Exclusive Excerpt from The Sky Warriors: Operation Sindoor Unveiled by Vishnu Som

The following excerpt offers a gripping glimpse into the tense build-up, psychological conditioning, and high-level decision-making that preceded Operation Sindoor.

‘Listen, we need to get ready for whatever we have practised for. There are high chances that we are going to get hit. We told them that bombs could fall on them. They could see people dying. Maybe somebody would not get back from a mission. Others might get an arm or a leg blown off. But they had to be resilient and continue… It takes time to get people into the correct frame of mind.’ The mental preparation would come in handy during 8 and 9 May when Adampur became the focus for the PAF.

The date and time were finally confirmed between 4 May and 5 May – 13 days after Pahalgam. Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh had been running a continual round of briefings in New Delhi with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and sometimes Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The Air Force had latitude in how to conduct strikes once targets were set. But the timing ‘was the decision of the Government. The target sets were known to us about a week before. But the exact date and time [for the strikes to go in] was decided at the national leadership level,’ says Air Marshal Tiwari.

What this excerpt lays bare is a dimension of military operations that often remains unseen—the battle within, long before the first strike.

The IAF officers were told to expect the worst: casualties, chaos, even the possibility of not returning. This was not fear-mongering—it was conditioning. The objective was clear: strip away illusion, confront reality, and build a mindset that would not break under pressure.

At the same time, the excerpt reveals the depth of coordination at the highest levels of leadership. While the Indian Air Force had clarity on targets well in advance, the timing of the strikes was a calibrated decision shaped through continuous consultations. This interplay between military readiness and government oversight highlights a crucial truth: Operation Sindoor wasn’t driven solely by impulse or rage, but by layered and thoughtful decision-making.

If this excerpt has sparked your curiosity, the truth of those four decisive days is waiting for you in the book The Sky Warriors: Operation Sindoor Unveiled by Vishnu Som. Order your copy now—and step into the unfiltered account of how the Indian Air Force asserted its dominance in the skies, when it mattered the most.