Muneeb ul Haq
New Delhi, Sep 01 : Vice Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain on Tuesday said Operation Sindoor did not begin on the day it became visible but was built over years through cyber and intelligence networks, underscoring the multi-domain nature of modern warfare.
Addressing the second annual Trident Lecture organised by the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS), Lt Gen Jain as per The Varmul Post/The Web Story said the campaign, which became publicly known on May 7, 2025, was the result of sustained groundwork in the cyber domain and intelligence networks that had been building up “for many years before that” .
“The battle was fought not only at those locations, but in the electromagnetic spectrum, networks, diplomatic as well as the information space,” the Vice Chief said. “Intelligence networks, cyber operators, and every citizen with a mobile phone were participants in Op Sindoor.” He said this exemplifies how modern battles will be fought across multiple domains, not restricted to the military alone .
Lt Gen Jain described the operation as a “high-speed, high-impact precision strike” that demonstrated India’s multi-domain warfare capability. He said that the conflict did not involve capturing territory or engaging civilian populations but was designed to deliver a decisive blow within a short timeframe .
The Vice Chief said the operation showcased the importance of “sequencing of effects,” where ground intelligence, cyber, electronic warfare, and naval repositioning worked in tandem, with every domain creating the conditions the next one needed .
Lt Gen Jain also highlighted the role of non-military instruments in extending consequences beyond the day of kinetic action, stating that “kinetic actions establish credibility, but non-kinetic instruments extend the consequences beyond the day”.
Earlier, Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth, addressing the same event, underlined the importance of coordinated planning and integrated execution in the operation.
The Trident Lecture was organised by CENJOWS at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi. Senior serving and retired military officers attended the event.
