Forces boost jamming capabilities to counter drone threat

“We are in a hurry to expand the range of our jammers,” he said, adding that the forces are also importing to plug any immediate gaps.

On the new challenge, the senior official said the Indian forces were “cognizant of it after Azerbaijan”, referring to the use of drones by Azerbaijan against the Armenian forces in the war that erupted between the two nations in September 2020.

In the backdrop of the attack on the Jammu Air Force base a month ago, and the shooting down of an IED-laden drone in Akhnoor on Friday, the threat has increasingly become real and is a matter of concern, officials said.

At a more rudimentary level, an official said, even sentries have been asked to be more alert, and also be aware of threats from above.

While it is not yet clear if the drones that attacked the Jammu Air Force Base came from across the border, the potential use of small drones and quadcopters by Pakistan has created concern within the security establishment.

Concurrently, in the absence of any ceasefire violations, as the Director Generals of Military Operation of Indian and Pakistani armies had agreed to adhere to the ceasefire agreement on February 25, both sides have been utilising the time to ramp up their defence infrastructure.

Another official in the security establishment said, “As peace prevails along the Line of Control, both India and Pakistan are using it to not only repair but also to beef up the forward area defences.” The official said that both India and Pakistan are “upgrading” their defences.

The officials said that while there have not been any instances of violation of the ceasefire agreement by either side since February, there are probing and infiltration attempts by militants, who continue to be stationed at several launchpads close to the LoC. Since February, the officials said that there have been two infiltration bids which were foiled by the Army.