India enhances surveillance along LAC in Arunachal

NEW DELHI: Amid ongoing tensions with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India has ramped up its surveillance of border areas in Arunachal Pradesh using a fleet of advanced Israeli drones. A remotely piloted aircraft, better known as a UAV, regularly flies from Missamari in north Assam and swirls over the Himalayas in Arunachal Pradesh keeping an eye over Bum La and Tawang along the LAC.

The UAV with an ability to keep an eye 24x7 is one of the assets of the Independent Army Aviation Brigade deployed here. The brigade was raised in March this year. The UAV maintains surveillance and provides real-time imagery to commanders on the ground in forward areas.

The brigade has been tasked with responding along the Tezpur-Bomdila-Tawang-Bum La axis, which saw war with China in 1962.

The brigade is armed with Advanced Light Helicopter WSI (weapon system integrated) equipped with the mistral air-to-air missiles.

The copter can handle reconnaissance, troop transport, anti-tank warfare and close air support. A unit of the ALH copters is also part of the brigade.

The Army Aviation and the Indian Air Force have joined hands for future operations.

The IAF’s US-made Chinook and the Russian-made Mi17 helicopters are co-located with the Army Aviation as part of the air effort to quickly deploy troops in the valleys of Arunachal Pradesh.

Missamari sits at the foothills of the Himalayas and historically was the base used by the Allied forces for the air-supply route during WWII between India and Kunming, China.

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