ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash

EP-444 | How India Blinded, Numbed & Paralysed Pakistan’s Air Force | Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra

ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash

Show Notes

Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra is a former fighter pilot who served in the Indian Air Force for more than 39 years. In January 2025, he took charge of the Western Air Command, one of the IAF’s most important operational commands. Just months later, he led the command during Operation Sindoor.

In this edition of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Air Marshal Mishra explains how India blinded Pakistan during Operation Sindoor and achieved air superiority, gaining the ability to strike anywhere inside Pakistan.

He also speaks about the operational freedom given to the Indian Air Force and the role of women pilots in striking terror hubs in Pakistan. The conversation also covers drones, indigenous weapons and whether India is ready for Operation Sindoor 2.0.

00:00 – Introduction 01:36 – IAF’s Planning for Op Sindoor 06:16 – IAF’s Precision Strikes 11:37 – Op Sindoor’s Target Selection 17:21 – Women Pilots in Op Sindoor 21:25 – Mental Makeup of IAF Pilots 28:09 – Decision-Making Behind Op Sindoor 32:44 – Psyche of Pakistan’s Military 39:00 – IAF’s 314-km S-400 Strike 45:42 – Blinding Pakistan’s Air Defences 54:30 – PM Modi’s Adampur Visit 58:27 – IAF’s Core Team for Op Sindoor 1:03:48 – BrahMos 1:08:06 – Drone Warfare 1:18:37 – Operation Safed Sagar 1:29:58 – Pakistan’s Attempts to Find S-400 1:29:58 – Narrative Warfare 1:42:26 – Track 2 Diplomacy

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