New Delhi, July 4: Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance), said on Friday that China effectively used its alliance with Pakistan as a “live weapons laboratory” during Operation Sindoor, a high-stakes military conflict that underscored the evolving nature of warfare.
Speaking at the FICCI-organised seminar on ‘New Age Military Technologies’, Lt Gen Singh said that Operation Sindoor revealed not only the need for advanced air defence systems but also the tactical implications of facing “two adversaries on one border”—Pakistan in the front and China providing comprehensive support.
“Air defence played a crucial role in the entire operation. Although our population centres were untouched this time, we may not be so lucky next time. We must be better prepared,” he said.
Highlighting the strategic depth of the Pakistan-China military axis, the Deputy COAS noted, “In the last five years, 81% of Pakistan’s military hardware has been Chinese. China provided real-time updates to Pakistan during the operation. For them, it’s like having a live lab to test their weapons.”
He also pointed to Turkey’s support to Pakistan, saying Ankara supplied advanced systems, including Bayraktar drones, which added another layer of technological complexity to the battlefield.
Lt Gen Singh lauded the Indian Armed Forces’ precision strikes on terror infrastructure and underlined the fusion of technology and human intelligence in planning the operation. “The leadership sent an unambiguous strategic message. Pain absorption, as done in the past, was not an option,” he said.
He revealed that 21 targets were initially identified, out of which nine were ultimately selected for strikes. “The final decision was made only in the last hour. It was a calculated move with a tri-services approach to signal our operational integration,” he added.
Stressing the importance of managing escalation, he said, “We must always aim to stay on top of the escalation ladder. War is easy to start but very difficult to control. The decision to end it at the right moment was a masterstroke.”
Lt Gen Singh’s remarks come amid a volatile security environment, and his candid assessment reinforces the urgency for India to adapt to hybrid threats backed by advanced technologies and foreign collaboration.
