Testing Doctrine In Action: Operation Sindoor And India’s Military Calculus

To rephrase Clausewitzian wisdom, the domain of military operations is characterised by uncertainty. How a military operates and pursues its objectives remains the prime indicator of its success or failure on the battlefield and beyond. Operation Sindoor was initially launched as a measured and calibrated non-escalatory military response against terrorist outfits in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and deep within the territory of their sponsor, Pakistan. Pakistan’s subsequent retaliatory aerial attack, through a combination of missiles and drones targeting civilian and military infrastructure, constituted an act of reckless escalation. In response, India made the conscious choice of deliberate escalation by…