Sindoor Strategy Stuns Superpower: India’s Low-Cost Warfare Outpaces U.S. Model

International News: India's military power is no longer limited to its borders. Decisive operations like Operation Sindoor have sent a message to the world that India is no longer just a defense buyer but a strategic producer. This is a sharp warning to the US in particular—a new India is emerging, which has the full capability to fight wars on a low-cost, fast, and scalable model.

Low cost, high lethality: India vs US

For example, India's Pinaka rocket system is manufactured for just $56,000, while the US's GMLRS missile system is more expensive than $150,000. India's Akashteer air defense system has outperformed US platforms like NASAMS and Patriot in both cost and time.

Even the Iranian Shahed-136 drone used in Ukraine ($20,000) is proving to be more powerful than the US MQ-9 Reaper ($30 million).

US defence industry: Far from innovation, in the grip of cartels

America's defense contracts today are dominated by a handful of companies—Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman. There were 51 major defense suppliers in the 1990s, but now that number is less than 10.

Even President Donald Trump acknowledged that mergers of defense companies have killed competition. As a result, US systems are becoming expensive, slow, and technologically inert.

Outdated processes in modern warfare: US acquisition system fails

The US defense system takes years, sometimes decades, to adopt new technology. The US struggled to meet the demand for weapons like Javelin and HIMARS in the Ukraine war. The severe shortage of ammunition exposed the weak nerves of the US military production system.

India and Israel are showing a new direction

India's defense production system has proved that innovation is not just dependent on expensive resources. Systems like Akash, Trishul, and Pinaka show how fast, affordable, and scalable weapons can be built.

Experts John Spencer and Vincent Viola warn that the US needs a new defense model—one that is agile, based on cheap production, and can adapt quickly.

Strategy is needed, not just money

The US defense budget could reach $1 trillion by 2025, but if its strategy remains outdated, that spending will be futile. Projects like the F-35 fighter jet, which cost $1.7 trillion, prove that money is not everything.

The challenge of China and the growing stature of India

China, which has the world's largest active army, is the biggest strategic rival to the US. But the real war will be won by those countries that can think fast, build fast, and fight smartly.

What should the US do now?

• Incorporate speed and field feedback into the acquisition system
• Break monopolies, create a competitive environment
• Enhance partnerships with partners like India and Israel
• Build a scalable, responsive defense network

If the US is to maintain its military superiority, it must learn from India—efficiency in cost, speed in production, and flexibility in strategy. Operation Sindoor was not just an operation; it was a warning—Asia is now setting the rules of war.