Jammu: The Border Security Force on Saturday said that drone technology and aerial dimensions have become decisive elements of modern warfare, noting that conflicts worldwide — from Russia-Ukraine to Israel-Palestine — show how adversaries are increasingly exploiting the airspace.
“India witnessed a similar tactic during Operation Sindoor in May, when Pakistan attempted to utilise aerial platforms for cross-border activities,” Shashank Anand, BSF Inspector General, Jammu Frontier, told mediapersons, flanked by BSF DIGs Vikram Kunwar and Kulwant Rai Sharma.
“The BSF and other agencies are tackling the challenge of drones. We are increasing our capabilities, and we hope to be even more successful in the next year,” IG Anand said.
He said drone and anti-drone innovations are in a continuous process of research and development, with the BSF working closely with its industry partners.
“The future conflicts or cross-border firing incidents will inevitably have a strong aerial component, making counter-drone preparedness a top priority,” he said.
The BSF has been dealing with drone-based threats since 2019, when cross-border smuggling through unmanned aerial vehicles began in Punjab, the IG said.
In response, the force has upgraded training, procured advanced counter-drone systems and ensured round-the-clock monitoring without disrupting civilian air traffic, he said.
To strengthen its technological edge, the BSF has set up two drone forensic laboratories – the Central Drone Forensic Laboratory in Delhi and another in Amritsar – which analyse recovered drones and provide actionable intelligence to the investigating agencies, the officer said.
The force has also established the School of Drone Warfare in Gwalior, signing MoUs with IIT-Delhi, IIT-Chennai and the KF Hussain RJIT engineering institute to train students and force personnel for emerging aerial security challenges.
The IG said that in all the recent wars worldwide, including the brief India-Pakistan conflict in May, the countries involved tried to exploit the aerial dimension in their own way.
The focus of the BSF is on how to keep the border population and those in the hinterland safe during any future conflict, he said.
“A lot of work is being done on this. The government has also announced that community bunkers will be increased in the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir,” IG Anand said.
The force is working with the civil administration on the issue of border bunkers and has conveyed a message that “we will make every effort to keep our country and our border areas safe”, he said.
For international security, the IG said, the forces must remain alert, as anti-national elements always look for any shortcomings to exploit the situation in their favour.
DIG Sharma said the force is gradually moving from border guarding to border management.
“Since we have been entrusted with this task, we not only have to ensure the physical security of the people, but their social and economic security as well. If you look at the whole scenario, the ability to connect with the border population is constantly increasing. We are constantly standing with each other,” he said.
Highlighting the various achievements of the BSF in 2025, Kunwar said the force is manning approximately 200 km of the International Border (IB) with Pakistan across the Jammu region, and is also deployed along the Line of Control (LC) alongside the Indian Army.
“The BSF Jammu played a key role in Operation Sindoor, while simultaneously facing multiple challenges emanating from Pakistan, including cross-border firing, infiltration attempts, narcotics smuggling, and drone operations.
“True to its tradition, BSF Jammu effectively thwarted all such adversarial attempts, foiled nefarious designs, and contributed significantly to the success of Operation Sindoor,” DIG Sharma said.
The key achievements of BSF Jammu in Operation Sindoor include foiling a major infiltration bid from the Pakistan village of Dhandar opposite Samba, neutralising seven terrorists, and the destruction of three launchpads (Bhaironath, Mastpur, Looni) and engagement of 118 Pakistani posts, the officers said.
The key operational achievements include neutralisation of three Pakistani intruders and the apprehension of six others along the International Border in the Jammu sector, they said.
The BSF troops also seized 9.563 kg of narcotics and apprehended five drug peddlers during the year, besides recovering five drones, they added.
The BSF also apprehended an “LeT guide”, Mohammad Arib Ahmed from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, in Rajouri on June 29, recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition from Mendhar in Poonch, and rescued 69 civilians during the floods in August-September, the officers said.
Pak shifted 72 terror launchpads from border areas; force ready for Operation Sindoor 2.0: BSF
More than six dozen “terror launchpads” have been shifted to the “depth areas” in Pakistan after Operation Sindoor, and the force is ready to inflict heavy losses on the enemy if the government decides to resume the cross-border operation, senior BSF officers said on Saturday.
However, the BSF is honouring the halt in military action after four days of clashes from May 7-10, they said.
“After the BSF destroyed many terror launchpads along the border during Operation Sindoor, Pakistan government shifted all such facilities to the depth areas… About 12 launchpads are working from the depth areas of Sialkot and Zaffarwal, which are not exactly on the border.
“Similarly, 60 launchpads are working in the other depth areas away from the border,” BSF DIG Vikram Kunwar told reporters here.
Kunwar, along with BSF IG, Jammu Frontier, Shashank Anand, and DIG Kulwant Rai Sharma addressed a joint press conference to highlight the achievements of the force in 2025, including its role in Operation Sindoor, India’s military response to the April 22 Pahalgam massacre with cross-border links that claimed 26 lives.
The officer said the figures of these launchpads, as well as the terrorists present in them, keep changing.
“They do not sit there permanently. These launchpads are generally active when terrorists have to be pushed (into India)… They are not kept in more than two or three groups,” DIG Kunwar said while informing that there are no training camps in the areas close to the International Border presently.
The reports generally say that there is deployment in the launchpads, indicating training before terrorists are moved to other areas.
“Earlier, they used to have areas marked, where those belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammad would be active on the down side, and those from Lashkar-e-Taiba would be active on the upper side. After Operation Sindoor, they formed a mixed group. Those who want can get training in a mixed group,” DIG Kunwar said.
IG Anand said the BSF is ready to follow the orders of the government if it decides to resume Operation Sindoor.
“If we talk about 1965, 1971, the 1999 Kargil War, or Operation Sindoor, the BSF has a good experience of all kinds of wars, be it conventional or hybrid warfare. We are ready.
“If we get a chance, we are capable of causing more damage than what we did in May. Whatever policy the government decides, the BSF will play its role in it,” he said.
Asked about “Pakistani Rangers running away from their posts during Operation Sindoor”, the IG said once the situation becomes normal, it is necessary that everyone returns to their respective positions.
“It took them a lot of time to recover from the damages inflicted by the BSF. In some locations, they have tried to strengthen their defence. But all of their activities are under our surveillance,” the IG said.
The BSF is making its plans according to the changing circumstances, he said, and “when we get a chance, we will take proper action”.
“At the moment, there is no movement (of terrorists on the border) to raise an alarm,” the officer said.
