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BSF raises 'drone squadron' for Indo-Pak border post-Operation Sindoor

BSF raises 'drone squadron' for Indo-Pak border post-Operation Sindoor

The Hindu3 days ago
The Border Security Force (BSF) is raising a maiden "drone squadron" for deployment along the India-Pakistan border even as it has begun "hardening" its defences and posts against lethal UAV attacks in the wake of lessons drawn during Operation Sindoor.
The squadron, to be based in specific border outposts (BoPs) at this front, will comprise an assortment of reconnaissance, surveillance and attack drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and specially-trained personnel who can operate these machines, official sources in the security establishment said.
The squadron will be navigated by a control room based in the western command headquarters of the BSF in Chandigarh, the sources said. The BSF is primarily tasked to guard the India-Pakistan international border (IB).
The decision to raise the unit was taken after a recent review of the strengths, weaknesses and threats facing the force post-Operation Sindoor.
The operation was launched by India to strike at terrorist and defence bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as a retaliation against the Pahalgam attack of April 22 in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed in the Baisaran meadows.
The BSF actively participated in the operation, launched on May 7, along with the Army.
Pakistan sent thousands of drones, including a swarm of these flying objects, in response to Operation Sindoor to target Indian bases as well as civilian areas along the western front.
On May 10, a bomb-laden Pakistani drone dropped explosives at its border post Kharkola in the RS Pura sector of Jammu. Two BSF personnel and an Army jawan deployed at the post were killed while four troops were critically injured, with one of them undergoing a leg amputation during treatment.
Sources said the BSF drone squadron will be located in a specific number of BOPs located along the more than 2,000-km-long India-Pakistan border running from Jammu in the north to Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat on the western side of the country.
The squadron will be equipped with a variety of small and large surveillance, reconnaissance and attack drones that will be launched during operations or any 'hot war' like situation similar to Operation Sindoor, the sources in the security establishment said.
A small team of about 2-3 personnel each will be deployed in "vulnerable and specified" BOPs. Some drones and gadgetry are being procured for the maiden squadron and the personnel chosen for the task are being trained in batches, they said.
The BSF, learning from the May 10 drone attack, has also begun hardening its defences and bunkers, along the border with Pakistan to fend off attacks in which enemy drones cross over and drop bombs and explosives.
The roofs and walls of the BOP bunkers are being strengthened using alloy sheets. Some more measures are being taken to fortify the posts that are vulnerable to drone attacks, sources said as they refused to elaborate, citing operational confidentiality.
A BSF officer deployed along this front added that the force is in touch with defence research and intelligence agencies to deploy counter-drone machines at select border posts so that "rogue or armed drones" flying in from across the frontier can be neutralised.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that the BSF destroyed more than 118 Pakistani posts and "completely dismantled" their surveillance system during Operation Sindoor.
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Monsoon session: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla convenes all party meeting, urges Opposition members to let House function
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timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Monsoon session: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla convenes all party meeting, urges Opposition members to let House function

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A few incidents highlighted the need of a special session: the defence ministers' meeting at SCO concluded without a joint statement due to a lack of consensus on whether there should be strict dialogue against terrorism; the United States' President, Donald Trump, announcing a ceasefire between India and pakistan speaks volumes of New Delhi's geopolitical standing and decisions MEA has taken, putting a question mark on the future of our foreign policy; deputy chief of army staff Lieutenant General Rahul R. Singh emphasised China's involvement during Operation Sindoor. It is to be noted that he is the first such official to talk about it, while others have been constantly downplaying China's role, giving a clear indication about the unaligned opinions of our defence officials. Chief of defence staff General Anil Chauhan acknowledged loss of aircraft and downing of jets during the four day clashes with Pakistan recently, evading deeper questions about why, how and how many losses we actually suffered, raising questions about the government's credibility. Here's what makes me question the government's indifference to the demand: in 2017, a joint midnight session was held to launch goods and services tax (GST); in 2023, a special session was held to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India's independence in the new parliament building; and the law on women's reservation in parliament and state assemblies was also passed during this special session. All of these are issues that coincidentally align with the ruling BJP-led government's ideologies and an apparent sense of effort is felt when the same special sessions are demanded in the aftermath of terrorist attacks that sent the whole nation into shock. A backdrop of dissent: Reluctance as refusal to reimagine The list of reluctances is longer than just the demand for a special session, the unfulfillment of which is saddening. The lesser number of sittings, shorter sessions, budget being guillotined and passing of bills within minutes – they all point towards a sorry state of affairs. Lok Sabha's sittings have come down from an average of 135 in a year in the first term of Lok Sabha to just 55 in the 17th. A research by PRS suggests that in 2020, the Indian parliament sat in session for 33 days only, a historic low. When Covid struck and suspended the daily lives of millions of people, the Indian parliament sat shut while many others switched to functioning online or in hybrid mode and met on set dates like in the UK, Australia, Canada and South Africa. The Supreme Court of UK, in 2019, struck down the prorogation of parliament by the Queen as it prevented 'Parliament from being able to do its job.' Canada organised a virtual parliament, allowing MPs to ask questions over a video call, while Chile amended its constitution, permitting the senate to hold sessions in a mixed face-to-face and virtual mode, with remote voting, preventing the compromise on sittings. Sessions have been cancelled and called off on various occasions due to unnecessary reasons, like for the Vidhan Sabha elections in five states in 2011, when political parties agreed to cut short the budget session. In 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2023, winter session was delayed and curtailed because of assembly elections, stifling the parliament's power as an effective institution. The government's unilateral power to decide where, when and on what agenda the session takes place robs citizens of their right to question through elected representatives, equating the opposition's power of check and balance to zero. In the 17th Lok Sabha, 11 out of the 15 sessions were adjourned early. 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From AWACS To Tejas: What Rs 87,000 Crore Defence Deal Will Bring For IAF
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News18

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From AWACS To Tejas: What Rs 87,000 Crore Defence Deal Will Bring For IAF

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