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BSF rolls out advanced AI-based anti-tunnelling, anti-drone systems along Indo-Pak border

CHANDIGARH: The Border Security Force (BSF) is installing artificial intelligence-based anti-tunnelling technology in the Jammu sector to curb infiltration from across the border. In the coming days, an advanced surveillance system will be deployed in both Punjab and Jammu sectors along the IndoPak international border, incorporating night-vision and optical cameras and a mix of radars to enhance observation. The BSF will also receive technical alerts if anyone attempts to intrude into Indian territory, and a new border fence is being installed that cannot be cut or climbed. This year, 278 drones carrying consignments of drugs, weapons and ammunition have been intercepted and recovered, besides 200 weapons seized including AKs and pistols 53 intruders apprehended or arrested, and 380 kg of heroin recovered along the 533-km Punjab stretch of the international border. A new trend has emerged, where small Chinese-made drones are being sent from Pakistan carrying only around 500 grams of payload and small weapons; earlier, larger drones with heavier payloads were used. Speaking to the media during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the BSF at the Lakhnaur Campus in Mohali, Satish S Khandare, Additional Director General of BSF (Western Command), said, Now days new technologies are being used for anti-national activities be it smuggling or dropping of arms and ammunition as drones are being used on large scale in Punjab and now in certain areas of Rajasthan. So it is another challenge we are facing in our day to day duty. Thus now various technologies are being used by the BSF to counter smuggling from across the border. Now days we are deploying anti-drone system on the Indo-Pak border on a massive scale especially in Jammu and Punjab sectors to prevent drone infiltration as drugs and weapons are smuggled via these flying machines, he said. He also added that, We are also in a process of implementing a major technological solution on Jammu and Punjab border which will comprise off all the available solutions as it will be collective mix of all technologies which will have tunnel detection system also to prevent attempt on our adversaries part to infiltrate through tunnels. Thus we are implementing anti-tunneling system in Jammu which will have AI based night cameras so that the movement during the night is observed and appropriate reaction is given by the troops, also include electro optical targeting system (EOTS) which is combination of cameras and radar as radars detects the movement and subsequently camera focuses on that movement and analysis is made weather that movement is friendly or not friendly. Based on that action is taken by the troopers which are there at the border out post. The phase one of the anti-tunneling technology completed now phase two and three will be completed soon. Khandare said two additional battalions have been deployed to strengthen the anti-infiltration grid in Jammu. All revierrine gaps are plugged using available resources and creating command posts and well lit environment in those areas and psoting adequate number of troops, he said. For border surveillance, we are going to install an advance system in Punjab and Jammu sectors in coming days in which will include a mix night and optical cameras besides radar systems in order to enhance our observations on the border and if one tries to intrude or dig tunnel we get technical warning, he added. On the extent of flood-related damage to fencing along the IndoPak border, Khandare said, It was not contiguous but approximately one third of the total fence in Punjab on the Indo-Pak international border was broken that was around 60 kilometres. In some places it was not possible to go to the border due to water logging. In this situation with so many gaps and little manpower at our disposal it is quite possible that anti national elements might have exploited certain gaps but we were quick to regain our grounds and lift the fence and go to the border. In Jammu region not that much of breach as nallas was seasons. As far fencing is concerned the damage was not much in Jammu, he added. He said the ageing fence along the IndoPak border is being replaced. The fence which was erected on the Indo-Pak border has become quiet old so we are replacing to old fence with new design fence all along the indo-pak intentional border, he said. A state-of-the-art drone forensics laboratory has been set up in Amritsar. The drones which we recover their forensic analysis is that at this laboratory now, from where the drone flew, how many sorties it has done and where did it drop the consignments and on that basis we have identified the hot stops, primarily in Punjab a few in Rajasthan also. Thus, we tackle those hot stops by two means firstly by deploying counter drone systems and secondly physical deployment. We are also manning in depth of the state as we know that the consignment will be dropped beyond the border. The anti-drone system of Punjab Police is being operated in coordination with BSF, he said. Khandare said the BSF utilises a multilayered approach involving a mix of indigenous technologies to counter cross-border drone threats along the IndoPak border. The systems integrate multiple sensors including radar, electro-optical infrared cameras and radio frequency analyzers to detect, track and neutralize the Pak drones. During the year till date we have recovered 278 rogue drones, besides 200 weapons seized including AKs and pistols, 53 intruders apprehended and arrested and 380 kg of heroin recovered, he said. He concluded, We are noticing that in the last five years there has been change in drone intrusions as it started in 2019, if we analyze that now smaller and cheap drones being used, also size of consignments is now small. First big drones use to come and they had sound signature. From adversaries point of view they are using smaller drones as per sortie a drone carries 500 grams of drugs and a pistol. Also big drones are also coming but they fly at much higher level now frequency hopping drones are being used thus is a difficult task to detect them.