Army raising specialised ‘Baaz Battalions’ for aerial surveillance, drone warfare

Army raising specialised ‘Baaz Battalions’ for aerial surveillance, drone warfare NEW DELHI: To boost its surveillance capability, Indian Army is raising ‘Baaz Battalions’ that will provide frontline units with advanced aerial surveillance and situational awareness tools, a source told TOI.‘Baaz Battalions’ will strengthen border monitoring, drone warfare preparedness, operational readiness along sensitive frontiers and coordination between frontline units and intelligence systems.Outgoing Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi said Monday that ‘Baaz Battalions’ would build upon existing remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) flights. An RPA is a type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that does not carry a human pilot on board but is actively flown from a remote pilot station.“These battalions will comprise a specialist pool of trained personnel to operate and manage RPA systems. The initiative is aimed at enhancing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities through integrated aerial surveillance, persistent battlefield awareness and rapid response, while contributing to a more technology-enabled and future-ready Indian Army,” a source said.These battalions are likely to be placed under the Army Aviation Corps. End of Article [Image text:] BAAZ BATTALION