The Border Security Force (BSF) has developed a tear gas shell-dropping drone system that can be used by police to control protesters and rioters, according to a senior officer of the border-guarding force on September 2.
The “drone tear smoke launcher” can be used to launch these shells from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or drone, and it “will be a potential force multiplier for security forces working in the law-and-order management domain,” he said.
New system was tested recently
A Border Security Force (BSF) spokesperson said the new system was tested recently at its famed tear smoke unit (TSU) in Tekanpur, Madhya Pradesh and this was informed at the annual governing body meeting of the special unit held in Delhi under the chairmanship of BSF Director General (DG) Pankaj Kumar Singh.
The TSU was established in 1976 as part of the BSF and develops and manufactures anti-riot tear smoke munitions for supply to both central and state police forces. The BSF is primarily responsible for guarding India’s borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, as well as various roles in the country’s internal security domain.
A video clip shared by the force showed at least six tear smoke shells tightly packed inside a metal cage attached to a hexacopter drone. The tear shells are dropped from the air by the drone system at predetermined locations.
During the meeting, the BSF DG praised the TSU for developing a wide range of non-lethal munitions for police and security forces, stating that “indigenous production of these items has reduced the country’s reliance on foreign munitions.”
According to the BSF spokesperson, the TSU also manufactures a variety of other lachrymatory munitions, flash-bang shells, impact munitions, and customised products for special operations.
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