Securing the border sky: BSF ill-prepared to tackle attacks using paragliders, drones

Reports of intelligence agencies about the possible use of flying objects by Pakistan based terrorist groups to target India has triggered a debate on equipment capabilities of Border Security Force (BSF) in dealing with such attempts, even as the border guarding force could do very little to stop rockets fired from the neighbouring country in 2009-10 in the Amritsar sector.

According to intelligence sources, the three flag lowering ceremonies held every day at Attari, Hussaniwala and Sadqi at the India-Pakistan border in Punjab, which shares a 553km boundary with Pakistan, were at high risk of attack and could cause massive dam age. Other sensitive installations near the international border, including dams, were also at risk, they said.

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BSF inspector general Anil Paliwal refused to talk about the reports of intelligence agencies regarding threat of aerial attack from across the border and within India in Punjab. "These are sensitive issues. I will not like to comment on these," he said. Sources informed that BSF was fully aware of the aerial threat and knew that there was very little which it could do to prevent such attacks, largely depending on the Army and Air Force to ward off such attempts.

Besides recent intelligence inputs, which were based on interrogation reports of various terrorists and independent intelligence, terrorist Jagtar Singh Tara, who was arrested from Bangkok on January 5, had also confessed possibility of an aerial attack and had revealed bid by Sikh militants taking shelter in Pakistan to procure paragliders to attack Indian targets.

Former deputy inspector general of BSF J S Saran, who was posted on Punjab Frontier when rockets were fired from Pakistan, said, "BSF has no such technology so far. It is capable to retaliate as we had done in 2009-10." He said the time of flight of an aerial attack from taking off and striking the target is very less so it is difficult to react if there is no special technology available with BSF .

"Strong intelligence about the launching pad of aerial objects from across the border or within the country could prevent the second or third attack, but may not be helpful in preventing the first aggression due to reaction time of only few seconds," said Saran. He suggested that BSF could coordinate with local Army units to prevent such attacks.

No tech to detect flying objects

Without ruling out the possibility of use of flying objects to target India from Pakistan, BSF's retired IG Mohinder Singh Malhi said drones were already used in warfare. "Explosive can be fitted on any airborne object and can be used for crashing it on any target," he said.

Easy availability of drones

It may sound strange but anyone can buy drones online in India. Various online shopping companies sell drones ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 33,000.Sources said drones might appear to be toys but these can prove deadly if they get into wrong hands.

Past attacks

In the past, there had been three attacks from Pakistani soil, in which 15 rockets were fired on border villages in the Amritsar sector in July and September 2009 and January 2010. BSF was taken aback by those attacks from Pakistan during peacetime.