India’s bold military retaliation, Operation Sindoor, has drawn widespread praise from global defense experts and former military officials — including a former Pentagon officer, who said Pakistan was left humiliated, pleading for a ceasefire after suffering serious strategic losses.

Michael Rubin, former Pentagon official and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told ANI that India’s surgical strikes exposed Pakistan’s military vulnerabilities.

“Pakistan ran away with its tail between its legs trying to enforce a ceasefire,” Rubin said bluntly.

He emphasized that India had scored a clear victory — not just militarily, but diplomatically too — shifting the global narrative to focus on Pakistan’s continued support for terrorism.
Rubin added:

“There’s no distinction left between Pakistani soldiers and terrorists when uniformed officers are seen attending terrorist funerals.”

Operation Sindoor: A Precision Strike Strategy

Launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 Indian tourists were killed, Operation Sindoor saw a series of calibrated air strikes between May 7 and May 9:

• May 7: Indian Air Force struck terrorist camps with Rafale jets and BrahMos missiles.
• May 8: Pakistan’s HQ-16 air defense system in Lahore was destroyed.
• May 9: Key airbases including Noor Khan and Rafiki were targeted and damaged.
• India also successfully used its S-400 missile defense system to neutralize Pakistan’s drone and missile attacks.

After suffering heavy blows and being unable to breach Indian defenses, Pakistan’s Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO) called for a ceasefire on May 10, which India agreed to — on its own terms.

Global Acclaim for India's Strategy

• Tom Cooper, an Austrian military historian, called it a "clear-cut victory", noting that Pakistan’s usual tactic of threatening nuclear escalation failed to deter India.
• John Spencer, urban warfare expert from the Modern War Institute, praised India’s “strategic restraint with decisive action,” emphasizing that India acted independently, without international mediation.
• Jennifer Zeng, a member of the International Press Association, highlighted that India had crippled both Pakistan’s terror infrastructure and its air defense systems, calling it a “multi-layered strategic success.”

A Shift in Doctrine

Defense experts agree that Operation Sindoor marks a major shift in India’s military doctrine:

• Cross-border terrorism will now be treated as an act of war.
• India has demonstrated its ability and willingness to strike with precision.
• The focus remains on avoiding full-scale war while inflicting maximum strategic damage.

In essence, Operation Sindoor has redefined the rules of engagement. Without crossing the threshold into all-out war, India showcased military superiority, technological prowess, and a matured strategic mindset — leaving Pakistan militarily stunned and diplomatically isolated.