Facing IED threats, army patrols now armed with jammers

After a number of blasts triggered by Pakistani army and militants using remote control devices, Indian troops have been equipped with portable jammers for protection as they patrol the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.

It is now a part of the drill that one of the jawans of the patrol team will carry the jammer for disarming any remote-controlled Improvised Explosive Devices.

Weighing around 80 kgs along with batteries, the machine can jam any frequency in a radius of 50 meters during mobile patrolling, according to the operator of Jammer.

Wearing one such machine on his back and armed with digital tools, Sepoy Surinder Singh (name changed) said, "Jammers are now part of the patrolling or any operation, be it anti-infiltration or anything else along LoC."

The jawan, while trekking in a mountainous area somewhere in the Noushera sector, tells a group of visiting media persons that, "It is a security measure against RC (remote- controlled) IEDs attacks along the LoC."

The jammers have been inducted to ensure safety of the soldiers during patrolling on the LoC as there have been a series of blasts of IEDs triggered by the enemy.

The jammer has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the army. It has been indigenously designed and developed by the Electronic Counter measure Systems for protection of VVIPs and Security convoys from the threat of radio controlled bombs often called IEDs.

The Protection System radiates high power electromagnetic signals and prevents the detonation of radio controlled bombs and IEDs, officials said.

The machine is a portable integrated compact communication system developed for various users in different configurations.

It covers HF, VHF & UHF ranges and available in cluster configuration for Army use or in suite configuration for Navy’s ground as well as onboard usage.

"It has full capability to detect, locate and jam frequency agile communications as well as monitoring & recording of conventional signals.

These IED jammers are to be put to use for service deployment and operational usage for quick reaction teams, VIP protection vehicles, convoy escorts, movement of troops and counter insurgency operations.

The deployment of jammers has become important in view of increasing threat to security personnel who are being targeted by IEDs, detonated by cell phones and radio signals along LoC in hinterlands, officials said while giving details about the risks encountered by the soldiers.

Top army and BSF officers and jawans have been targeted with remote control IED by militants with support of the Pakistani army and rangers along LoC and IB during past several years making it necessary to arm the foot and motorable patrols along the border with Jammers.

One November 17, 2009, a BSF DIG O P Tanwar was killed and two jawans of the paramilitary force BSF were injured when militants triggered an IED at Baland along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district.

On June 8, 2013, an army porter was killed and 3 jawans were injured in IED blast along LOC in Poonch.

Subsequently on June 12, 2014, an army jawan was killed and three others, including a Major were injured in an IED blast targeting a patrol party along the LoC in Gambhir battalion area of Poonch district.

On December 15, 2014, five IEDs were defused on IB in Samba.
Last year, on Novemebr 29, an IED blast was triggered to hit a truck suppling ration to forward post along LoC in Poonch.

On December 26, last year, 4 BSF jawans were injured in an explosion near International Border in Samba sector.

On May 29, this year, an army jawan was injured in IED blast on LoC in Rajouri sector.