How India Tackles Drone Terror Threatening Its Border
© AP Photo / Channi Anand
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Drones bringing weapons and narcotics from across the border have come to haunt India's Border Security Force (BSF), the paramilitary force that is tasked with manning the frontier with Pakistan.
India is beefing up its anti-infiltration network by establishing a specialised anti-drone unit to overcome the increasing threat of "drone terrorism" emanating from across the international border, according to an expert.
Drone terrorism first emerged along the Pakistan border with the Indian state of Punjab when the Indian government abrogated Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, Vicky Nanjappa, an internal security analyst told Sputnik India.
At that time, the vigil along the Line of Control was tight as India aimed to restore peace in the Kashmir Valley and prevent the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from engaging in any activities, Nanjappa said.
He highlighted that drones were used to smuggle drugs, taking advantage of the Indian security forces' limited experience with this new technology, as noted by Nanjappa. Interestingly, the smuggling of drugs into Punjab is not new, considering the huge demand that there is in the state, he added.
The heightened security along the LoC posed a major issue for Pakistan, as infiltration routes were shut down due to the heavy security. Islamabad struggled to address this, and as a result, drones were used to drop arms and ammunition into Punjab, which could then be smuggled into J&K by road, as investigators later discovered, he stated.
The heightened security along the LoC posed a major issue for Pakistan, as infiltration routes were shut down due to the heavy security. Islamabad struggled to address this, and as a result, drones were used to drop arms and ammunition into Punjab, which could then be smuggled into J&K by road, as investigators later discovered, he stated.
"The dropping off of arms ammunition and drugs into India also had another side to it. This was the same time that the Khalistan elements were pushing hard to revive the movement in Punjab. They felt that this technology using drones could also be used to help them further their cause. An NIA probe found that the arms and ammunition as well as the drugs were being used in part to fund the Khalistan movement's revival in Punjab," Nanjappa underlined.
The issue was persistent for quite some time and it did cause a huge security nightmare for the security agencies, he pointed out.
Over the years, the problem spread to Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan as well. While the drones were being used largely to transport arms and ammunition as well as drugs, the agencies woke up to the real threat of drone terrorism when a drone attack hit a high security technical area of the Indian Air Force Station in Jammu on 26 June 2021, the geopolitical commentator stressed.
Over the years, the problem spread to Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan as well. While the drones were being used largely to transport arms and ammunition as well as drugs, the agencies woke up to the real threat of drone terrorism when a drone attack hit a high security technical area of the Indian Air Force Station in Jammu on 26 June 2021, the geopolitical commentator stressed.
"The Indian agencies are on high alert to thwart such attacks since the enemies from across the border continue to use this technology to further their agenda in India. In 2024 alone, 260 flights were used to drop consignments in border regions in Punjab. In the same year, 184 drone sorties from Lahore to Amritsar were conducted, while the numbers for Ferozepur and Gurdaspur were at 42 and 14," Nanjappa opined.
The BSF has taken steps to control the drone menace and has implemented anti-drone technology, Dronaam, to address the issue, he stated.
Dronaam employs a modular design capable of adapting to different security scenarios, and it can operate as a rifle-styled device or a portable system in a backpack configuration. Thus, the drones are being neutralised using laser rays, he elaborated.
Moreover, the BSF is setting up a specialised anti-drone unit, installing CCTVs with pan-tilt zoom cameras at vulnerable points, and putting up new fencing to strengthen the anti-infiltration grid, the Bengaluru-based writer stated.
"The Ministry of Home Affairs has established the Anti-Rogue Drone Technology Committee under the BSF. The job of this committee would be to evaluate the technology to counter the rogue drones. More anti-drone systems would be installed in Punjab on the Indo-Pakistan border. Trials are ongoing in this regard," Nanjappa concluded.
