Lucknow: The army, and not the air force alone, carried out the bulk of precision strikes during Operation Sindoor, while the navy quietly played a critical role by deploying loitering munitions against long range targets, according to Maj Gen (retd) Bipin Bakshi, co-author of ‘Redlines Redrawn: Operation Sindoor and India’s New Normal’.Maj Gen Bakshi was in Lucknow recently on invitation of city-based thinktank STRIVE, to discuss the book with military personnel at the Central Command headquarters.The book is co-authored by a former diplomat and three retired military veterans – Air Marshal Rajesh Kumar, Anil Trigunayat, the ambassador and Brig Akhelesh Bhargava.Talking to TOI, Maj Gen Bakshi said, “There is a widespread public misconception about the operation. The contribution of the army and navy has largely remained out of the spotlight.”“Everyone thinks the air force hit all the nine targets. That is not correct. The air force was assigned only two targets, while the army was assigned seven,” he said.He further disclosed that the navy’s role went beyond conventional maritime operations. “Two of the army’s longer-range targets required additional firepower, prompting the integration of naval loitering munitions into the strike package,” Maj Gen Bakshi said.“Among the army’s seven targets, two were at comparatively longer ranges. The army felt they needed one more weapon apart from what was available in the army’s arsenal. The navy offered its loitering munitions,” he said.Bakshi said the navy had earlier offered the same capability to both the army and the air force. While the air force evaluated the option, it ultimately chose not to employ it. The army, however, accepted the proposal after integration exercises.“The navy moved forward into Punjab, their systems were integrated and it was decided to use them,” he said.According to Bakshi, he later sought confirmation from Chief of Defence Staff (former) General Anil Chauhan regarding which munitions ultimately struck the two designated targets.“I asked the CDS whether those targets were hit by the loitering munitions of the army or the navy. He told me both had hit. We deliberately created overlap to improve redundancy and increase the degree of certainty,” Bakshi said.He argued that the navy’s participation has received little public attention because of what he called the force’s long-standing institutional culture.“The navy calls itself the ‘Silent Service’. It has always believed in quietly doing its job without seeking public recognition. That’s why very few people know its weapons were actually used,” he said.Maj Gen Bakshi added that Operation Sindoor was a genuine tri-service operation, pointing to official briefings that referred to joint military participation. Besides the use of naval weapon systems, he claimed naval special forces were also forward deployed during the operation.
