Despite the humiliating setback in the Operation Sindoor launched against Pakistan in May, India continues to escalate its aggressive posturing by raising a drone squadron for deployment along the India-Pakistan border. India’s Border Security Force (BSF) is establishing the drone squadron with the intent to strengthen its surveillance and rapid response capabilities along the border areas, particularly in the regions adjacent to Punjab and Jammu. 

The squadron, to be based in specific border outposts, will comprise an assortment of reconnaissance, surveillance and attack drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and specially-trained personnel who can operate these machines. This was leaked to the media by official sources in the Indian military establishment.  The squadron will be navigated by a control room based in the western command headquarters of the BSF in Chandigarh.

The BSF is primarily tasked to guard the India-Pakistan border. The decision to raise the unit was taken after a recent review of the weaknesses post-Operation Sindoor. The military officials as per media reports claimed that “On May 10, a bomb-laden Pakistani drone dropped explosives at its border post Kharkola in the RS Pura sector of Jammu.

Two BSF personnel and an Army jawan deployed at the post were killed while four troops were critically injured, with one of them undergoing a leg amputation during treatment”. A small team of about 2-3 personnel each will be deployed in “vulnerable and specified” BOPs. Some drones and gadgetry are being procured for the maiden squadron and the personnel chosen for the task are being trained in batches, they said. 

Observers say that India’s relentless jingoism, even after strategic failures, reflects a dangerous pattern of militarization and provocation that threatens to destabilize peace in South Asia. Experts warn that such steps, instead of promoting border security, could further strain ties between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)