Op Sindoor: India Wins Tech War as Pakistan Fails Acting as China's Proxy, Says US Military Expert

By A Staff Reporter

New Delhi — Operation Sindoor wasn’t just a military triumph for India—it marked a pivotal technological and strategic victory over China, with Pakistan serving as its proxy, according to leading US military expert John Spencer.

Spencer, a retired US Army officer and Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute, described the operation as a watershed moment for India’s defence autonomy. In a detailed post on X (formerly Twitter), he asserted that the clash revealed the stark contrast between India’s sovereign military innovation and Pakistan’s dependence on Chinese-supplied weapon systems.

“India fought as a sovereign power—wielding precision tools it designed, built and deployed with unmatched battlefield control. Pakistan fought as a proxy force, dependent on Chinese hardware… When challenged, these systems failed—exposing the strategic hollowness behind Islamabad’s defence posture,” Spencer wrote.

He highlighted India’s deployment of a range of indigenous platforms, including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, Akash and Akashteer missile defence systems, Rudram anti-radiation missile, Netra AEW&C, SkyStriker and Harop loitering munitions, and the D4S counter-UAV system. These were pitted against Pakistan’s Chinese-supplied HQ-9 and HQ-16 SAMs, LY-80 air defence systems, and CH-4 drones—all of which underperformed, according to Spencer.

The operation showcased the success of Modi government’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ campaigns, aimed at boosting self-reliance in defence manufacturing. Spencer noted that India’s strategy moved swiftly after the 2020 Galwan Valley clash and the COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in foreign supply chains.

“India imposed phased bans on key defence imports, gave the armed forces emergency procurement powers, and poured investment into indigenous R&D. By 2025, India had increased domestic content in defence procurement from 30% to 65%, targeting 90% by decade’s end,” he stated.