pahalgam attack.
According to Lt Gen Ghai, “Following Operation Sindoor on 7 May, where terrorists were struck without crossing the LoC, the Indian side was prepared for a Pakistani retaliation with a ‘Multilayered counter-drone and air defence grid’.”
He detailed the layered response comprising counter-manned aerial systems, electronic warfare equipment, and integrated air defence weapons coordinated with Indian Air Force systems.
He gave a cricket analogy from 1970s to affirm how Pakistan's attacks were turned into ashes by our multi-layered air defence system. In contrast to Pakistani reports of damage to our air installations, he added, “All Indian airfields are fully operational.”
Lt Gen Ghai emphasised the operational unity across the services, “In every single domain that the Operation Sindoor has been prosecuted, there has been a complete synergy between the three armed forces, supported by government, departments and 140 crore Indians.”