Indian Army adopts Virtual Reality to secure the LOC amid modernisation bid

In pursuit of the modernisation of the Indian Armed Forces, troops of the Indian Army have been equipped with the technology of “Virtual Reality”.

Deployed along the Line of Control (LOC) in Jammu’s Rajouri sector, Indian Army personnel have adopted Virtual Reality (VR) technology for area familiarisation, in addition to keeping surveillance on the enemy’s infiltration routes. The latest adoption of technology by the Indian Army proves advantageous to the troops on the ground in information gathering pertaining to friendly areas as well as carrying out reconnaissance of the enemy area, enhancing the army’s capabilities in securing the volatile border between the two nations.

The latest development in Indian Armed Forces’ modernisation bid comes amid Indian Army’s efforts to establish a 5G network along the LOC. The Indian Army is undertaking the task to upgrade communication and high-speed data networking along the field areas near the border to support the operational requirements of forward-deployed troop formations. According to experts in the defence fraternity, the high-bandwidth low-latency connectivity provided by the 5G proves to be better suited for mission-critical communication amid operations being carried out by Indian Army troops at the forwarding edge of the battlefield. 

Indian Army set to go Hi-tech along the LAC

Amid an unresolved border contention with China which led to a still-ongoing military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian Army issued tenders to procure 100 robotic mules and 48 jet pack suits to assist the troops deployed at the LAC carry out their duties. The bid to induct the high-tech equipment is planned to be undertaken under the fast-track procedures laid out by the Indian government. The decision for the acquisitions was taken under emergency powers approved by the government to assist the Indian Armed Forces to tackle the situation along the LAC. 

Described as a turbine-based individual mobility platform, a jet pack suit can lift a man safely from the surface in different terrains. As per the Indian Army’s requested specifications, the suit must provide controls for the safe ascent and descent, take-off and landing in addition to manoeuvrability in all directions. Meanwhile, the acquisition of robotic mules is aimed to assist the troops to carry loads at high altitudes of up to 10,000 feet. 

Meanwhile, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering and IIT Madras for the establishment of a 5G testbed back in August 2022. The test bed is set to facilitate validation of the 5G network’s military use in the field area. This pertains to the Indian Army’s bid to introduce and enhance telemedicine, smart surveillance, drone control and real-time virtual and augmented reality for training and operations.