India’s Border Security Force (BSF) will soon deploy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), popularly known as drone, along the border with Bangladesh to maintain heightened vigil, an Indian English daily reported Monday.
A standard operating procedure is being drafted with the Indian Air Force (IAF) to finalise the modalities of using the UAVs, according to The Indian Express newspaper.
The surveillance machines, which will be flying at an altitude of 10,000-12,000 feet, will capture images and relay real-time information on the movement of infiltrators, if any, anywhere near the border, said the officer.
While the move is mainly targeted for surveillance along India’s border with Pakistan, a senior BSF officer said they also have in mind the issues with its another neighbour, Bangladesh.
“The plan to deploy UAVs is picking up pace… We are actively pursuing it and would like to use them not only on the western border but also on the eastern border with Bangladesh,” Indian Express quoted BSF Director General Subhash Joshi as saying.
The drones be flying at a high altitude, and “we will have to keep the airspace restrictions in mind. That is why the IAF has been roped in”, said Joshi.
While UAVs are currently being used in Naxal-hit areas, the thick forests there have hindered operations.
An officer said the UAVs may prove to be more useful in the border area.
India is already using Long-Range Reconnaissance and Observation System, Battlefield Surveillance Radar and night vision devices to enhance surveillance capabilities of the border troops.
The BSF had suggested the use of UAVs to the Ministry of Home Affairs last year, said the report.
A recent media report claimed that Pakistan had started using UAVs along the Rajasthan border.
“There are always infiltration attempts. The electronic surveillance from the sky will not only help us keep an eye along the border but also provide proof if the other side denies such movement,” said a senior officer.
Source: The Daily Star
