Is Drone Strike On Jammu Airport A New Security Challenge For India?

 Is Drone Strike On Jammu Airport A New Security Challenge For India?

Is Drone Strike On Jammu Airport A New Security Challenge For India?

 

New Delhi - Defense, political and journalistic circles are debating whether drone strikes are for India, following the June 27 drone strike on the Indian Air Force's Jammu station and several subsequent drone strikes in the region. Emerging as a new security challenge?

According to reports, police and army officials in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir have alleged that at least 14 cross-border drone flights have been spotted in recent days.

Authorities say the drones were spotted in Jammu, Rajouri, Samba and Kathua districts. Six flights were seen in Samba sector, three to four in Hira Nagar sector and two in Nowshera, Rajouri and Arnia sectors. It is feared that the planes were equipped with explosives.

Following these incidents, special security teams have been deployed at all defense bases in Jammu while strict restrictions have been imposed.

According to reports, drones have been banned in the border district of Rajouri, while anti-drone systems, radio frequency detectors and jammers have also been installed at the Jammu Air Force station.

 

Is This A New Form Of Terrorism?

According to observers, although no one was killed in the drone strike on the Jammu Air Force station, it is being seen as a new form of terrorism in India. That is why the situation has been expressed in government and defense circles.

Lt. Gen. DP Pandey, commander of the 15th Corps in Srinagar, told NDTV, India's broadcaster, that the technology used in the drone strike was a sign of state support and Lashkar-e-Taiba involvement. Has been

He stressed that the Armed Forces would look into the possibility of preventing such threats and dealing with the threat to national security.

 

"Pakistan's Role Cannot Be Ruled Out"

Indian Army 

Earlier, Indian Deputy Home Minister G Kishan Reddy had said in a statement that Pakistan's role in the attack on the Jammu Air Force station could not be ruled out. However, he also said that the incident was being investigated.

Pakistan's foreign office has denied the allegations, saying India is making "serious allegations" against Pakistan without any evidence - noting that Pakistan's position has been to use its territory against another country. Will not allow

 

High Level Meeting Chaired By Prime Minister Modi:

Two days after the drone strike in Jammu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level meeting with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval to discuss the future of the defense sector in the wake of the drone strike. Discussed the challenges.

According to sources, the Modi government will soon announce a policy to deal with the emerging new security threat facing the country in the future. It is learned that this issue was discussed in detail in the said meeting.

According to a report by Press Trust of India (PTI), it has been decided to formulate a policy in this regard as soon as possible. Various ministries and departments are working to address this new unconventional threat.

According to sources, the Ministry of Defense and the three armed forces will play a key role in liaising with all stakeholders and security agencies in formulating and implementing a possible policy.

A day after the drone strike, India raised the issue at the UN General Assembly, saying the international community needed to pay serious attention to armed drone strikes against defense and commercial installations.

VS Komdi, Special Secretary (Homeland Security) in the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, said that today, information and communication technology such as social media and misuse of internet, terrorism, propaganda and recruitment for terrorist groups are being used to promote terrorism. The misuse of new payment methods and crowdfunding platforms and the misuse of emerging technology for terrorist purposes has emerged as a serious threat.

 

Congress Urges Policy-Making:

Meanwhile, India's main opposition Congress party has called on the government to announce a credible policy and strategic measures to deal with a new threat such as drone strikes.

Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala said armed drone strikes were a real threat to security forces and government agencies. It takes time to tackle this new challenge posed by terrorist groups instead of amending laws and issuing circulars.

 

For The First Time, A Drone Was Used As A Weapon:

Senior Defense Analyst Lt. Gen. (retd) Shankar Prasad told  that drones already exist in the area. But this is the first time they have been used as a weapon of attack. Weapons were dropped in Punjab last year as well, but such drones were often intercepted.

According to him, the drones used in Jammu are small in size. They used one to two kilograms of explosives and were on a very low flight.

According to him, this is the first time that drones have been used in terrorist activities. According to him, this is a new rise of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

 

Need For High Technology:

According to him, advanced technology is needed to thwart drones. They travel on the radio view, they are controlled by remote. If we manage to capture the frequency at which the drone was sent, we can thwart it.

"We need this technology," he says. But he also says he does not know if India has the technology.

According to him, the way many CVIP cars are equipped with aerosols that thwart any threat of IED and the VIP convoy leaves. Similarly, if a large public gathering is taking place and there is a danger of a drone attack, then if a jammer or interceptor is installed in a small area that can disrupt the frequency, then the drone attack will also fail. But he also says a large area like Jammu and Kashmir will need high technology. If this technology is not available in India, then it needs to be obtained from the US or Israel wherever it is available.

Shankar Prasad adds that a long-term strategy is needed to thwart drone strikes. But it will take a lot of work because it is a new threat.

He said that a new threat of 'drone terrorism' has emerged in India as well as in Europe etc. where terrorist incidents are taking place.

According to him, drones are selling like toys today. It is the government's job to ensure that other insurgent groups do not use it. Therefore, the government has to decide whether the sale of drones is through a license or some other means.

But they also express fears that licenses, etc., are not going to work. Because terrorist groups do not need a license. They will get drones from anywhere and use them for their own purposes.

He agrees that drones have emerged as a new threat to India's security and the government needs to adopt an effective strategy in this regard as soon as possible.

 

India Does Not Have Anti-Drone Technology:

India Does Not Have Anti-Drone Technology

Another defense analyst, Parveen Sahni, also sees it as a major threat. Because they don't think India has anti-drone technology. Besides, India has no drone policy.

He says the government must first understand the threat posed by drones and then formulate appropriate policy. It requires technology that India has not yet considered.

He said that the incident in Jammu was a small incident. A country with an anti-drone system would ignore such incidents. But this incident is big for India because it does not have the capability to thwart such attacks.

Another defense analyst, Major General (retd) Ashwini Swatch, also called it a new challenge and said that the drone flies low so it does not get caught on the radar. It is also cheaper and can be used for civilian purposes.

According to him, this is a threat not only to India's security forces but to the entire world. According to him, Lashkar-e-Taiba used drones to deliver ammunition and supplies. But for the first time, it has been used as a weapon.

He says that if any country has developed an anti-drone strategy to some extent, it is Israel. India needs to rethink its security preparedness.

He added that security at all airports was reviewed after the attack on Pathankot Air Base. Despite this, the Jammu Air Force Station was attacked. Therefore, India will have to formulate an anti-drone strategy in the coming days.

 

Drdo Technology:

G Satish Reddy, head of the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), says the counter-drone technology developed by his organization allows the armed forces to detect small drones very quickly. They can be caught and destroyed.

According to reports, DRDO has demonstrated this technology in front of various security agencies in January 2020 at Hindon Air Force Station and in August 2020 and January 2021 at the National Security Guard (NSG) Campus Manesar.

 

India's Drone Policy:

According to observers, drone policy already exists in India. The government had in March this year announced a policy to cover Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad within five kilometers of international airports and three of any civil, private or defense airports. Drones cannot be operated within a kilometer radius.

According to regulations, drones cannot be flown up to 25 km from international borders, including the Line of Control, the Line of Actual Control and the Actual Ground Position Line.

In addition, drones are prohibited at Vijay Chowk or India Gate in and around the capital, New Delhi, where the Interior Ministry is located, and around the Central Secretariat. Anyone violating this order will be fined Rs 50,000.