Remote-controlled machine guns will make their debut at the Line of Control (LoC) by the year-end as the army prepares to tighten security measures to fend off infiltrators along vulnerable patches south of the Pir Panjal range that separates Jammu hills from the Kashmir valley.
The first prototype sub-machine guns operated by remote control are being tested in the Akhnoor sector and results show the deployment of these weapons will shield and assist soldiers as they go about their daily task of perimeter protection and intrusion detection, said Lt Gen RR Nimbhorkar, commander of the Nagrota-based 16 Corps.
The locally-developed integrated device uses a mix of infrared sensors radiating a grid of beams to detect any movement up to a distance of 80m ahead of the border fence – the distance between the fence and the LoC can vary from 50m to over 2km depending on the terrain. The sensors are linked to automatic guns mounted on rotors and mated to night-vision cameras providing live images to commanders manning workstations with mapping software in the bunkers.
A buzzer is sounded if the grid is broken, swivelling the weapon in the direction of the intrusion site.
A modification alongside the weapon’s trigger actuates the firing sequence when the remote button is pressed. The guns can be raised, lowered and rotated in a 150-degree arc. The scope of automation is being expanded.
