'Whole of Pakistan is within India's range': Top Army Air Defence Officer

Lt Gen Sumer Ivan D'Cunha, Director General of Army Air Defence, has affirmed India’s capability to strike targets across the entire territory of Pakistan, including its deepest regions.

In the context of Operation Sindoor, he emphasized the Indian Army's preparedness and technological superiority during an interview with ANI on Monday.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> | Delhi: DG Army Air Defence Lt Gen Sumer Ivan D’Cunha says, &quot;India has an adequate arsenal of weapons to take on Pakistan right across its depth. So, from its broadest to its narrowest, wherever it is, the whole of Pakistan is within range... The GHQ (General… <a href="https://t.co/U8jFcmIC8Y">pic.twitter.com/U8jFcmIC8Y</a></p>&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1924495365396647939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Highlighting India’s strategic reach, Lt Gen D'Cunha declared, "The whole of Pakistan is within range."

He stressed that even if Pakistan’s Army General Headquarters (GHQ) is shifted from Rawalpindi to other areas like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), it wouldn’t escape India’s strike capability.

"I just like to say that India has an adequate arsenal of weapons to take on Pakistan right across its depth. So, from its broadest to its narrowest, wherever it is, the whole of Pakistan is within range. We are absolutely capable, from our borders or even in depth, where we can take on the entire Pakistan. And the GHQ can move from Rawalpindi to KPK or wherever they want to move, but they are all within range, so they will have to really find a deep hole," he said.

Operation Sindoor saw precise Indian strikes on key Pakistani airbases using loitering munitions and advanced indigenous technology, including long-range drones and guided weapons. This offensive marked a significant moment in India's modern military strategy.

Lt Gen D'Cunha also spoke about the broader mission of the armed forces, noting that safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty remains paramount. "Our job is to protect our sovereignty, our people... So, I think that the very fact that we have been able to protect our motherland from this onslaught, which was aimed at causing a lot of problems in population centers and in our cantonments, the very fact that we have given this reassurance to our people, not only to our civil population... a lot of our own jawans, officers, wives were staying in cantonments. And they were also equally concerned about these drone attacks. And the very fact that we ensured that this did not manifest in any casualties, I am sure it not only made the soldier feel proud, it made the families feel proud. And finally, the population of India feel proud. I think that's the takeaway."

The operation showcased the strength of India's integrated command structure, enabling seamless coordination between military branches. It also demonstrated India's shift from a reactive to a proactive security posture, aligned with the "Shishupala Doctrine" — a strategy of patience followed by firm action once a provocation threshold is crossed.

Operation Sindoor served as a statement of India's resolve and capability in modern warfare, especially in countering drone threats and striking deep into hostile territory when necessary.