Pakistan faced difficulties in determining the outcome of its strikes during Operation Sindoor, prompting it to seek commercial satellite imagery to assess whether its weapons had successfully hit the intended targets, former Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan has revealed.
Speaking at the VIMARSH event on Operation Sindoor and its aftermath, General Chauhan said Pakistan did not have a clear picture of the results of its attacks and subsequently attempted to obtain satellite imagery from commercial providers. The effort reportedly included Chinese companies that offer commercially available Earth-observation imagery.
The former CDS explained that commercial satellite imagery is not exclusively available to governments or military organisations. Companies in both the United States and China provide such services to customers, but obtaining imagery can depend on contractual arrangements, payment mechanisms and the availability of a satellite over a particular area.
This became significant during the May 2025 military confrontation. According to Chauhan, Pakistan continued its efforts around May 10 and May 12 to obtain imagery that could provide evidence of damage caused by its strikes. When the initial attempts did not provide the confirmation it was seeking, Pakistan reportedly explored imagery from other Chinese satellite sources as well.
Despite those efforts, Chauhan said Pakistan was unable to establish through the imagery that its strikes had hit the intended targets. The absence of confirmation reportedly contributed to uncertainty within Pakistan, with speculation that information about the actual results of the operation may not have been fully communicated.
The episode highlights an important aspect of contemporary warfare: battlefield awareness can be as important as the ability to launch a strike. Satellite imagery is increasingly used by militaries and governments to monitor activity, examine potential targets and conduct battle-damage assessments. However, commercial imagery cannot necessarily be obtained instantly, particularly when access depends on contractual terms and satellite availability.
Operation Sindoor began on May 7, 2025, after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. India subsequently carried out strikes against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The operation was followed by military exchanges between India and Pakistan, making intelligence, surveillance and target assessment critical elements of the confrontation.
General Chauhan’s remarks shed new light on the information dimension of that conflict. Pakistan’s reported search for commercial satellite evidence suggests that establishing the actual impact of military strikes remained a challenge even after the attacks had taken place.
The development also underlines the growing strategic importance of space-based surveillance. As modern military operations increasingly depend on rapid and accurate information, access to timely imagery can influence how commanders assess damage, validate operational claims and understand the battlefield.
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