India to buy Counter-Mortar Radars To Track Pakistani Shelling

Indian experts have drawn specifications required for the purchase of counter mortar radars capable of tackling shelling on the Indo-Pakistani borders.

A committee of experts were assigned the task of formulating specifications by the Home Ministry in August last year. This came after the Pakistan Army and Rangers had resorted to heavy mortar shelling on the International Border in Jammu on various occasions in 2014 and 2015, causing civilian and BSF casualties, Economic Times news daily reported Monday.

The US had supplied similar radars to Ukraine in 2014. The US says that this anti-mortar radar is an effective counter measure to asymmetrical fire by the enemy, the news daily reported.

As per the specifications drawn up by the committee, the radar should be able to detect and track incoming mortar shells, rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) and rockets from any direction from a distance of up to 10 km.

The radar is also desired to track at least five targets simultaneously fired at any angle and should have accuracy of point of origin and point of impact accuracy up to 5 metres. An estimate of the place from where the fire is coming will enable BSF to accurately launch return fire. The radar should be capable of being remotely operated to protect operators from any targeted attack on the radar. The government wants the system to be lightweight and portable.

The radar uses GIS maps and algorithms to calculate the origin point of the fire and is able to work effectively even if wind speed is up to 40 miles per hour.