Drones…! It is not the first time these new-age machines have popped up on India’s security map that the Jama IAF Base SUNDAY attack, supposed to have been performed by drones with Improvised Explosiv Devices (IEDs).
Security sources have reported to the Indian Express that over the past two to three years, including just one month ago, they have been monitoring several instances of dropping weapons, drugs, and explosives in Jammu and Punjab.
On 14 May, a suspected drone from Pakistan in Jammu detected weapons by the Border Security Force (BSF).
BSF troops carried out a search operation in the Samba area following a tip-off, recovering weapons and ammunition covered in yellow. These included a rifle for the AK-47 attack, a pistol, a round magazine, 15 rounds for a 9-mm weapon, a wood frame used to attach the handle to the drone and a wrapper.
However, the IAF base, which was targeted on Sunday, was about 14 kms within the territory of Indians, while this shipment has been recovered approximately 250 metres.
Security forces have tracked drones falling weapons to 12 km within the border in recent years, according to sources. Sources. Sources indicated that the BSF had even fired a drone on June 20 last year.
They said that the hexacopter model carried weapons and munitions and was shot down on the Line of Con in the Rathua village in Hiranagar district of Kathua.
The BSF reports that the dron flying from Pakistan to Indian side at about 5.10 a.m. was observed by the border Pansar patrol party. The BSF said it was 150-200 ft.
After the BSF party fired several rounds, it fell almost 250m on the Indian side. The drone was 8 to 6,2 ft tall and weighed 18 kg, equipped with four batteries, a radio signal receiver and deux GPS devices.
The payload amounted to nearly 5 kilogrammes, including a semi-automatic M4, two magazines, 60 rounds, and seven grenades in China. The payload was named “Ali Bhai.”
The BSF suspected that “the consignment must be received within 1-1,5 km of the spot.”
“The use of drones for weapons and explosives has increased in the last few years. We saw them drop assembled IEDs for later use. The attack from Jammu is the first case in which drones are used to attack directly.
Utility drones from quad-hexa copters can carry over 14-15 kilogrammes. This threatens them seriously, as so much explosive material can cause considerable harm,” said a security officer.
Officials have said for several years that after assassinating Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in an attack on drones in the US in January2020, BSF has been pushing the Minister of Home Affairs to provide the latest technology to disable drones.
“Drone flights are very common in surveillance. There are sometimes 10-15 daily sightings. However, drones with loads constitute a serious threat. Actually, that’s the war’s future.
The murder of Soleimani demonstrated that threats of this kind are closer to home than we think,’ said a BSF officer. “Some forces have purchased drone technology, but it is specific for the area.
The two major technologies that guide the majority of drones these days, the officer said, would have to wall over our frontier, which could cut radio frequency and disability the GPS.”
“At the moment, the only option is to shoot down the drones, but this is easier said than done because it would necessitate sniper fire and the drone being within range. Also, seeing drones, especially at night, is difficult,” the officer explained.
