12
May (Daytime)
At 6pm, Indian DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai and his Pak counterpart Maj Gen Kashif Abdullah held their scheduled hotline chat (3rd time in 3 days). Both acknowledged first night without hostilities. This came after first ‘peaceful’ night since beginning of hostilities. Meanwhile, Indian PM Modi chaired a high level meeting at his residence. EAM Jaishankar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, NSA Ajit Doval, CDS, 3 Service Chiefs, foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, top officials were present.
At 3pm, a Press Conference on OP Sindoor by the Indian Armed Forces was conducted where further updates and presentations were given on enemy losses and images of downed UAVs, AAMs, destroyed radar sites, badly damaged airbases and airfields etc were shown. During the Q&A, regarding the Indian Air Force, “All our pilots are back home. We don't want to discuss losses to platforms as we don't want to give any advantage to our adversary”.
Left
image: “Clearer imagery released by an Indian firm (KAWASPACE) spotlights
damage at Pakistan’s Bholari Airbase - the Indian Air Force strike appears to
have severely damaged a hangar, debris visible along with structural damage,
runway proximity = possible quick reaction role for the hangar (?). On the
right, Chinese Firm MAZARVISION also released an image showing the same damage
to Bholari”. (Images and text courtesy: Damien
Symon @detresfa_)
The IAF confirmed it has shot down Pak air assets on Pak side of the IB. "Whatever loss they suffered, it was their own responsibility", stated Air Marshal Bharti in a detailed response to Pak aggression. Air Marshal AK Bharti further said, “This was a different kind of warfare and is bound to happen. God forbid, but if we fight another war, that would be completely different from this one. It is a cat-and-mouse game, and we need to be ahead of the curve to beat the adversary. Our battle proven systems stood the test of time and take them head on. Another highlight has been the stellar performance of the indigenous air defence system, the Akash system. Putting together and operationalising the potent AD environment has been possible only because of budgetary and policy support from the government of India in the last decade". When asked if India hit Kirana Hills, Air Marshal AK Bharti said, "Thank you for telling us that Kirana Hills houses some nuclear installation, we did not know about it. We have not hit Kirana Hills, whatever is there”.
12 May (Afternoon)
At the 2nd press conference for the day, DG Air Ops Air Marshal AK Bharti stated: “Yesterday, we had a detailed brief on the successful joint operations that were carried out to destroy the terror infrastructure in POJK as well as in Pakistan itself. We have also iterated that our fight was with terrorists and their support infrastructure. However, it is a pity that the Pakistan military chose to intervene and bat for the terrorists, which compelled us to respond in kind. This brings me to the point - how have Indian Forces managed to minimise the damage to both civilian and military infra in the country, in spite of the and unrelenting efforts by Pakistani forces. Most of you and the majority populace, have had a lot to say about the layered and integrated AD system put in place by Indian Armed Forces, which includes assets of the Army and Navy, in addition to the primary AD assets of the IAF”.
“From
India's latest briefing on Operation Sindoor, here is an updated list of
military/terror-affiliated sites targeted by New Delhi in Pakistan, some over
165-km inside”, according to Damien
Symon of @detresfa_.
“As you are all aware, this robust AD system comprises of a large variety of AD sensors, and weapon systems- from point defence weapons like the LLAD guns, shoulder fired MANPADS and short-range SAMS, to area defence weapons like the AD fighter aircraft, and longer range SAMs held in our inventory. Additionally, the numerous waves of drones and UCAVs employed by Pakistan were also thwarted by the indigenously developed soft and hard-kill Counter-UAS systems and the well trained Indian AD personnel. All this was brought together as an efficient and effective AD environment, by the Integrated Air Command & Control System (IACCS) of the IAF, which accords us Net-Centric Op capability”.
DG
Air Ops Air Marshal AK Bharti at the daily briefing
“While much has been said and written about the newer systems, I would like to place on record the performance and efficacy demonstrated by even the older and battle proven AD weapons like the Pechora, OSA-AK and the LLAD guns, in countering the Pakistani threat vectors in the current operations. Another highlight has been the stellar performance of indigenous AD weapons like the Akash system. I would like to also mention that, putting together and operationalisation of this potent AD environment has been possible over the last decade, due to unwavering budgetary and policy support provided by the GoI, in acquiring state-of-the art equipment and weapon systems”.
“Some of the results achieved in countering the enemy threat vectors, over the last week, are now being shown on the screen. This is only a small sample which is being put up, and not the entire range of threats neutralised. As far as our offensive actions are concerned, yesterday I had already shared some details about the targets engaged by the IAF. The composite picture of the IAF targeting so far is now shown on the screen. I am sure most of you would have already seen the effect of these strikes on ground, courtesy the large number of videos and photographs being circulated in the media. A few representative examples, from open sources, are now being shown on the screen. In the end, I would like to emphatically state that, in spite of some minor damage incurred, all our military bases and systems continue to remain fully operational, and ready to undertake any further missions, should the need so arise”.
Information collected and collated
courtesy: The Vayu Team. Additionally, special thanks to PIB/MoD, Shiv Aroor
and Vishnu Som from NDTV, Snehesh Alex Philip, The Times of India, Indian Express,
Hindustan Times and Damien Symon.