'Impregnable' shield for Pathankot airbase by Dec

NEW DELHI: Almost four years after Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists attacked the Pathankot airbase to punch gaping holes in the security set-up of military installations, which also triggered a sharp downturn in ties with Pakistan, the new "virtually impregnable" perimeter system at the frontline station will soon be fully operational after several delays.
"The pilot project of the integrated perimeter security system (IPSS) at the Pathankot airbase will be completed by November-December. It will then be replicated in other bases," IAF chief Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria said.
Sources said IAF planned to install the IPSS, which is a "comprehensive multi-sensor, multi-layered, hi-tech surveillance and intrusion detection system", at 23 of its "sensitive and high risk" airbases. Concurrently, the force is also pushing the case for "electric smart power fences" for 19 other air stations.
The Navy in January inked a Rs 700 crore contract with Bharat Electronics for the airfield integrated security system at six naval air stations, which house valuable assets like MiG-29K fighter jets and Poseidon-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft, as was first reported by TOI .
But the programme to bolster security at the 54 flying bases of IAF, which could cost Rs 100-150 crore per airbase, will take much more time and funds. For now, the IAF is pushing BEL to complete the IPSS pilot project at Pathankot airbase. The IPSS includes a "smart perimeter fence" with different types of electro-optic and motion-detection sensors, surveillance and thermal cameras, along with a command and control centre that gets a "composite 24x7 live video feed" to ensure breaches can be detected immediately .
"The IPSS electronic eye will help in launching appropriate counter-measures to thwart an intrusion as soon as it is detected," said a source.
With airbases being inherently large in terms of area, it's simply not possible to physically man each inch of the perimeter," said a source.
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References

1. ^{^} integrated perimeter security system (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
2. ^{^} IPSS (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

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