India has reportedly captured an unprecedented trove of digital and electromagnetic signatures from Pakistan’s frontline Chinese-built military platforms. Sources within India’s defence and intelligence establishment confirm that the data was collected during a classified military initiative earlier this year—Operation Sindoor—an effort that may reshape the balance of electronic warfare (EW) power in South Asia for the foreseeable future.
The intelligence windfall comes at a time of increasing hostilities between India and Pakistan, especially after a series of aerial standoffs and border skirmishes that took place between January and March 2025. Defence experts are hailing the operation as one of the most significant ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) gains in India’s modern military history.
During the recent flare-up in hostilities, India deployed a layered network of passive radars, airborne ELINT platforms, and high-altitude drones along sensitive sectors of the Line of Control and International Border. This network, designed not just for surveillance but also for electromagnetic mapping, successfully intercepted and catalogued signal emissions from Pakistan’s advanced aerial assets.
Specifically, Indian systems reportedly logged signature-level data from the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) J-10C multirole fighters and JF-17 Block III aircraft—both of which are built with Chinese avionics suites and electronic warfare systems. More critically, emissions from high-value missile systems such as the PL-15E beyond visual range (BVR) missile and the HQ-9 strategic SAM (Surface-to-Air Missile) were also captured.
According to Indian officials familiar with the operation, these electronic signatures—comprising radar acquisition patterns, signal hopping sequences, data-link protocols, and telemetry streams—are being stored in India’s central threat database for real-time threat classification, spoofing, and countermeasure deployment.
The PL-15E, an extended-range air-to-air missile designed for China’s fifth-generation platforms and exported to Pakistan, is regarded as a key challenge for regional air forces. With a no-escape zone exceeding 140 kilometers and an active AESA seeker, the missile poses a direct threat to India’s AEW&C platforms and refueling aircraft.
Operation Sindoor’s biggest success, according to defence sources, was capturing the in-flight telemetry, seeker lock-on behavior, and terminal homing patterns of the PL-15E. This data is now being integrated into Indian Air Force (IAF) defensive systems, including onboard missile approach warning systems (MAWS), jamming pods, and digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) decoys.
Similarly, India’s successful interception of the HQ-9’s radar frequency bands, pulse repetition intervals (PRIs), and engagement logic provides a unique advantage for Indian strike aircraft tasked with SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) missions. This allows pre-mission programming of electronic countermeasures and evasive routes tailored to Pakistan’s SAM deployments.
Indian defence analyst Lt Gen (Retd.) Rajendra Rao likened the success to “the equivalent of breaking the enemy’s encrypted code in World War II.”
“For decades, India’s military planners have faced a partial intelligence blind spot when it comes to China-origin systems in Pakistani hands,” he said. “This data haul fundamentally changes that equation.”
By acquiring live, combat-level electronic emissions from these platforms, India now possesses what is often considered the crown jewel of electronic warfare—a complete and authenticated signature library. Such libraries allow air defense systems to instantly recognize hostile assets, deploy appropriate jamming responses, and launch decoys or interceptor missiles without delay.
The captured signals are being rapidly integrated into India’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), the backbone of its real-time airspace surveillance and missile engagement network. IAF’s airborne warning systems like Netra AEW&C, radar sites, and digital threat processors across commands are being updated with the new electromagnetic fingerprints.
This integration enables automated threat classification: Indian systems can now distinguish between a J-10C and a JF-17 Block III based solely on radar emissions and signal envelope—even under electronic jamming conditions.
IAF officers confirm that the captured data has also been used in simulation exercises to test stealth evasion, saturation attacks, and mock SEAD missions, thereby improving India’s overall preparedness for a potential multi-front aerial conflict involving both Pakistan and China.
India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), along with private and state-run entities like Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and Defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), is now incorporating the captured data into multiple development programs.
These include:
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Radar Threat Emulation Simulators used to train pilots against realistic adversary tactics
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Artificial Intelligence algorithms for early missile detection and classification
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Stealth materials and deflection design under the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program
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Next-gen jamming pods for Su-30MKIs and future UAVs
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Improved avionics for India’s Tejas Mk1A and Mk2 fighters to recognize and spoof Chinese-origin radar systems
According to an insider in DRDO’s Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS), this real-world data will help close the gap between Indian and NATO-standard ELINT programs, reducing India’s reliance on foreign threat libraries.
The captured signatures are also being selectively shared with trusted partners, including Quad members (US, Japan, Australia) and Middle Eastern defence allies such as Israel and the UAE. This enhances not just India’s regional influence but also boosts the attractiveness of Indian-origin systems for export.
“When you can demonstrate that your radar systems and EW suites can spoof or resist Chinese-origin threats—whether it’s PL-15 or KLJ-10A—you automatically add value to your defence exports,” said defence economist Ananya Ghosh.
Indeed, India’s recent defence deals involving Akash SAM systems, Swathi radars, and Tejas export variants now carry an added appeal: built-in resistance to Chinese-Pakistani systems based on real-world data.
The fallout from Operation Sindoor has put Pakistan in a difficult position. Defence observers speculate that the PAF may now be forced to:
- Change radar emission protocols for its frontline aircraft and SAM batteries
- Limit active deployments of HQ-9 and PL-15 systems to avoid further exposure
- Request upgrades or replacements from China with low probability of intercept (LPI) features
- Invest in signature deception technologies, including AESA radar spoofing and decoy drones
The high cost and complexity of these changes could stretch Pakistan’s defence resources, especially as economic pressures continue to affect its procurement cycles and modernization plans.
India’s ELINT breakthrough is more than just a tactical win—it’s a sign of strategic evolution. In a region where conventional military parity has often dictated diplomacy, control over the electromagnetic spectrum could serve as a new deterrent, replacing outdated doctrines with spectrum denial, signal deception, and cyber-electronic warfare convergence.
More importantly, India has taken a decisive step toward offensive electromagnetic operations (EMO)—capabilities that can blind enemy radars, jam missile seekers, and conduct real-time cyber interference on command networks.
In a world where warfare is increasingly becoming multi-domain—combining air, cyber, and spectrum control—the silent war of signals may decide outcomes before the first missile is launched.
The success of Operation Sindoor is more than just a technical triumph—it is a statement of India’s maturity as an aerospace power and its arrival in the upper tier of global electronic warfare nations.
By capturing, decoding, and integrating real-time electronic signatures from adversarial systems, India has not only enhanced its defensive depth but also paved the way for a doctrine of electromagnetic dominance—an arena previously led by the United States, Russia, and China.
As South Asia becomes an increasingly volatile theatre, India’s mastery over the invisible battlespace offers a strategic edge that could prove decisive in both deterrence and warfighting.
