Soldiers battle infiltration with hi-tech surveillance gadgets

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Shamasbari (Tangdhar), May 5

The high-tech surveillance grid along the Line of Control (LoC) has played a major role in bringing down infiltration over the years.

From intelligence gathering, surveillance, observation, communication to mobility, the state-of-the-art technology has helped in synchronising the counter-infiltration grid along the LoC and made it robust.

The technology, Army officers say, helps in getting “reliable and credible intelligence inputs” about possible infiltration.

Once there is an input, the high-power cameras, thermal-sensing cameras, surveillance radars and the long-range reconnaissance and observatory system (LORROS) are used to detect movement round the clock along the LoC in J&K. The gadgets give technical data to soldiers on the ground to carry out target operations against infiltrators. The surveillance technology even works during the bad weather conditions such as haze and fog and even when it is snowing.

The round-the-clock Israeli-made hi-tech surveillance grid along the LoC is the first of its kind in the South Asian region to detect human movement.

The Army officers deployed along the porous LoC admit that the surveillance grid is helping troops to a large extent to trace suspicious movement.

“The varied range of technology helps in easy detection, identification and recognition of targets with automated aiming and scanning,” said a senior officer at Baraf Post in the Tangdhar sector of frontier Kupwara district.

“The surveillance grid ensures there is no invisible area along the LoC,” he added. The infiltrators, he said, also try to minimise their detection by wearing white clothes in snow-clad routes to breach the three-tier LoC fencing.

There are also underground sensors installed to trigger an alarm during any suspicious movement along the LoC fence. The technology not only helps in intercepting the communication of infiltrators but also assesses it. The Army has also been using UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to thwart infiltration. The UAVs are used to monitor the infiltrating routes of militants and also help in moving instruments for surveillance.

“The UAVs give imageries and the exact location of infiltrators for effective domination and quick reaction to the situation at any point of time. They are the eyes and ears of the surveillance grid,” said the officer at the post.

A senior Army officer of the 104 Infantry Brigade, responsible for guarding the LoC in Tangdhar, said there were many instances where infiltrators were eliminated after their movement was noticed through surveillance gadgets. “The technology has surely minimised the incidents taking place due to human error,” he added.

Keeping close watch

Intelligence gathering: Direction finder, interceptors

Surveillance and observation: Short and long-range binoculars, high-power cameras, thermal sensing cameras, surveillance radars, long-range reconnaissance and observatory system (LORROS), optical devices

Communication: Mobile system, radio sets

Mobility: UAV for moving instruments for surveillance, helicopters

Firearm: From point weapon to area weapon