"Operation Sindoor wasn't just 4-day war, it was a decade of preparation put to test": Warfare scholar John Spencer

New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): John Spencer, warfare scholar and chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute, stressed that Operation Sindoor which was launched by the Indian Armed Forces against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, was the culmination of a decade of preparation, not merely a four-day mission.
In an interview with ANI, Spencer, who has served over 25 years in the US Army as an infantry soldier, said that through Operation Sindoor, India not just sent a message to Pakistan but to the whole world.
Spencer highlighted that India's change in strategic doctrine after Operation Sindoor will change the entire region.
"I can absolutely clearly see a change in India's strategic doctrine that will really change the entire region in my opinion. It wasn't just about the four days. It was what was happening the decade before, the five years before, from Make in India to the Indian military transformations and preparations, the small business innovations that are going on with the technologies, and so many elements that were preventing and leading to being prepared for a war," the warfare scholar said.
"I can tell you that India is more prepared, and from what I'm hearing on the ground, they're not resting on what they just did. The priority is development to strengthen the nation as a whole while you also strengthen your deterrence, your red lines, and your capabilities so you do have military overmatch, which is deterrence," he added.
Emphasising the significance of India's outreach, Spencer said that India's national security doctrine is evolving after Operation Sindoor. "Absolutely. And it's still evolving. I know the Prime Minister is just on a multi-country trip; communicating a strategic doctrine is as important as implementing it. As we talk in military terms, I've read things, and clearly India demonstrated that with action. But the words matter, the cultural aspects, so it's understood. And that's why it was important to talk to active military, former military, think tanks, and media," Spencer said.
On May 7, the Indian Armed Forces launched 'Operation Sindoor,' hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed. This was in response to the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22 that killed 26 people.
Indian Armed Forces destroyed nine terror infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in air strikes on May 7. Following Pakistan's retaliation, the Indian Armed Forces significantly damaged their air force bases on the intervening night of May 9th and 10th, including the Nur Khan base. Later, a cessation of hostilities was agreed upon by the DGMOs of both countries. (ANI)