From Kargil's Op Safed Sagar to Bholari's Op Sindoor: How Indian Air Force grew in capability

A recently released web series Operation Safed Sagar has reignited public interest in the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) role during the Kargil War. It captures the improvisation and courage of pilots who, in 1999, fought at altitudes above 15,000 feet with limited precision weapons and inadequate intelligence. The IAF was constrained by political orders not to cross the Line of Control, forcing crews to invent high‑altitude strike profiles never practised before. Despite these limitations, the destruction of Pakistan’s logistics base at Muntho Dhalo proved decisive. Yet the campaign exposed gaps in joint planning, shortages of guided munitions and the obsolescence of many systems.Then 26 years later in May 2025, Operation Sindoor demonstrated this transformation. In response to the cold-blooded Pahalgam terror attack, the IAF and the army struck nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Pakistan escalated with drone, missile and air attacks, prompting India to retaliate.