Context: The Border Security Force (BSF), in collaboration with ISRO, is developing radar-mounted drones to enhance surveillance along India’s western and eastern borders.
About Radar-Mounted Drones for Surveillance:
- What it is?
- Radar-mounted drones are unmanned aerial systems equipped with compact radars capable of monitoring border areas remotely without crossing international boundaries.
- Aim: To strengthen border security by providing persistent, high-accuracy surveillance across difficult terrains and hostile conditions.
- Features:
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- All-weather capability: Operates in fog, rain, and darkness, unlike visual-only sensors.
- Real-time alerts: Detects intruders, vehicles, or smuggling attempts instantly for quick troop deployment.
- High mobility: Can be deployed rapidly in inaccessible or mountainous border areas.
- Integrated sensor fusion: Scope for combining radar with infrared, high-resolution cameras, and ground sensors.
- Scalable technology: Allows deployment of multiple drones to cover wider areas during crises.
Relevance in UPSC Exam Syllabus:
- GS Paper II (Governance, Security): Internal security challenges, role of technology in border management, and modernization of paramilitary forces.
- GS Paper III (Science & Technology): Indigenous technological innovation, application of space and drone technologies in defense and surveillance.
- Essay/Ethics: Technology as a force multiplier for national security while balancing privacy and humanitarian concerns.
