A Swiss think tank has said that a series of Indian airstrikes on Pakistan air force stations coerced Islamabad into seeking a ceasefire from India during Operation Sindoor in May last year.The Centre for Military History and Perspective Studies (CHPM) has produced a 47-page report titled ‘Operation Sindoor: The India-Pakistan Air War (7-10 May 2025)’.Founded in 1969, CHPM is an independent research centre dedicated to studies in military history and strategic thought.The report highlights the ‘effectiveness’ of India’s air defence system, says the Indian Air Force significantly degraded Pakistan’s air defences and concluded that the IAF ended the conflict by carrying out a series of “spectacular strikes” against Pakistan’s principal air force stations.“By achieving clear air superiority, India coerced Islamabad into requesting a ceasefire,” the report said.According to the report, Indian forces detected preparations for a Pakistani attack scheduled for the evening of May 9 and opted for a quasi-immediate counterstrike. Between 2 am and 5 am on May 10, the IAF conducted a series of strikes using BrahMos, SCALP-EG and Rampage missiles launched from within Indian airspace by Su-30MKIs, Jaguars and Rafale jets.The missiles struck seven sites up to 200 km inside Pakistani territory, including a surface-to-air missile battery and five airbases. These included Nur Khan, Murid, Rahim Yar Khan, Rafiqi and Sukkur air bases.In central Pakistan, Sargodha air base, home to multiple combat squadrons, was rendered inoperative by several missile impacts at the intersection of its runways. Indian strikes were even more destructive in the south. At Jacobabad air base, an F-16 maintenance hangar suffered a direct hit, while a radar was damaged or destroyed, along with electrical and cooling facilities.In total, the IAF assessed that at least four or five F-16s, one surveillance aircraft, one C-130 transport aircraft, several drones, two radars, two command-and-control centres and one surface-to-air missile battery were destroyed on the ground.On Indian air defence, the report said the IAF’s Russian-origin S-400 system reportedly surprised the Pakistan air force and was likely positioned in ambush near the border, engaging an aircraft orbiting around 300 km inside Pakistani territory.The report said India’s information technology sector played a critical role in developing military command, control and communication networks. It noted that the IAF fields a sophisticated air defence and airspace management network through the Integrated Air Command, Control and Communication System (IACCCS), which is fully integrated with the Army’s Akashteer air defence system and its naval counterpart. All three systems share a real-time recognised air picture by integrating sensor data instantly.On the May 8 strikes targeting Pakistani air defences, the report said the IAF used Israeli-origin Harop and Harpy loitering munitions to hit surveillance radars and long-range surface-to-air missile batteries. Eight air defence sites were struck on May 8 and a further four the following day.