Kargil lessons shaped Operation Sindoor: Ex-army chief General VP Malik
Former Indian Army Chief General VP Malik reflects on the lessons of the 1999 Kargil War and their influence on modern military strategy. He highlights the shift toward self-reliance, advanced surveillance technology, and integrated tri-services command as key factors in recent successful operations.
Why it matters
It provides insight into the evolution of India's defense doctrine and the strategic shift toward indigenous military technology and integrated command structures.
CHANDIGARH: Twenty-seven years after leading the Army during the 1999 Kargil War, former Army chief General VP Malik (retd) said the conflict's hard lessons - from equipment shortages and intelligence gaps to the need for self-reliance - transformed India's military capabilities, enabling the precision strikes on Pakistani airfields during last year's Operation Sindoor without crossing the border."The biggest operational lessons were the need to strengthen intelligence, surveillance and achieve 'atmanirbharta (self-reliance)' in military hardware," Gen Malik told TOI in an interview ahead of the 27th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas. Those lessons, he said, shaped India's military preparedness over the next two decades.Citing Operation Sindoor, he pointed to the armed forces' growing reliance on short- and long-range drones for surveillance and precision strikes, along with advanced rockets and missiles.
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