India unveils new surveillance system

India's Ministry of Defence rolled out the new Sanjay - Battlefield Surveillance System on 24 January. (PIB)

India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has rolled out a new system that will enhance the Indian Army's surveillance capabilities.

This system, named ‘Sanjay - Battlefield Surveillance System (BSS)', can automatically integrate inputs from ground and aerial sensors in the battlefield to produce a “common surveillance picture” for the forces, the Indian government's Press Information Bureau (PIB) announced on 24 January.

Sanjay-BSS, developed jointly by the Indian Army and the state-owned Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), was unveiled in the presence of India's Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh at the MoD headquarters in South Block, New Delhi, on 24 January, the PIB said.

The PIB added that Sanjay-BSS will process information from different sensors to confirm its veracity, prevent duplication, and fuse the received information to produce an integrated surveillance picture of the battlefield. The system will use secured army data network and satellite communication network to receive and transmit information.

Sanjay-BSS will be a force multiplier for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations of the Indian Army, enhancing accuracy of monitoring and assessing the environment to prevent intrusions and other threats, the PIB said.

According to BEL, Sanjay-BSS consists of a monitoring centre, a communication control unit, a generator, and various monitoring communication terminals. The system displays the tactical picture on a map using a customised geographic information system (GIS). It uses artificial intelligence (AI) and information-based techniques to identify and assess the position of the target.

Sanjay-BSS will strengthen the commanders' operational capabilities in “conventional and sub-conventional operations in a network centric environment”, the PIB said.