BSF overhauls border security grid with AI systems, anti-drone tech on IB with Pak

New Delhi, December 3. Amid continuing cases of cross-border smuggling and infiltration, the Border Security Force (BSF) is undertaking a major upgrade of its surveillance and response capabilities along the International Border (IB) with Pakistan, with a special focus on the Punjab and Jammu sectors. The force is integrating advanced technologies, replacing ageing infrastructure and strengthening its overall anti-infiltration and anti-smuggling architecture.

Speaking on Tuesday, SK Khandare, Additional Director General of the BSF Western Command, said the force is installing a redesigned border fence that cannot be cut or scaled.

“We are replacing the old fence across the Indo-Pak border and rolling out a comprehensive technological solution on the Jammu and Punjab frontiers that will incorporate all available anti-smuggling and anti-infiltration tools,” a report in The Tribune quoted Khandare as saying.

A key element of this upgrade is the deployment of tunnel-detection systems to counter underground infiltration attempts. Khandare said an AI-enabled anti-tunnelling setup is being installed in Jammu, featuring night-vision cameras that can track nocturnal movement and trigger rapid troop response. The system will also include an electro-optical targeting module integrating radar and cameras. The BSF conducts regular anti-tunnelling exercises in both Jammu and Punjab.

Explaining the detection mechanism, Khandare said radar picks up suspicious movement first, after which cameras swivel to the exact location. Troops then evaluate the threat and respond accordingly. To further reinforce the grid in Jammu, two additional battalions have been positioned, while riverine gaps are being secured with new command posts, better lighting and increased manpower.

The BSF is also deploying anti-drone systems extensively in Jammu and Punjab to curb the rising use of drones for smuggling narcotics and weapons. Coordination with the Punjab Police has been strengthened to ensure joint deployment and sharing of systems and intelligence. Khandare pointed out that smugglers increasingly use small, low-cost drones with minimal audio-visual signatures and payload capacities of around 500 gm, including frequency-hopping models that are harder to detect.

To counter this trend, a sophisticated drone forensics laboratory has been set up in Amritsar to study flight paths, launch origins and drop patterns – information that helps pinpoint hotspots and refine response plans. Since drone drops often occur deep inside Indian territory, BSF teams are also being stationed in hinterland areas, not just along the zero line.

In Punjab, repairs have been completed on stretches of border fencing damaged by monsoon floods earlier this year. Khandare admitted that smugglers may have exploited temporary gaps created by the floods.

This year, the BSF recovered 278 rogue drones, seized 380 kg of heroin and over 200 weapons, and arrested 53 Pakistani nationals.

On Operation Sindoor, Khandare said one infiltration attempt was thwarted after troops detected movement using handheld thermal imagers and night-vision devices.

“Strategic and tactical lessons were learnt from the operation which are being implemented,” he added.