Punjab, which shares a 425-km-long international border with Pakistan, has witnessed a nearly four-fold jump in hostile drone activity in a year. Over 250 drone activities have been reported in the state in 2022; this figure is far higher than those recorded by other states/UTs bordering the neighbouring country — Rajasthan, J&K and Gujarat. Drones are being heavily used to smuggle arms, narcotics and fake currency into Punjab from Pakistan. BSF personnel have been successful in seizing the payload of arms and drugs, though very few unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been shot down. The drone activity has seen a sharp rise in the winter, when fog engulfs the region and impedes visibility.
The BSF has initiated steps such as establishing a special centre to train personnel in tackling the aerial threat, implementing operational protocols and upgrading technical capability. However, the high frequency of drone activity despite increased surveillance makes it obvious that the smugglers remain undeterred. The troops need cutting-edge technology to deal with the menace. Ahead of Independence Day this year, a counter-drone system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation had been installed near the Red Fort area. It can reportedly detect and deactivate drones within a radius of 4 km. Those involved in defence R&D must factor in the ever-improving capabilities of drones being used by anti-national elements. The easy access to these UAVs is another cause for concern.
The attack on the Jammu Air Force Station in June 2021, when low-flying drones had dropped improvised explosive devices, was a wakeup call for India’s security establishment. The possibility of drones being deployed on a major scale for cross-LoC terror strikes cannot be ruled out. The Russia-Ukraine war has seen the use of reconnaissance and strike drones. The latter include exploding drones and those that fly for 3-10 km and hit targets. In the worst-case scenario, the ISI and its terror assets can up the ante with these lethal UAVs. India’s armed forces need to be well equipped to deal with any such eventuality.
