Jodhpur, Dec 9: Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on Sunday that India will soon establish a comprehensive anti-drone unit to enhance border security, in response to the growing threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Speaking at the 60th Raising Day event of the Border Security Force (BSF) in Jodhpur, Shah warned that the drone menace is expected to intensify in the coming days.
Addressing BSF personnel at the force’s training camp, located about 300 km from the India-Pakistan border, Shah highlighted the promising results of a “laser-equipped anti-drone gun-mounted” mechanism, which has significantly increased the detection and neutralisation of drones. He noted that the success rate of drone interception along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab had risen from 3 percent to 55 percent.
Shah stated, “We are tackling this issue with a ‘whole of government’ approach, with the defence and research organisations, including the DRDO, working together. We are going to create a comprehensive anti-drone unit for the country in the near future.”
Official data shows that over 260 drones have been intercepted or recovered from India’s border with Pakistan this year, compared to approximately 110 in 2023. The majority of these drones were found to be carrying arms and drugs, with Punjab being the hotspot for such incidents, followed by fewer cases in Rajasthan and Jammu.
