LUCKNOW: In the wake of the Indo-Pak military face-off following Operation Sindoor, security agencies recognising the potential threat to national monuments have installed anti-drone technology at the Taj Mahal in Agra to safeguard the UNESCO World Heritage Site against possible aerial attacks during times of war.
According to district police sources, the system has a range of eight kilometres and is capable of a ‘soft kill’ neutralising any aerial threat that comes within 500 metres of the main dome of the iconic monument.
This development follows heightened military tensions between India and Pakistan earlier this month, after India conducted airstrikes that destroyed nine terror hubs deep inside Pakistani territory. The strikes were in retaliation for the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, in which 26 people were killed.
The anti-drone system, supplied by the security headquarters, was successfully tested during a trial run and demonstrated effective detection and neutralisation capabilities.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Taj Security), Sayed Areeb Ahmad, stated that the system is capable of detecting drones from any direction within an eight-kilometre radius. “It not only tracks a drone’s current position but also pinpoints its point of origin. Drones entering the 500-metre radius around the monument will be automatically neutralised,” he said.
He further added that any drone detected within the no-fly zone surrounding the Taj Mahal would trigger an immediate response. “A team will trace the location of the operator, conduct a raid, and initiate legal action in accordance with existing laws,” Ahmad noted.
Security personnel deployed at the Taj Mahal received a week-long training to operate the system prior to its installation. The Agra Police and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) are jointly responsible for the protection of the monument and its surroundings. Flying drones within a 500-metre radius of the Taj Mahal remains strictly prohibited.
Though officials were reluctant to disclose detailed technical specifications for security reasons, police sources confirmed that the system employs signal-jamming technology to render incoming drones inoperable a method referred to as a ‘soft kill’. The Agra Police will be responsible for the system’s operation and maintenance