China used Op Sindoor as ‘live lab’ to test weapons: Army Deputy Chief

China used the four-day India-Pakistan conflict in May like a “live lab" to test various weapon systems and was providing all possible support to Islamabad, in line with its ancient military strategy of killing the adversary with a “borrowed knife", Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Rahul R Singh said on Friday.

In his address at a seminar on ‘New Age Military Technologies’ organised by industry body FICCI, Lieutenant General Singh said Beijing’s support to Islamabad was not surprising as 81 per cent of Pakistan military’s hardware came from China.

The Deputy Army Chief, who looks after the force’s capability development and sustenance vertical, cited China’s ancient military strategy of “36 stratagems” and killing the adversary with a “borrowed knife” to buttress the point that Beijing extended all possible support to Pakistan to harm India. He argued that “China would rather use Pakistan to cause pain (to India) than getting involved in a mudslinging match on the northern frontier”.

“When the DGMO-level talks were on, Pakistan actually knew the location of our missiles, which were primed and ready for action. So, they were getting live inputs from China…. That is one field we really need to move fast and take appropriate action,” he said.

The Army General also said that India faced a trilateral axis during Operation Sindoor as Pakistan was actively supported by China and Turkiye. “Turkiye also played an important role in providing support to Pakistan, particularly in launching of drone attacks.”

He said the strategic messaging by the Indian leadership was unambiguous. “The planning and selection of targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir was based on a lot of data,” he said.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

The Indian armed forces conducted extensive intelligence gathering while the final selection of targets remained fluid until the last hour. “Operation Sindoor was a carefully orchestrated military action. The operation showed India’s resolve to stay ahead on the escalation ladder, while preventing a full-scale war with Pakistan,” said Lieutenant General Singh.

He said war was easy to initiate, but difficult to control. “So, I will say a masterly stroke was played to stop the war at an appropriate time." He also warned that the future conflicts could involve a “computer nerd” who may sit in one part of the country and control the entire weapon system. A key takeaway from the operation, the General explained, was the centrality of real-time data and surveillance.

India