New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Friday commissioned the Battlefield Surveillance System ‘SANJAY’, which it is set to be inducted in all operational brigades, divisions and corps of the Army in three phases from March to October.
Singh flagged off ‘SANJAY – The Battlefield Surveillance System (BSS)’ from South Block.
The Sanjay system has been developed under the ‘Buy (Indian-IDDM)’ at an estimated cost of Rs 2,402 crore.
The Army did not operate a common integrated surveillance system before SANJAY.
Sources in the Army told ThePrint that prior to this, the force operated a “workable solution” which was not as efficient as SANJAY. “This system will become a common platform which will help create a common image and data for the Army,” said a source.
This comes as the Army, during the Republic Day parade, is set to showcase the battlefield system as part of its mechanised infantry column.
The Ministry of Defence in a statement said the system will “transform the future battlefield through a centralised web application which will provide inputs to Command and Army Headquarters, and the Indian Army Decision Support System.”
A battlefield surveillance system is capable of integrating inputs from all battlefield surveillance devices at division and corps level. The system then processes them to fuse them with other inputs and databases to create a battlefield scenario to aid the commander in decision-making. This helps in strategic positioning and assists in decision-making.
The data, such as voice, video, content and images collected, are sent over highly secure high-speed digital communication links. In order to assess the position of the target, the system uses artificial intelligence and information-based techniques.
Being a mobile automated system, it consists of a monitoring centre, a communication control unit, a generator and various monitoring communication terminals, according to Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL).
The Sanjay BSS is developed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the Army. It will be operated by the Mechanised Infantry Regiment. The BSS, made in India, underscores the MoD’s push towards self-reliance in defence.
In the press statement, the ministry said that the BSS is equipped with “state-of-the-art sensors and cutting-edge analytics”. The system is envisaged to monitor India’s land borders, prevent intrusions and help assess situations. It is expected to act as a “force multiplier” when it comes to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
This would help Army commanders operate in conventional and sub-conventional operations in a network-centric environment, the ministry said.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
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