Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Friday said Operation Sindoor is still continuing, emphasising the need for India’s military preparedness to remain at a “very high” level, round-the-clock and throughout the year.

Delivering the keynote address at a defence seminar hosted at Subroto Park, the CDS said, “There are no runners-up in a war,” and added that any military must be constantly alert and maintain a high degree of operational preparedness.

“An example is Operation Sindoor, which still continues. Our preparedness level has to be very high, 24x7, 365 days (a year),” he said.

India launched Operation Sindoor early on May 7 and hit multiple terror infrastructure targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. Pakistan also launched offensives, and India’s counter-offensives were carried out under the same operation.

The military engagement between the two nuclear-armed neighbours ended on the evening of May 10 after both sides reached a ceasefire.

General Chauhan also said the nature of future warfare demands a new kind of soldier, one who blends combat with intellect and technological awareness. “The military in future will also need information warriors, technology warriors and scholar warriors.”

He added that the future soldier must be “a mix of all three — info, tech and scholar warriors.”

The CDS pointed out that the evolving character of conflict, visible in recent global and regional engagements, demands this blend of strategic thinking and technological adaptability.

In May, General Chauhan said to a foreign publication that India suffered aircraft losses during the India-Pakistan conflict. While he rejected Pakistan's claim of downing six Indian jets as "absolutely incorrect", he also stated, “I think what is important is not the jet being downed but why they were being downed.”

On June 3, speaking at Savitribai Phule Pune University, General Chauhan had said that the operation was not an act of retribution. “It was about drawing the limits of tolerance to state-sponsored terrorism from Pakistan.”

He said the operation was strategically aimed at ensuring that India does not remain hostage to terrorism or nuclear threats.

On July 17, Gen Chauhan had said that during Operation Sindoor Pakistan used drones and loitering munitions, but India’s countermeasures were successful in preventing any damage.

The CDS had cautioned against relying on outdated and imported technology. “Yesterday’s weapons can’t win today’s wars, tomorrow’s technology is needed to fight today’s battles,” he said.