India has announced the deployment of anti-drone units along its border with Bangladesh. Additionally, the country plans to take similar measures along the Pakistan border as well.
India claims it will significantly deploy anti-drone units to counter the growing threats posed by drones originating from across the border. This information was reported by the Pakistani media outlet The News International on Tuesday (December 10).
According to the report, India has announced the deployment of anti-drone units at the borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh in response to the increasing threats posed by unmanned aerial vehicles from the other side. New Delhi intends to implement extensive anti-drone measures to secure its borders. Indian media reports indicate that during a speech at a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the Border Security Force (BSF), India’s Home Minister Amit Shah highlighted the importance of the drone threat and India’s proactive measures.
Shah stated that India will implement a comprehensive management system to monitor “sensitive areas” along the entire border with Pakistan and Bangladesh. He mentioned the establishment of extensive anti-drone units to secure Indian territory in response to the growing threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles.
Furthermore, Shah noted that the preliminary results of “laser-equipped anti-drone gun-mounted” mechanisms have been quite encouraging, resulting in a significant increase in the deactivation and identification of drones along the Punjab-Pakistan border.
An Indian newspaper, citing government data, reported that over 260 drones have been shot down or recovered from the Indian border with Pakistan this year, compared to around 110 last year. Most of these incidents occurred in Punjab, while the numbers are relatively low in Rajasthan and Jammu. India shares a 2,289-kilometer border with Pakistan and a 4,096-kilometer border with Bangladesh.
During the BSF event, Amit Shah also discussed the ongoing Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) designed to secure India’s borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
He stated that progress is being made in this endeavor, noting, “We have received encouraging responses from the CIBMS deployed in the riverine areas along the Dhubri (India-Bangladesh international border) border, but further improvements are needed in this regard.”
On the other hand, a government statement quoted Home Minister Amit Shah as saying that after making some improvements, this system will be implemented across the entire border with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Since the popular movement in August that led to the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh, there have been tensions in bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India, amidst which this announcement from India has emerged.
Dhaka/SH
