, Amidst rising threats of terrorists infiltrating into the country through the sea route, India has announced plans to establish an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) base and station more aerial reconaissance aircraft in the Andaman archipelago.
The plans to mount a high technology surveillance apparatus to monitor the sea traffic around the archipelago was announced by A K Antony on his first visit to the island territories after taking over as the Defence Minister.
The archipelago numbering 572 islands converges into the vital Malacca Straits, the pathway of 60 per cent of the world's energy and commercial trade.
“We have initiated moves to locate most modern surveillance equipment on these islands to counter rising threats of terrorism, sea piracy and weapons and drug trafficking,” Antony told newsmen.
The Minister was accompanied by Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt and Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff, Lt Gen Hardev Lidder.
Asserting that the Government was according topmost priority to stepping up security surveillance in the areas as well as boosting Coastline security, Antony said these steps were being taken in view of projections by intelligence and other security agencies that terrorists could strike or infiltrate through the sea routes.
The agencies feel that infiltration through land borders was proving difficult in the light of hi-tech surveillance system put up, he said
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