What does the Ministry of Defense Annual Report 2025-26 say about Operation Sindoor and the situation in LAC?

The Ministry of Defense’s 2025–26 Annual Report presents Operation Sindoor as a significant shift in India’s counter-terrorism and military response, noting a concurrent reduction in the deployment of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) forces along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) during 2025.

The experience of the May 2025 conflict also prompted a review of capability gaps with greater emphasis on cohesion, force restructuring and emerging technologies, the report said.

Operation Sindoor: a calibrated military response

The report describes Operation Sindoor as a bold demonstration of decisive leadership, joint operational synergy and India’s determination to protect its sovereignty in the wake of the 22 April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 tourists were killed.

On the night of 6-7 May, Indian Defense Forces launched strikes against nine identified terrorist targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The report says the Indian Air Force used long-range, precision-guided weapons and intelligence-based targeting to hit infrastructure linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in Muridke and Bahawalpur.

According to the report, the strikes were designed to avoid civilian and military targets and cause no collateral damage.

It characterizes the operation as “precise, calibrated and non-escalating”, saying it introduced a new approach whereby state-sponsored terrorism would trigger a targeted military response.

The operation subsequently escalated into a four-day conflict after Pakistan launched drone and missile attacks on Indian military installations. The report said India countered these attacks through an integrated air defense network comprising the IAF’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), which linked surveillance sensors and air defense assets to create a common accepted picture of the air situation.

The report highlights the role of systems such as the S-400, Akash, Pechora and OSA-AK in combating air threats. It also says that the IAF hit Pakistan’s air defense radars, surface-to-air missile sites, command and control centers, aircraft hangars and airport infrastructure at several locations, including Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sargodha, Jacobabad and Bholari.

A notable claim in the report is that the S-400 unit successfully engaged a Pakistani special mission aircraft at a distance of 314 km. The report presents this as an important demonstration of India’s long-range air defense capability and a challenge to the assumption that distance could provide protection against Indian air defense systems.

The navy also played a big role. The report said that after the Pahalgam attack, front-line ships, including the Carrier Battle Group and submarines, were deployed in an attack posture in the North Arabian Sea. The Navy maintained constant awareness of the maritime area and was prepared to engage targets at sea and on land. It says the threat posed by Indian naval forces contributed to Pakistan seeking an urgent ceasefire on 10 May.

The army’s explosive ordnance disposal units also played a role, disposing of 220 unexploded ordnance items in the Northern Command area and 13 in the Western Command area. The report records the recovery and disinfection of drone debris, including one identified as a Baykar YIHA III of Turkish origin, as well as Turkish MAM munitions and the disinfection of two PL-15 missiles.

Lessons from Operation Sindoor

Apart from the operational account, the report said that India had conducted a comprehensive review of empty capacities after Operation Sindoor. Major areas include force restructuring, greater connectivity between the three services and the integration of emerging technologies.

The report therefore portrays Operation Sindoor not only as a military response to terrorism, but also as a test of India’s ability to conduct integrated network-centric operations involving intelligence, precision strike, air defense, naval power and unmanned systems.

What does it say about LAC?

On the northern border, the report notes a significant reduction in PLA deployment opposite Indian Army positions during 2025. It states that 10 Combined Arms Brigade-sized PLA units have been deployed in areas along the LAC and in traditional training areas.

At the same time, the report asserts that the Indian Army’s deployment in all sectors along the LAC remains robust, well prepared and ready to deal with any contingency.

The assessment comes against the backdrop of renewed diplomatic and military engagement between India and China. The report takes note of the 33rd and 34th meetings of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination in March and July 2025 and the resumption of the Special Representatives meeting on the border issue, with the round taking place in August 2025 after the previous round in December 2024.

It also cites Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin in August 2025 and the 23rd Corps Commander-level meeting in Eastern Ladakh on October 25-26, 2025.

The report states that these political, diplomatic and military engagements have contributed to stability along the northern borders. He adds that border staff meetings with the PLA continued in all sectors in a cordial and friendly environment to resolve issues.

Published – 16 Sep 2026 13:09 IST