Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 4: A Chinese-made drone found near the Durgabari Outpost of the Border Security Force (BSF) in West Tripura has set off alarm bells among Indian security agencies. The drone, equipped with two high-resolution cameras, is suspected to be used for surveillance and has been sent to Delhi for forensic examination.

Initial assessments ruled out any civilian application, suggesting a more covert or hostile purpose. Intelligence inputs warn that drone activity along the India-Bangladesh border is likely to increase, potentially linked to cross-border infiltration, drug trafficking, cattle smuggling, and counterfeit operations.

Echoes of the Pakistan Border Strategy

Officials compare the incident to similar drone incursions observed earlier along the India-Pakistan border, particularly in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, where initial reconnaissance missions later evolved into weapons and narcotics drops.

Rising Threats from Both Non-State and State Actors

Apart from rogue drones, security agencies are also monitoring the Bangladesh military’s deployment of Bayraktar TB2 drones, advanced Turkish-made UAVs capable of both surveillance and armed missions. These UAVs have reportedly flown near Tripura and Meghalaya, with sightings as recent as 2024 in the East Khasi Hills district.

The increasing presence of both non-state actors using commercial-grade drones and state-operated military drones has raised serious strategic concerns. Intelligence officials have expressed worry that strained diplomatic ties with Dhaka could embolden elements seeking to exploit the porous border.

India’s Response: Scaling Up Surveillance and Countermeasures

India has already bolstered surveillance efforts in the Northeast, but officials admit that current counter-drone infrastructure is concentrated primarily in Punjab and J&K. Systems like the DRDO-developed D4 are capable of soft kills (jamming) and hard kills (physical neutralisation), but their deployment across the Indo-Bangladesh border remains limited.

Given the evolving threat, there are growing calls for expanded deployment of counter-drone systems, greater investment in indigenous anti-drone tech, and closer scrutiny of aerial activities along the 4,096 km India-Bangladesh border.

As one official put it, “What began as an occasional sighting is now a clear pattern. The sooner we treat this like the Western front, the better prepared we’ll be.”