New Delhi: To strengthen the dominance of the Indian Army from land to sky, rapid action is being taken one after the other. In this connection, three such information came to light on Tuesday, which tells that the strength and vigilance of the army is going to be such that even a bird will not be able to fly over it. These include the inclusion of 'Project Akashteer' along with starting the process of purchasing surveillance helicopters and all-terrain vehicles (ATV).

Official sources said the Indian Army is positioning itself at the forefront of air defence technology through 'Project Akashteer', ensuring a safe and vigilant airspace over India. The project is a cutting-edge initiative designed to digitise and automate air defence control and reporting processes.

Comprehensive coverage will be ensured in the defence units of the Indian Army

According to the source, "The process of induction of Project Akash Teer is already underway in a phased manner. A total of 455 such systems were required, of which 107 have been delivered. The remaining 105 are expected to be delivered by March 2025. While the remaining systems will be handed over by March 2027 and this will ensure comprehensive coverage in the defence units of the Indian Army."

Recently, Project Akashteer was "real time validated" as per the likely developments in future battles. A senior army officer witnessed it himself and called it a transformational leap in the air defence capabilities of the Indian Army. Purchase of surveillance helicoptersThe government has started the process of purchasing surveillance helicopters and related items and issued a Request for Information (RFI) for the same on Tuesday.

According to the RFI, there is a plan to bring these surveillance helicopters under the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat program. Under this, the Indian manufacturers selected will have to make the supply within two years. The surveillance capability present in these helicopters has also been asked to be prepared according to the location, so that every inch of the area can be monitored when they are deployed in deserts, plains or mountainous areas up to 4,500 meters altitude.

There is a plan to deploy them from the western borders to the mountainous regions and they will be able to carry out day and night surveillance in all types of weather and geographical areas in the country. It has been told that the design of these surveillance helicopters will be such that they can be upgraded through accessories as per future needs without changing the design or structure.

Purchase of ATVs for deployment on the northern border

The central government also issued an RFI on Tuesday for the purchase of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) for deployment on the northern border. According to the RFI, the ATVs will facilitate the army's access to all types of terrain for surveillance, providing mobile platforms for deploying weapons and sending logistics during operations.

These ATVs will enable faster access to areas where roads are either poor or non-existent. They must have a seating capacity of at least four people including the driver, disc brakes, automatic transmission, GPS, GNSS based navigation system with Navstar, Global Navigation Satellite System and Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System.

India and Bangladesh discuss land port issues

India and Bangladesh on Tuesday decided to enhance cooperation in building infrastructure and developing operational efficiency at various land ports and check posts located along their 4,096-km-long shared international border. The two countries made this commitment during the sixth sub-group meeting of the Bangladesh Land Ports Authority (BLPA) and the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) in New Delhi.