NEW DELHI: The European Union (EU) and India conducted a first-of-its-kind counter-terrorism training from October 13 -15 aimed at protecting critical infrastructure and soft targets against emerging threats from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or drones as they are commonly known.
The European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU’s diplomatic service, said in a statement, “The three-day exercise brought together senior officers, instructors and technical experts from India’s National Security Guard (NSG) and the EU’s High Risk Security Network (HRSN), and focused on the use of advanced UAS and Counter-UAS (C-UAS) capabilities.”
As per EEAS, the training strengthened mitigation skills and familiarised participants with deployment models for major events.
Participants also deliberated on the future trajectory of drone threats, including swarm and autonomous systems and the need for advanced detection and neutralisation technologies such as artificial intelligence, sensor fusion, directed energy and kinetic countermeasures.
Highlighting challenges of drone proliferation, the EEAS said, “The rapid proliferation of UAS and their misuse by state and non-state actors pose serious security challenges. Commercial drones have advanced rapidly in both technology and accessibility, making them inexpensive and adaptable tools.”
The EU HRSN, a specialised European platform of 28 units from 21 European Union Member States, brought a team of UAS and C-UAS instructors and technical experts to Manesar, Gurugram. India’s NSG led the training.
Doval in Kyrgyzstan
NSA Ajit Doval arrived in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Wednesday for the 3rd meeting of the India–Central Asia National Security Advisers/Secretaries of the Security Councils. Doval met his counterpart Lt. General Baktybek Bekbolotov and discussed issues like terrorism & radicalisation.