Intensity ebbed but Operation Sindoor continues, says CDS General Anil Chauhan

The intensity of hostilities has ebbed in recent days but Operation Sindoor continues, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan said, underlining that the armed forces remain fully prepared and operationally engaged to deal with evolving security challenges.

Speaking at the Combined Graduation Parade of 216 course at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal, on Saturday (December 13, 2025) in Hyderabad, Gen. Chauhan said India’s response had been deliberate, calibrated and firmly rooted in national objectives. “The armed forces continue to operate with clarity of purpose and a clear understanding of the strategic end state,” he said.

The Chief of Defence Staff reviewed the parade and conferred the President’s Commission on 244 flight cadets. The graduating cohort included 29 women from the flying and ground duty branches of the Indian Air Force, who were formally inducted into service.

The ceremony also marked the successful completion of flying training by eight Indian Navy officers, six Indian Coast Guard officers and two officers from the Vietnam People’s Air Force. All of them were awarded their Wings.

Flying Officer Tanishk Agarwal from the flying branch received the Chief of the Air Staff Sword of Honour. He was also presented with the Nawanagar Sword of Honour and the President’s Plaque for securing the highest overall merit among pilots. Flying Officer Nitesh Kumar was awarded the President’s Plaque for standing first in the ground duty officers’ course.

Addressing the graduating officers, Gen. Chauhan said modern military operations were no longer defined solely by battlefield engagements but were shaped by a wider spectrum of domains, including cyber, space, information and cognitive warfare. He said India’s adversaries often attempt to exploit these domains through misinformation, psychological pressure and asymmetric tactics, making it essential for the armed forces to remain adaptive and technologically prepared.

The CDS noted that India’s security environment remains complex, marked by contested borders, proxy threats and the increasing use of non-contact warfare. He cautioned that peace along the frontiers cannot be taken for granted and requires continuous vigilance, preparedness and close political-military synergy.

Gen. Chauhan also spoke about the importance of leadership at all levels, observing that junior commanders today operate in highly compressed decision cycles and must be equipped with both authority and accountability.

The parade concluded with a series of fly-pasts by Pilatus PC-7, Hawk, Kiran and Chetak aircraft. Aerial displays by the Sarang helicopter display team and the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team were among the highlights of the morning.