Top US warfare expert calls Operation Sindoor India’s win over Chinese weapons
Top American warfare expert on Thursday described Operation Sindoor as India’s victory over Chinese weapons, which Pakistan used in the conflict between the two nations.
In an article posted on X titled “India’s Operation Sindoor: A Battlefield Verdict on Chinese Weapons—And India’s Victory", John Spencer said the Operation was about India’s Sovereign Power versus Pakistan’s proxy dependency on Chinese 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 that was built for export, not for excellence. When challenged, these systems failed—exposing the strategic hollowness behind Islamabad’s defence posture," said Spencer, Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point, a research centre dedicated to the study of war and warfare.
He said the global market reacted with India’s defence stocks surging.
“Paras Defence & Space rose 49% in May, while MTAR Technologies and Data Patterns gained investor trust. In contrast, Chinese defence stocks fell sharply after the operation. AVIC, NORINCO, CETC all took hits as the battlefield disproved their marketing.
Operation Sindoor wasn’t just a military campaign. It was a technology demonstration, a market signal, and a strategic blueprint. India showed the world what self-reliance in modern warfare looks like—and proved that “Atmanirbhar Bharat” works under fire," Spencer said in an endorsement of India’s self-reliance policy in defence.
In his article Spencer detailed the deployment of indigenous defence systems to India’s advantage in this conflict.
He said Operation Sindoor pitted India’s indigenously developed weapons systems against Chinese-supplied platforms fielded by Pakistan.
“And India didn’t just win on the battlefield—it won the technology referendum," states the article which mentions the indigenous Indian technologies including — BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile; The Akash surface-to-air missile, Rudram Anti-Radiation Missile, Netra Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C), Loitering Munitions (SkyStriker, Harop), Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) System, M777 Ultra-Light Howitzer, T-72 Main Battle Tanks and Zorawar Light Tanks, Airborne Platforms: Rafale, Su-30MKI, Mirage 2000.
Comparing the Indian arsenal with the Chinese systems which Pakistan used, Spencer noted India’s strategic and technological win.
He traced India’s journey towards a modern defence power starting 2014, when Prime Minister Modi launched the “Make in India" initiative with the goal to reduce dependence on foreign arms imports and build a world-class domestic defence industry.’
“The policy incentivised joint ventures, opened defence to foreign direct investment up to 74%, and encouraged both public and private sector manufacturers to build sophisticated military hardware at home. Within a few years, systems like the BrahMos missile, K9 Vajra howitzer, and AK-203 rifle were being produced inside India—many with technology partnerships but increasing domestic control," said Spencer mentioning also how India imposed phased bans on key defense imports, gave the armed forces emergency procurement powers, and poured investment into indigenous research, design, and production.
By 2025, India had increased domestic content in defense procurement from 30 per cent to 65 per cent, with a goal of 90 per cent by the decade’s end.
That doctrine was tested under fire on April 22, 2025, when Pakistan-backed militants killed 26 Indian civilians in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baisaran Valley. “In response, India launched Operation Sindoor—a rapid, multidomain military campaign that not only dismantled cross-border terror networks but became a full-scale validation of India’s defence transformation. Operation Sindoor pitted India’s indigenously developed weapons systems against Chinese-supplied platforms fielded by Pakistan. And India didn’t just win on the battlefield—it won the technology referendum. What unfolded was not just retaliation, but the strategic debut of a sovereign arsenal built under the twin doctrines of Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat," he said.
India