Business · India Bureau
ITBP bolsters China border defences with drones, bunkers and modernised tactics
India's Indo-Tibetan Border Police force is overhauling its approach to border security along the Line of Actual Control, introducing drone units and underground fortifications to counter evolving warfare threats from China.
LSN India ·
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has established drone platoons across all its border units and is constructing underground infrastructure along the 3,488-kilometre Line of Actual Control (LAC) as part of a comprehensive modernisation drive, according to the force's director general.
Speaking to personnel at an ITBP base in Rajasthan's Alwar, Director General Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor outlined the force's shift away from conventional warfare tactics. He emphasised that the ITBP, which guards India's frontier with China since its establishment in 1962, is investing substantially in upgrading weapons, vehicles and border installations to meet contemporary security challenges.
The force has also developed a new 'Strike' course designed to prepare personnel for high-intensity confrontations similar to the 2020 Galwan Valley clash. Kapoor highlighted that recent conflicts, including the Ukraine-Russia war and Iran-US tensions, have demonstrated the critical role of drone and counter-drone technologies in modern combat, with smaller nations potentially neutralising larger military forces through advanced aerial systems.
The modernisation initiative reflects New Delhi's growing focus on technological advancement in border defence operations. Kapoor's remarks underscore the ITBP's recognition that safeguarding India's northern frontier requires departure from traditional security paradigms in favour of contemporary warfare methodologies tailored to address threats from China.