Drone surveillance to be part of maritime security: Officials

Security agencies are working on plans for implementing drone surveillance systems along coastal regions of Mumbai and Goa in order to bolster maritime security, as per officials. 

statement on Sunday comes in backdrop of an incident wherein three individuals from Kuwait reached Gateway of India, which reflects vulnerabilities of present coastal security setup, officials said on Sunday. 

three individuals, namely Nitso Ditto (31), Vijay Vinay Anthony (29) and J Sahayatta Anish (29) entered Indian territory through maritime route, after y escaped with a boat from Kuwait - alleging mistreatment on patrt of ir employer in Gulf country.

trio were arrested for violating Passport (Entry into India) Rules after surrendering to authorities. officials were concerned of m blending into local population without trace. 

As per a forensic analysis of ir Global Positioning System (GPS), officials said many missing patches were detected on ir path, which three claimed was because y h switched off ir devices to save battery. 

y vocated for using drones extensively to maintain surveillance along country's maritime borders, since missing patches were vulnerable to misuse by anti-national elements.

Tritional maritime surveys and inspections must transform, with integration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). drones, enabled with high-resolution cameras and sensors, would result in revolutionising efficiency and cost-effectiveness of se tasks.

drones would furr help in maintaining surveillance with unbeatable precision, capturing intricate images and videos of vessels, coupled with offshore structures and coastal regions. 

officials also emphasised on urgency of increasing surveillance along coastline, as y recalled tragic events of November 26, 2008, when Lashker-e-Taiba terrorists wreaked havoc in Mumbai. incident h claimed 166 lives. 

While underpinning requirement for more vigilance, security agencies feel that deploying long-range drones is essential to monitor coastline, which includes a 652.6-kilometre stretch in Maharashtra and 101.0-kilometres in Goa.

Coast Guard procuring drones, coupled with vanced capabilities which includes features such as vertical take-off and landing features, is a significant step towards increasing measures for surveillance, security operations and search-and-rescue missions.

officials neverless lay stress on importance of ditional drones, equipped with an extended range and night vision capabilities for pre-empting potential threats that arise from neighbouring nations, specifically Pakistan.

Drones that are equipped with night vision and rmal imaging capabilities would be imperative for maritime border surveillance during night, or in verse wear conditions since y can detect heat signatures and unusual activities even in situations when re is bare minimum light.

As per officials, drones which have sophisticated identification and tracking capabilities, could identify vessels having Automatic Identification System (AIS) and track ir movements.

(With PTI Inputs)