Pakistan Drones Shot Down Like Toy Darts as India’s “Suraksha Kavach” Exhibits Its Full Prowess
Lahore Airport Radar System Served a Major "Sardar" Blow.
BREAKFAST EDITION
Filed from Chandigarh, with inputs from Jammu, Amritsar, Pathankot, Chandigarh and Delhi
By Karan Bir Singh Sidhu
Retired IAS | Public Affairs Commentator | Strategic Analyst
Night of Reckoning: India Fends Off a Cowardly Barrage
As dusk fell on 8 May and stretched into the early hours of 9 May 2025, Pakistan launched what it claimed was a "precision offensive"—but what the world witnessed was little more than a failed, noisy tantrum against a prepared and resolute India. Using a combination of Chinese CH-4B and Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones—platforms that fall far short of Israel’s sophisticated kamikaze-class loitering munitions—Pakistan attempted to target Indian cities with the intent to sow disruption, fear, and casualties. Instead, these cowardly incursions were systematically intercepted by India’s formidable “Suraksha Kavach”—our preferred name for the modern-day Sudarshan Chakra—an integrated defence grid comprising the S-400 Triumf, kinetic interceptors, and real-time intelligence networks.
Jammu Stands Tall Amid the Chaos
The city of Jammu, along with its strategically vital fringes—Satwari, RS Pura, Samba, Nagrota, and Arnia—became the frontline of Pakistan’s aggression. Eight missiles targeted military and civilian installations, including Jammu University and Satwari cantonment. Sirens blared, electricity was preemptively cut, and emergency protocols were activated across the city.
Yet, not a single strategic asset was compromised. The S-400 units deployed in Jammu’s defence intercepted all incoming missiles well before impact. One drone was brought down near the Tawi River, another disintegrated over Nagrota hills, its flaming debris splashing harmlessly into a dry nullah.
The Deputy Commissioner of Jammu, in a midnight broadcast, appealed for calm, asking residents to stay indoors and "trust the system, not the rumours." In adjoining Pathankot, similar measures were taken after three drones veered off-course, attempting to strike the Pathankot Air Force Station—none succeeded.
Amritsar and Ferozepur: Targets Missed, Faith Renewed
In Amritsar, two drones aimed at the Attari border post and Batala industrial park were neutralised mid-air before they could reach their targets. Explosions were heard across Tarn Taran and Rajasansi, prompting brief panic among residents. Meanwhile, in Ferozepur, missile fragments landed harmlessly in agricultural fields near Hussainiwala, causing minor damage to crop storage units but thankfully sparing human lives.
Even as the region braced under blackout protocols, the Golden Temple in Amritsar—not merely the holiest shrine for Sikhs but a universal emblem of peace and reverence—stood in luminous spiritual contrast. Its lights were respectfully dimmed, yet the ethereal gurbani continued to flow, enveloping the city in divine calm. Amidst the tension, there remained supreme faith in the blessings of Guru Ram Dass Ji, a reminder that where missiles may falter, the spirit of resilience endures.
Local authorities were swift to act. Blackout orders were enforced, and fake news was swiftly debunked. In Jalandhar, an accidental farm fire was wrongly circulated on social media as a Pakistani drone strike—prompting the Deputy Commissioner to clarify: “There is no Pakistani hit in the area. Don’t let rumours win the war.”
Chandigarh: The Heart That Beat Unshaken
Even the Union Territory of Chandigarh, though farther inland, was not spared from Pakistan’s delusional targeting. Several drones attempted to breach airspace over Manimajra and Sector 47, but were reportedly tracked and taken down near Panchkula hills. A city-wide blackout followed for two hours as a preventive measure. No civilian casualties were reported.
The Home Secretary, UT Administration, stated: “This blackout was a shield, not a signal of fear. The people of Chandigarh should take pride—they were part of India’s defence tonight.”
India’s Clinical Counterstrike: Lahore's Shameful Silence
Even before Pakistan’s offensive had fully unravelled, India had already responded with surgical precision, retaliating against Pakistan’s previous day’s misadventure by launching waves of Harop and Harpy loitering munitions—the very embodiment of kamikaze precision. Their targets: the HQ-9 Chinese missile defence batteries safeguarding Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi.
