Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced that India would soon establish a comprehensive anti-drone unit to enhance border security in response to the growing threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Speaking at the 60th foundation parade of the Border Security Force (BSF) in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, Shah highlighted the increasing menace of drones, particularly along the India-Pakistan border. He emphasised that the threat from drones would intensify in the coming days, prompting the government to take proactive measures to address the emerging security challenge.
The initial results of the program at the laser-equipped anti-drone gun system have been encouraging, which has resulted in an impressive increase in the neutralization of drones. Detection and neutralization at the Punjab border have improved by a whopping percentage, 55%, as compared to the previous 3% scores after active deployment. More than 260 drones have been intercepted this year alone, compared to about 110 in 2023. Most of these drones enter with the illegal purpose of smuggling arms and drugs.
According to the Home Minister, a “whole of government” effort, including all three departments of defence, the research organisations, and DRDO, is necessary to solve the issue of drone warfare. A dedicated anti-drone unit will very soon be set up to come to grips with this ever-increasing threat.
The BSF is assigned the task of guarding India’s 6,300 km long borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, and indeed, it has been making considerable strides toward security at the borders. Shah raised the CIBMS as a developing project integrating Comprehensive Integrated Border. Management spans India-Bangladesh as well as India-Pakistan borders. Positive results have been reported in some parts of this system, such as the riverine border in Assam’s Dhubri, with further improvements planned.
Shah also highlighted the government’s VVP: Vibrant Village Programme, which is designated for the development of the northern frontier villages. The Vibrant Village Programme is expected to have a budget allocation of Rs 4,800 crore for infrastructure improvement making the remote border areas more mainstreamed. The investments were made by the government in erecting new border posts and constructing new roads and fencing in the border to strengthen border security.
This BSF continues to grow with the induction of 13,226 freshly trained personnel into its ranks, plus an additional 4,000 recruits undergoing training at present.
