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| India-Pakistan |
| Vigil at the LOC border fence |
| 2006-09-10 |
| For years now, the Indian army and infiltrators from across the border have been playing a cat and mouse game over the border. It has been a constant battle for India, who not only has to protect and serve in some of the world's most hostile terrain, but also has to constantly innovate and integrate new machines and systems to stay one step ahead of terrorists. From the old methods of defence like landmines and electrified fences to the latest laser technology and night vision, NDTV has a special report on the fight against infiltration. Just before the last light Captain Raja Sherpa briefs soldiers of his patrol party, which will spend the next 12 hours guarding the Line of Control. A few moments later Captain Sherpa gives a new mission to his soldiers of eliminating a group of heavily armed terrorists who have managed to cut across the fence. The men get divided into pairs and lay a cordon before the final assault. After 20 minutes of a gunbattle their mission is accomplished but this was just a mock exercise to keep the troops in fighting fit, helping them is some hi-technology. "These are sensors. This is basically a PIR sensor what you call Passive Infrared sensor. It is basically changing the thermal heat, which comes between them and the change in the background it works. Basically we have got four types of sensors," said Captain Sherpa. Area close to LC is all littered with landmines and if an intruder somehow manages to clear the mines fields there are chances that he will be caught on the sensors. But if he is lucky enough and still manages to cross all these hurdles then there is an electrified fence, which has the alarm system, fitted on it and the next hurdle is the ambush parties and the quick reaction team. Then there are some infiltrations who manage to cross all these hurdles. As the night progresses Captain Sherpa is on high alert. He is in charge of a Quick reaction team or Ghatak team and he's in constant touch with the control room. Control room is the place where the sensors that have been planted send signals and warn of an intrusion. There are different sensors Stand-alone ground sensors, which are of different types. Apart from thermal and night vision devices there is Battlefield Surveillance Radar, which can detect movement for as far as three kms. Long reconnaissance and surveillance devices, sophisticated hand held thermal devices, night vision devices and even the electrified fence has an alarm system. Day in an day out Lt Santosh monitors every sensor and in turn alerts Captain Sherpa and others guarding the LoC. "First step is a UGS from which we get a beep on this equipment then we go and check the area at the same time for broader areas covering more areas. We have BFSR which covers a larger area which is specially deployed in places where we expect some movement," said Lt Santosh Singh, BG Brigade. "BFSR is Battle Field Surveillance Radar it can detect man moving up to three kms at any area where fence has been shorted there are wires in front of the fence in which there is electricity whenever the wire touches the fence there is an alarm we have an alarm and a bulb here, which keeps glowing unless we switch it off manually," he added. It is not just the sensors and radars, which are being used to check infiltration but even modern weaponry has been inducted. As far as infiltration is concerned, night is the most crucial time. Now guns fitted with night vision devices and laser pointers are being used more often to enhance the accuracy at night. "We are in the process of fully exploiting these capabilities and they have enhanced our capabilities no doubt about it. We are in the process of having more and more of these, in fact we have fair number we have good number of these weapons," said Major General Rameshwar Roy, 25 Infantry Division. In spite of all these measures infiltration is still on. The Army admits that in difficult terrains like Rajouri and Poonch infiltration can be only be checked to an extent and not completely. Worse, militants in Pak-based training camps are being taught how to cut across the electrified fence and cheat the sensors. So, the army has to be one step ahead. "In their training camps they are created mock ups of this LoC fence and they are training them to cross over as also find places where portion of the wire may not be energized. Then they are using insulators in terms of gloves, rubber pads or ladders etc. This is a question of evolving, once they have found that this is the place they have not able to cross they are evolving methods and we are also evolving our drills to counter that," said Brigadier I S Singha, BG Brigade. And better detection has meant that patrols who actually stop militants have had to be strengthened. "Now terrorists have adopted means to go across the fence which they are training on in their training camps. So, we have to go beyond this and that is why we put ambushes ahead of the fence. We have to put ambushes and mobile patrols which are close to the fence and likely approaches to this fence area," said Colonel Kalyan Singh, BG. For the moment there is peace on the border but with an increasing number of militants said to be infiltrating the fight on the border is a battle not just between humans but advanced technology. |
| Posted by:john |
| #2 The sooner the better. |
| Posted by: Hupailing Ebbuns2352 2006-09-10 09:57 |
| #1 this will all be unnecessary when Pakland and the ISI are smoking radioactive holes in the ground |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-09-10 09:26 |