HYDERABAD: Call them the flying soldiers. Soon, eagles will catch and snatch illegal and potentially unsafe drones at VIP programmes in the State.
Perhaps this is the first time in the country that birds are being trained to catch illegal drones. Some countries like The Netherlands have been deploying eagles to take down rogue or illegal drones. After sniffer dogs, it is now the turn of eagles to be trained by the Integrated Intelligence Training Academy (IIITA) in the State, to create an aptly-named Garuda Squad.
The State government on Friday accorded permission to the Home Department to train the Garuda Squad at IIITA in Moinabad, Rangareddy district “for training birds to neutralise drones during VIP/VVIP visits/programmes in the State”.
The Finance Department also gave permission to engage the services of two resource persons on contract basis as trainers, under the administrative control of the DGP, with a fixed remuneration of Rs 35,000 and Rs 25,000 per month respectively. The trainers will be hired till March 31, 2021 or till the actual requirement is completed, whichever is earlier, according to a Government Order issued by Finance Special Secretary Ronald Rose.