According to a senior officer speaking to TOI, “Of the 23 high-priority air bases, IPSS with command and control centers is now functional at 17-18 of them after some delay. Now, the plan is to install IPSS, with some additional features and upgrades, at 30 more air bases.”
The government had approved the IPSS for the first 23 air bases, with Bharat Electronics (BEL) as the lead contractor and several foreign sub-contractors. This decision came after Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists attacked the Pathankot airbase in January 2016, exposing serious security vulnerabilities in military installations across the country.
As per the request for information (RFI) issued to Indian companies, the IAF wants the IPSS at the 30 air bases to have five layers for intrusion detection and monitoring. These layers will include an electrical smart power fence, CCTV cameras with infra-red illuminators, radars, underground vibration detection systems (UVDS) with dedicated optical fiber cables, and dual PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) thermal and visible cameras.
The five layers of security will consist of an electrical smart power fence, CCTV cameras with infra-red illuminators, radars, underground vibration detection systems (UVDS) with dedicated optical fiber cables, and dual PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) thermal and visible cameras. Additionally, the system will incorporate mini UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) for aerial surveillance.
Additionally, the system should also include mini UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) for aerial surveillance. “UVDS should be capable of detecting vibrations generated by human intruders while walking, crawling, and tunneling across the perimeter,” another officer stated.The IAF has asked vendors to submit their response to the RFI for IPSS by June 24 this year. This move comes shortly after Baloch militants attacked another naval air base in Pakistan on March 25. In India, a series of terror strikes in Pathankot, Uri, Nagrota, Akhnoor, and other camps in recent years have highlighted the urgent need to revamp security infrastructure around military installations.The IAF has issued a request for information (RFI) to Indian companies, asking them to submit their proposals for the integrated perimeter security system (IPSS) by June 24. The IPSS is a crucial step in enhancing security and addressing vulnerabilities in the existing set-up, such as lack of proper perimeter security, outdated standard operating procedures, and the absence of regular security audits and coordination between intelligence and security agencies.
In India, the need to urgently revamp the security infrastructure around military installations and bases has been reinforced by a series of terror strikes on Pathankot, Uri, Nagrota, Akhnoor, and other camps in recent years. These low-cost, high-impact attacks exposed several weaknesses in the existing security setup, including lack of proper perimeter security, outdated standard operating procedures, absence of regular security audits, and inadequate coordination between intelligence and security agencies.
(With inputs from TOI)
