US warfare expert says Chinese, Pak air defence no match for India's BrahMos in Op Sindoor

Operation Sindoor has received high praise from a top American military expert, who called it an inflection point in the global fight against terror. Colonel (Retd) John Spencer, Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute, said India showcased overwhelming offensive and defensive superiority during the operation, sending a clear message that it has the capability to hit “anywhere in Pakistan, anytime.”

Spencer particularly praised the use of India’s BrahMos missiles, highlighting their ability to pierce Chinese-origin air defence systems used by Pakistan. He noted that during the cross-border strikes on May 10, Indian forces targeted 11 Pakistani air bases using BrahMos, which successfully evaded and overwhelmed the air defence shield, a feat he said underscores India's military and technological superiority.

Calling Chinese and Pakistani air defence systems “sub-par,” Spencer said the success of BrahMos in Operation Sindoor showed the limitations of China’s exported military gear. “India didn’t just strike deep inside Pakistan; it did so while defending its own assets from Pakistani drones and high-speed missiles,” he said.

He added that the operation imposed "major costs" on the Pakistan Army, both strategically and politically, and was a textbook case of targeted counter-terror response without full-scale escalation. He lauded India’s information warfare strategy—especially the timely release of satellite images and proof of strike damage—as a model for modern conflict communication.

Spencer also backed India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it a strategic decision to pressure Pakistan economically and diplomatically. He urged global powers to stop the “both-sides” approach and directly confront Pakistan’s role in cross-border terrorism, emphasizing that India's strategy should be studied and possibly replicated by other nations facing similar threats.