Engaging the enemy: Mortar radars to counter heavy shelling on International Border by Pakistan

NEW DELHI: India has decided to buy modern counter mortar radars to repel heavy shelling on the international border by Pakistan as happened with increased frequency last year. These radars can track incoming mortar fire, give precious seconds as an alert to the Border Security Force and enable precise counter-fire to engage the enemy.

A committee of technical experts on January 13 completed the task of drawing up specifications required of such equipment, after the home ministry commissioned the exercise in August last year.

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This came after the Pakistan Army and Rangers had resorted to heavy mortar shelling on the International Border in Jammu on various occasions in 2014 and 2015, causing civilian and BSF casualties.

Subsequently, in September last year, the director general of Pakistan Rangers came to India to meet the BSF chief and both sides agreed not to resort to mortar shelling.

In 2014, the United States had supplied such radars to the Ukrainian armed forces.

As per the specifications drawn up by the committee, the radar should be able to detect and track incoming mortar shells, rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) and rockets from any direction from a distance of up to 10 km.

The radar is also desired to track at least five targets simultaneously fired at any angle and should have accuracy of point of origin and point of impact accuracy up to 5 metres. An estimate of the place from where the fire is coming will enable BSF to accurately launch return fire. The radar should be capable of being remotely operated to protect operators from any targeted attack on the radar. The government wants the system to be lightweight and portable.

A government official said such equipment will help in two ways. First, an alert of precious seconds if a BSF post is target of an incoming mortar fire, so that it can take evasive measures. Second, the firing position from Pakistan can be accurately known based on the trajectory and the counter-engagement be launched immediately to minimise capacity of the enemy fire, especially if the impact zone in India is a civilian area.

The US calls this an effective counter-measure to "asymmetrical fire" by the enemy. The radar uses GIS maps and algorithms to calculate the origin point of the fire and is able to work effectively even if wind speed is up to 40 miles per hour.