The BSF has now initiated an ambitious plan to install a series of sophisticated thermal imagers both of foreign origin and domestically manufactured along the border.
by Ashwini Kumar & Gaurav C Sawant
Highlights
BSF has initiated a plan to install series of sophisticated thermal imagers.
Imagers will be both of foreign origin & domestically manufactured.
BSF is already deploying laser fence & testing infra red fence along IB.
Silently the 'Third Eye' scans the horizon in the dead of the night. A suspicious movement is noticed. From the control room a message is passed to the soldier with a gun and moments later the guns spit fire. The infiltrators spotted by the 'third eye' drop dead. The high resolution hand held thermal imagers are being described as the biggest force multipliers along the approximately 200 kilometer long international border in the Jammu sector.
The BSF has now initiated an ambitious plan to install a series of sophisticated thermal imagers both of foreign origin and domestically manufactured along the border. These are very well concealed fixed on branches of trees, border outposts and multiple other locations. Border security force personnel on ground describe these thermal imagers as the 'Third Eye of the Destroyer' (Lord Shiva).
"Pakistani infiltrators have not succeeded in dodging these cameras. Every movement is caught. Up gradation of technology is a continuous process and these have proven to be a major force multiplier," Dinesh Upadhyay, Inspector General Jammu Frontier told India Today.
It is not that Pakistani infiltrators have not tried. Just two days ago a small group of infiltrators wrapped a thick blanket around themselves to conceal the heat signature emanating from their bodies. But the sensitive cameras captured the heat signature. The BSF personnel at the control room monitoring the area immediately alerted the personnel deployed at the nearest Border Out Post.
He could not open fire using his small arms because of the distance and the aim was to target the infiltrators before they reached the fence. Two mortar rounds were immediately fired and moments later the cameras captured one person pulling another injured person with him.
"This time there was no blanket and the silhouette of a weapon could also be made out. These could have been terrorists trying to come close to the fence under cover of darkness to either infiltrate and reach our cities or a Pakistan army sniper trying to sneak close to the fence at night and then snipe at our personnel at dawn," sources said.
The destruction of Pakistani bunkers and outposts have also been effectively captured by the thermal imagers. "The Chenab Rangers (Pakistani rangers deployed opposite BSF in Jammu) have repeatedly tried to target the cameras. But they don't know where exactly are the cameras installed. We also have a number of decoy cameras. Twice they did succeed in targeting our decoy cameras. But not the real ones even once," sources added.
Apart from thermal imagers the BSF is already deploying laser fence and testing infra red fence along the international border especially in areas where installation of the regular fence is not possible. "The laser fence is a visible deterrent but the infra red fence cannot be seen but so far appear to be very effective in trials. We need to carry out more trials but technology is proving to be an effective force multiplier," said another official engaged in the task of border management.
As part of a pilot project two laser and infra red fences are being erected in a kilometer long area to study its effectiveness. After trials a decision will be taken to extend or modify the project.