Op Sindoor a reality check, certain capability gaps noticed: Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], September 12 (ANI): Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Friday highlighted that Operation Sindoor, which destroyed terror bases in Pakistan, was also a "reality check" for the armed forces, allowing them to better understand where India's defence capabilities are.
The Defence Secretary said that "certain capability gaps were noticed" during the operation, including in areas of electronic warfare, counter-unmanned systems, and the need for having a better ecosystem for manufacturing military grade drones.
"it's pretty clear in the context of the geopolitical situation now that most countries are paying a lot of attention to defence and hard power again. Given our neighborhood, India is no exception, and we've just had this experience with Operation Sindoor, which was in some ways a reality check for us in terms of where we can do better, where we need to adapt to changing needs for future warfare," Defence Secretary said during a press conference in Pune.
Speaking on the sidelines of the of the Southern Command Defence Tech Seminar (STRIDE 2025), the detailed the areas where the defence systems could be made better.
"So in the context of Operation Sindoor, I think that certain capability gaps were noticed, and those include areas like electronic warfare, counter-unmanned systems, better manufacturing ecosystem for military-grade drones, which can survive better in GPS-denied and other contested environments. Various types of low-level radars as well. So yeah, we had some areas where we thought that we needed to beef up our capabilities," he added.
He further mentioned that the intent has always been to use the whole defence industry to boost capabilities.
When asked about the solution to increasing capabilities, Secretary Singh said that the armed forces were given flexibility through emergency procurement rules to acquire something which was needed immediately. But for the long term, the rule has been to ramp up development of indigenous equipment by working with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
"There is a trade-off in the short term, but in the long run, we are very clear that even if for a short time we buy some or provide for some of our inventory from, say, global buyers, in the long term, the intent is to go fully indigenous for all of these capabilities," he said.
"In all of these areas, we will also work through DRDO to also develop indigenous alternatives," the secretary added.
One of the ways to encourage indigenous defence production has been to make sure that not less than 75 per cent of defence spending is spent within India, with 88 per cent being spent in 2024, the secretary said.
Apart from the gaps and production capabilities, the Defence Secretary also mentioned how the 'multi layered' air defence system worked very well, as India did not suffer any major losses.
"We already have a multi layered air defence system which worked very very well during Operation Sindoor. I don't think we suffered any major losses or casualties despite repeated attempts through drones and missiles to penetrate the system," he said.
Operation Sindoor, initiated on May 7, 2025, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians, showcased a calibrated, tri-services response that embodied precision, professionalism, and purpose. The operation was conceived as a punitive and targeted campaign to dismantle the terror infrastructure across the Line of Control and deeper inside Pakistan. (ANI)