Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Feb 5: Indian border along hostile China in high-altitude area of Ladakh is all set to get a night eye for surveillance of the enemy troops as Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has developed state-of-the art Lightweight Laser Target Designator with Thermal Imager for the purpose.
According to the sources, this thermal imager is in final phase of induction and the same is likely to be made available to the Indian Army very soon for its installation at several strategically important locations along Line of Actual Control in Ladakh sector.
Daulat Beg Oldie, Demchok and Chumur are among the locations where these latest night vision devices are being installed for keeping a strict vigil on the hostile activities and intrusion bids of People’s Liberation Army of China into Indian territory, sources added.
Even before its induction, this latest night surveillance device is in huge demand by the Indian Army and Border Security Force for manning boundaries of the country. Special requirement has been made by the Indian Army for its installation in high-altitude areas of Ladakh along Line of Control keeping in view its better range and high accuracy, sources said.
During the fog and rains also, when other night vision devices do not function, this third generation thermal imager operates and senses the human beings by minutely differentiating their body temperature from surrounding flora and fauna. Therefore, this thermal imager is more required in high-altitude areas.
Pertinent to mention here that China is already equipped with such high quality thermal imagers on their side along Line of Actual Control.
Developed by Instruments Research and Development Establishment (IRDE) wing of the DRDO in 2012, this thermal imager among other night surveillance devices and military equipments is on display at the Expo-2014 at Jammu University.
Designation of military targets up to 10 kms, integrated DMC & GPS, night operation with third generation MWIR thermal imager are among the salient features of this Lightweight Laser Target Designator with Thermal Imager, IRDE Scientists Pardeep Kumar and K C Bahuguna informed the Excelsior.
“Weighing below 20 kg, including all accessories, it operates with rechargeable Li-ion batteries and enables accurate terminal guidance of laser guided munitions during day and night,” Pardeep Kumar added.
Hand Held Thermal Imager (HHTI), Holographic Sight for rifle and carbine and Wide Field of View Thermal Imager (WFTI are among other night surveillance devices on display in the Expo-2014.
HHTI is third generation advanced device but with compact light weight night vision binocular for long range observation and reconnaissance. It operates in 3-5 km spectral band with high resolution OLED display. It can detect images upto eight kms and recognize them in 205 kms.
WFTI is a compact, reliable un-cooled night sight which can be used for wide area surveillance for short ranges up to 100 meter in the dark, dust and smoke conditions. Having wide field of view coverage, WFTI is used for driving in hostile areas during dark without lights on.
Holographic Sight is an electro-opting system using holographic technology for small arms. This sight is very useful in close-quarter battle, especially in counter-insurgency operations where speed is very critical.
Astro-Stablised Laser Seeker, which is integrated with the bomb to home on the intended target and Laser Proximity Fuze (LPF) to detect the ground based target during the terminal phase and to initiate the detonation of warhead for maximum lethality, are also on display in the Expo-2014.
There are more than two dozen stalls in the DRDO exhibition where latest designed equipments and technology for defence are on display for the visitors who are thronging Jammu University for having a glimpse of the same.
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