<p>The radar is pegged to enhance the ability of the Navy and the coast guard units in carrying out operations to provide maritime security, maritime safety, environmental security et al which are threatened by gun running, smuggling, terrorism and infiltration, poaching and marine pollution.<br /><br />Currently, the coast guard is equipped with technology to trace vessels which are over 20 meters in length and depend heavily on physical patrolling for everything else. They also have the mechanism wherein local fishermen can inform of suspicious boats or vessels in our waters.<br /><br />But ISRO’s development is seen to be a big booster as the technology will enable the Navy and the coast guard to extend their surveillance to vessels beyond 20 meters and also enable them to cover larger areas of the sea.<br /><br />Senior officers at the Andaman Nicobar Command told Deccan Herald that the technology will first be used at the joint command in Port Blair, as the island has an ISRO ground station which can receive signals from the satellite directly.<br /><br />ISTRAC has ground stations at Bangalore, Lucknow, SHAR (Sriharikota), Thiruvananthapuram, Port Blair Island, Brunei, Biak (Indonesia) and Mauritius, meeting international standards.<br /><br />Moreover, guns and drug running has become a big threat in and around India’s waters in the Bay of Bengal region, which has been in the news for human trafficking in recent times.<br /><br />Speaking to Deccan Herald, a senior officer at the joint services command said: “This is one of the perceived threats that is considered seriously and constant patrols are undertaken with special interest.”<br /><br />He added that the intelligence gathered on the matter is “strong enough” for the forces to not let their guard down at any point as trading of arms, which is mostly said to be moving into India, is a real threat, especially in the North-eastern region.<br /><br />However, despite there being intelligence on the potential gun running almost every month, there has not been any ‘real’ reported incident since the infamous “Operation Leech” that Indian Defence had carried out in 1998.<br /><br />“Operation Leech” was the code name given to the Indian intelligence’s sting operation carried out in February 1998 resulting in the capture of 34 Myanmar nationals in Andaman’s Landfall Island.<br /><br />And as per the ministry of defence a joint forces operation had nabbed a gang of international gun smugglers, allegedly supplying weapons to the Indian insurgent groups.</p>
<p>The radar is pegged to enhance the ability of the Navy and the coast guard units in carrying out operations to provide maritime security, maritime safety, environmental security et al which are threatened by gun running, smuggling, terrorism and infiltration, poaching and marine pollution.<br /><br />Currently, the coast guard is equipped with technology to trace vessels which are over 20 meters in length and depend heavily on physical patrolling for everything else. They also have the mechanism wherein local fishermen can inform of suspicious boats or vessels in our waters.<br /><br />But ISRO’s development is seen to be a big booster as the technology will enable the Navy and the coast guard to extend their surveillance to vessels beyond 20 meters and also enable them to cover larger areas of the sea.<br /><br />Senior officers at the Andaman Nicobar Command told Deccan Herald that the technology will first be used at the joint command in Port Blair, as the island has an ISRO ground station which can receive signals from the satellite directly.<br /><br />ISTRAC has ground stations at Bangalore, Lucknow, SHAR (Sriharikota), Thiruvananthapuram, Port Blair Island, Brunei, Biak (Indonesia) and Mauritius, meeting international standards.<br /><br />Moreover, guns and drug running has become a big threat in and around India’s waters in the Bay of Bengal region, which has been in the news for human trafficking in recent times.<br /><br />Speaking to Deccan Herald, a senior officer at the joint services command said: “This is one of the perceived threats that is considered seriously and constant patrols are undertaken with special interest.”<br /><br />He added that the intelligence gathered on the matter is “strong enough” for the forces to not let their guard down at any point as trading of arms, which is mostly said to be moving into India, is a real threat, especially in the North-eastern region.<br /><br />However, despite there being intelligence on the potential gun running almost every month, there has not been any ‘real’ reported incident since the infamous “Operation Leech” that Indian Defence had carried out in 1998.<br /><br />“Operation Leech” was the code name given to the Indian intelligence’s sting operation carried out in February 1998 resulting in the capture of 34 Myanmar nationals in Andaman’s Landfall Island.<br /><br />And as per the ministry of defence a joint forces operation had nabbed a gang of international gun smugglers, allegedly supplying weapons to the Indian insurgent groups.</p>
