Kargil — Army gets high-tech equipment to keep in touch

The fully indigenous LICO Communication system has a`crack resistance’ of one year, making it virtually impossible for the signals to be intercepted and the system itself can be easily moved around, making it flexible and user friendly.

Army Chief V P Malik made the first call on the system to Kargil-based 121 Brigade Commander Brig Nandjog in the presence of the top brass of Army Signals Corps and reporters here today and asked him about the latest situation along the Line of Control in the sector, the scene of a Pakistani intrusion last summer.

Gen Malik asked the Brigade Commander about the "temperature" along the LoC, and later remarked he had never heard Brig Nandjog so loud and clear before.

The Army is making great efforts to upgrade its communication hardware, the Chief said, adding the third generation of Army Static Communication Network (ASCON-III) has already been sanctioned and would go a long way in bridging the distance gap between headquarters and field-level Commanders.

Efforts are being made at miniaturisation and in three years briefcase-sized portable satellite-based communication units would be inducted into the Army, Gen Malik said.

Efforts are also being made to crack the communication systems of militants in Kashmir in order to suppress their links as also to locate them, he said.

"The so called `Jehadi’ militants are using the latest communication equipment including radio, Iridium phones and internet and the Army is trying to be one up on them by neutralising their links", the Army Chief said.

Signals Officer-in-Chief Lieutenant General Prakash Gokarn said the recently launched INSAT 3-B has dedicated KU band transponders for the Army which would give a tremendous boost to the force’s communication capability.

On the LICO system, Gen Gokarn said the Army would soon add 12 more units to the existing network of 20 centres linked by the new equipment. The new system is also linked with existing 52 ASCON centres, he said.