‘We do not depend physique luggage’: Air Marshal Bharti, Col. Qureshi – a 12 months later, faces of Op Sindoor nonetheless hit arduous
It was at the present time final 12 months when Indian armed forces woke the nation as much as their replace of avenging the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist assault by hanging terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK beneath Operation Sindoor — an train which sparked curiosity for particulars that had been later introduced to the world by some navy officers who went on to turn into the faces of the motion.
The small print of Operation Sindoor’s progress had been dropped at the general public by means of press briefings that had been routinely held by three girls officers — Colonel Sofiya Qureshi (Military), Wing Commander Vyomika Singh (Indian Air Drive), and Commander Prerna Deosthalee (Navy) — incomes recognition as trailblazing Indian Armed Forces personnel who grew to become distinguished faces of the 2025 retaliatory strike towards terror camps.
Routine press briefings on Operation Sindoor had been additionally held by the then DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, DG Air Operations, Air Marshal AK Bharti and Vice Admiral AN Pramod, DG Navy Operations – who gained reputation for his or her no-holds barred responses to media queries amid fight.
“Our intention was to not inflict casualties, however in case there have been, it’s for them to depend. Our job is to hit the goal, to not depend the physique luggage,” Air Marshal Bharti had mentioned throughout one such briefing on Operation Sindoor when requested about losses.
Whereas these officers took the rostrum to replace the general public on the Operation Sindoor throughout which a number of terror websites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir had been neutralised, the success of the navy train is attributed to a mixed effort of the three forces and the valour of many armed drive personnel.
Colonel Sofia Qureshi
Colonel Qureshi in 2016 was the primary girl officer to guide a contingent of the Indian Military in a multi-national navy train. At ‘Train Drive 18’, a mega-military drill involving ASEAN-Plus nations, she led a 40-member contingent centered on Humanitarian Mine Motion (HMA).
Born in 1974 to a navy household in Gujarat’s Vadodara, Col Qureshi graduated with a grasp’s in Biochemistry from Maharaja Sayajirao College in 1997. Her grandfather was a spiritual instructor within the military, a press release issued by the state authorities final 12 months famous.
She earned her fee from the Officers Coaching Academy (OTA), Chennai, the place she was famous for her distinctive efficiency in tactical technique and sign intelligence.
She is understood for her stoic demeanor and exact communication fashion, notably throughout press briefings the place she labored with one other girl officer, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Drive.
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh
Commissioned into the Indian Air Drive in 2004, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh is a extremely expert IAF helicopter pilot. Often called a “sky warrior,” she has gathered over 2,500 flying hours in Cheetah and Chetak helicopters throughout difficult high-altitude terrains, based on bharat-rakshak.com.
“India is absolutely ready to reply to any misadventure by Pakistan. Operation Sindoor sends a transparent message: terrorism is not going to go unanswered,” Wg Cdr Singh had mentioned throughout one in every of her press briefings on the navy train.
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh added, “India is absolutely ready to reply to any misadventure by Pakistan. Operation Sindoor sends a transparent message: terrorism is not going to go unanswered.”
Singh grew to become the primary in her household to affix the armed forces, based on an Financial Occasions report. Vyomika Singh adopted her dream with focus and willpower. She joined the Nationwide Cadet Corps (NCC) at school, which gave her early publicity to navy life. She reportedly later studied engineering to construct a powerful technical background.
Commander Prerna Deosthalee
Commander Prerna Deosthalee is a serving officer within the Indian Navy, who additionally used to affix Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh through the Operation Sindoor press briefings. In keeping with reviews, she was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 2009 and acquired her everlasting fee in 2020.
Deosthalee was reportedly born in Maharashtra’s Mumbai and has a postgraduate diploma in psychology from St. Xavier’s School.
In 2023, Deosthalee made historical past by turning into the primary girl officer to command an Indian Naval warship.
Deosthalee was chosen because the Commanding Officer of the Waterjet FAC INS Trinkat within the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet.
She had acquired her appointment letter from Western Fleet Commander Rear Admiral Praveen Nair.
Lieutenant Common Rajiv Ghai
Lieutenant Common Rajeev Ghai was among the many prime officers who briefed the media after the four-day navy conflict with Pakistan beneath Operation Sindoor. Lieutenant Common Ghai, the face of the military throughout Operation Sindoor, was final 12 months promoted because the deputy chief of military workers (technique) and held the publish of director basic navy operations (DGMO) until October 2025. He was succeeded by Lieutenant Common Manish Luthra.
He has additionally served because the Common Officer Commanding (GOC) of the XV Corps (Chinar Corps) previously.
Air Marshal AK Recruitment
Air Marshal AK Bharti is a embellished officer of the IAF, at the moment serving because the Deputy Chief of Air Employees. He was promoted from the place of Director Common of Air Operations (DGAO).
He was commissioned into the Flying department of the IAF within the 12 months 1987. He was promoted to the rank of Air Marshal in September 2023.
AK Bharti took cost as Commanding Officer of a Sukhoi-30 MKI Squadron on 16 August 2005. The unit had not too long ago acquired the superior Section III model of the plane, and AK Bharti was given the essential job of constructing its weapon methods absolutely operational and creating appropriate techniques.
One of many standouts from Air Marshal AK Bharti’s many statements over Operation Sindoor was his reply to a question on Indian armed forces targetting the nuclear facility at Kirana Hills in Pakistan.
“Thanks for telling us that Kirana Hills homes some nuclear set up. We didn’t find out about it. And we now have not hit Kirana Hillswhatever is there.”
His remarks got here amid hypothesis and social media chatter claiming that India had struck the Mushaf Airbase in Sargodha, reportedly linked to underground nuclear storage beneath the Kirana Hills, utilizing loitering and penetrating munitions.
Vice Admiral AN Pramod
Vice Admiral AN Pramod is a embellished officer of the Indian Navy who assumed cost because the Director Common Naval Operations (DGNO) on in January 2024. An alumnus of the thirty eighth Built-in Cadet Course, Naval Academy, Goa, he was commissioned into the Indian Navy in July 1990.
His vital afloat appointments embrace Fleet Operations Officer, Western Fleet, Command of IN ships Abhay, Shardul and Satpura, Government Officer Rajput, SCO Sujata and GO II Kirpan, based on indiannavy.gov.in.
The three male officers held a press briefing on Thursday as nicely to mark the one-year anniversary of Operation Sindoor. They mentioned Operation Sindoor signalled that no terror sanctuary is secure in Pakistan and the mission was just the start.
“Operation Sindoor was not an finish and it was just the start,” Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai mentioned.
Air Marshal AK Bharti, the then Director Common of Air Operations, mentioned Operation Sindoor reaffirmed primacy of air energy.
On the press convention on the anniversary of Operation Sindoor, Vice Admiral AN Pramod mentioned that by hanging the phobia hubs within the coronary heart of Pakistan utilizing long-range precision weapons, India successfully referred to as the bluff on Pakistan’s nuclear blackmail.
