During Op Sindoor, the Indian Air Force (IAF) employed fewer than 50 weapons against Pakistani military targets, a move that prompted Islamabad to call for a ceasefire. This was revealed by Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari at the NDTV Defence Summit. The ceasefire request from Pakistan came by midday on May 10, approximately three months after India’s strikes on terror camps following the Pahalgam terror attack. The limited use of weapons was a strategic decision to bring Pakistan to the negotiating table for a ceasefire.
“From the list of options presented, we had a large number of target sets. And finally, we boiled down to nine,” Air Marshal Tiwari stated. “Key takeaway for us, that in less than 50 weapons, we were able to achieve conflict elimination. So this is the essential part which I want you to take away.”
He further added, “It is very easy to start a war, but not easy enough to end it. And that was an important consideration to keep in mind so that our forces were activated, they were deployed, and they were ready for any eventuality that would have come about.”