Lahore’s Walton Airbase and adjacent Allama Iqbal International Airport were struck at 03:47 hrs. Radar arrays, guidance consoles, and SAM command modules were rendered blind. By morning, Lahore’s radar signature had vanished, prompting emergency shutdowns of both military and civilian air corridors.
Indian officials released satellite footage showing disfigured HQ-9 launchers and fuel tankers ablaze, even as Pakistan’s ISPR feebly claimed “partial disruption.” Islamabad’s state media showed aerial shots devoid of incoming or outgoing flights—proof enough.
Understanding Kamikaze Precision
Kamikaze precision refers to the exacting lethality of loitering munitions, or suicide drones, that hover over a target zone, select high-value enemy assets, and then dive into them for pinpoint destruction. These UAVs—autonomous or human-operated—combine aerial surveillance with instantaneous strike capability.
The Israeli-made HAROP drone, used by India, loiters for up to nine hours, resists jamming, and delivers strikes within two metres of a target. With low radar signatures, these drones bypass conventional air defences and strike precisely where it hurts most—radar systems, missile units, and command hubs.
India’s Drone Superiority: Technology with a Human Edge
India’s dominance in kamikaze drone warfare is not just about superior machines—it’s about how they're used. With exclusive access to Israeli-origin systems like the HAROP and SkyStriker, and an estimated inventory of over 200 loitering munitions, India commands the skies with unmatched precision. These drones, capable of deep strikes and real-time targeting, are bolstered by domestic production partnerships and man-in-the-loop control, allowing Indian operators to retarget or abort missions with ethical oversight.
In contrast, Pakistan has no access to Israeli drones, relying instead on less advanced Chinese and Turkish systems. Its defences are limited to interception and jamming, with no equivalent offensive capability. Ultimately, India’s technological edge, combined with skilled human operation, gives it a decisive advantage in suppressing enemy air defences and shaping the aerial battlefield on its own terms.
International Reactions: Words, But No Weight
In the aftermath, the international community moved predictably—quick to comment, slow to act.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a neutral statement:
“We urge both sides to exercise maximum restraint. The risk of escalation in a nuclear neighbourhood is deeply troubling.”US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while acknowledging Indian sovereignty, tiptoed diplomatically:
“India has the right to defend its citizens and infrastructure, but we must encourage a return to the negotiating table.”China’s Foreign Ministry, supplying arms to Pakistan, awkwardly balanced:
“We urge all countries to respect territorial sovereignty and prevent further destabilisation.”
None of these statements unequivocally acknowledged the truth of the aggression—that Pakistan provoked and India prevailed.
Singing Off— for now: Triumph of Steel and Spirit: From Deterrence to Declaration
The events of the past 12 hours mark not just a military success, but a civilisational assertion. India did not merely defend its borders—it reaffirmed the credibility of its strategic deterrence, demonstrated the maturity of its command structure, and fortified national morale from Jammu, through Amritsar to Chandigarh.
Unlike the December 1971 Indo-Pak war, where India fought on two fronts while President Nixon flexed American muscle by dispatching the Seventh Fleet into the Bay of Bengal, today’s India is united, unflinching, and unafraid. Back then, Bangladesh was liberated before the fleet even came close; today, any further misadventure by Pakistan’s military establishment and its puppet civilian regime under PM Shahbaz Sharif will not just be repelled—it will invite consequences far graver.
The world must understand: India is no longer a reactive power. Any escalation will almost certainly lead to the dismemberment—if not annihilation—of the rogue terrorist state of Pakistan, a brittle, anachronistic entity on the geopolitical map of South Asia.
Meanwhile, Pakistan whimpered its way into diplomatic isolation, its air defences dismantled, and its propaganda exposed. As Lahore’s skies fell silent, India’s message rang loud and clear:
“This is the price of miscalculation.”
By Karan Bir Singh Sidhu, IAS (retd.) (Punjab Cadre, 1984 batch), policy analyst and geo‑strategic expert, retired Special Chief Secretary, Government of Punjab, and former Deputy Commissioner Amritsar (1992–96), Additional Deputy Commissioner Amritsar (1990–92), District Magistrate, Police District Batala (1989) – a frontline administrator who battled Pakistan‑abetted proxy war.