A report from Switzerland’s Centre for Military History and Perspective Studies (CHPM) reveals that by the morning of May 10, 2025, the Indian Air Force (IAF) had secured air superiority over large parts of Pakistani airspace. This allowed India to carry out long-range, precise strikes on Pakistan’s military infrastructure with relative ease. Written by military historian Adrien Fontanellaz, the report highlights India’s use of advanced weapons like BrahMos and SCALP-EG cruise missiles to maintain powerful stand-off attacks. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF), meanwhile, lost its ability to perform complex air operations after India destroyed crucial forward air-surveillance radars and deployed its S-400 air defense systems, which threatened Pakistani AWACS and strike platforms. From May 7 to May 10, Pakistan’s aerial strikes, involving over 300 drones, JF-17 fighters, and CM-400AKG missiles, targeted Indian forward posts and command centers. They also used various drones, including Songar and Turkish-designed Yihaa-III suicide drones, and launched cyberattacks. Still, India successfully intercepted most attacks using mobile surface-to-air missile batteries. The report describes a major Indian counterattack between 2:00 and 5:00 AM on May 10. Using Su-30MKIs, Jaguars, and Rafale jets, the IAF fired BrahMos, SCALP-EG, and Rampage missiles from within Indian airspace. They struck seven targets as far as 200 km inside Pakistan, damaging a surface-to-air missile battery and five air bases. Nur Khan Air Base near Islamabad saw its command-and-control centre hit, while Murid Air Base, Pakistan’s main drone fleet hub, suffered damage to drone hangars and control facilities. Additional strikes targeted Rahim Yar Khan, Rafiqi, and Sukkur air bases. The CHPM report calls this operation, named Sindoor, a turning point in India’s counter-terrorism strategy. It states, “Operation Sindoor marks a decisive evolution in India’s counter-terrorism doctrine, equating major terrorist attacks with acts of war.” The report adds that this strategy removes differences between terrorist groups and their state backers, showing India’s commitment to respond firmly, despite Pakistan’s nuclear weapons.