If I’m not wrong it is also the opinion of
@Hellfire, and some other vets also have questioned it (apart from the great Saurab Jha
) . I am also coming to the same conclusion.
Now if our aim was limited to just get the PLA off the F3/F4 ridge then it was a success. However if it was a gambit to get the Chinese to deescalate the whole situation, then it has failed, not only are they still deployed in the region, they have brought in even more forces. IMO it was the latter, Snow leopard was a large op with multiple brigades involved, happening over ~80km salient, and opening up the southern bank of Pangong So - basically a high risk move to force the Chinese to start a fight proper of retreat. The Op itself was successful with Chinese finding themselves in a tactically disadvantageous position, but they were able to negotiate their way out of it - they retreated from the front lines but are still not de inducted so they can come back once again and try their luck.
In any negotiations we need leverage, Op Snow leopard leverage has been used up, and just stationing a large number of troops in the area or having to brave the winter does not seem to have incentivised them, so we need something new.