Technology is a force multiplier, not replacement for soldiers on the border
R.C. Sharma
Smart borders ingrain borders with qualitatively better security systems and help governments tackle peacetime security threats effectively through a mix of technological innovations and high-quality fence infrastructure. With this likely aim, then home minister Rajnath Singh launched India’s first ‘Smart Fence Project’ along the India-Pakistan border. The pilot project entailed technology enabled barriers to plug vulnerable gaps.
Is the smart fence project borrowed from Israel an admission that the ordinary fence project, again an Israeli innovation, belied expectations of an impenetrable and impregnable physical barrier, hence requiring upgradation to the more effective variant called smart fence? The answer is both yes and no. Any physical defence barrier requires continuous domination through fire and observation. It is ineffective without domination since it is easily breachable. This is true for both ordinary and smart fences. Both need continuous uninterrupted domination. Therefore, the border management establishment must remain conscious of the fact that an upgraded single line high fence with anti-cut and anti-climb properties integrated with smart technology is not an alternative to dispensing or reducing boots on the ground. Boots on the ground are needed to keep it under domination, to analyse feed from technical gadgets and additional Quick Reaction Teams (QRT) for retaliation. One thing must be very clear—that a smart fence cannot become an alternative for manpower.
In 2021, Israel announced completion of a sensor equipped smart fence around the Gaza strip along with an underground wall. The fence as it comes out, dispensed boots on the ground with total reliance on technology where even Medium Machine Guns were remotely operated with QRTs stationed at convenient points to react and retaliate on being alerted. However, HAMAS overwhelmed the technology, rendering the smart fence ineffective and exposing Israel to the worst attack. That a smart fence is not an alternative to human resources needs to be understood clearly. Rather, it reinforces human efforts. There is no guarantee that there would not be a HAMAS type attack from our western and eastern neighbours in the near future that would render a smart fence ineffective. Therefore, before discussing a smart fence, its likely properties, strengths and weaknesses, there is a need to adopt a holistic approach towards physical security of borders instead of looking at security in bits and pieces by limiting our response mechanism to a smart fence.
For comprehensive security, border guarding needs integration with physical barriers and in-depth analysis. The two important aspects of comprehensive security are physical security of borders and deterrence. In the hullabaloo of smart fence, border-guarding forces must not forget that physical security of borders is their primary role, through physical and technology domination. Physical security is by strengthening defensive positions to deal with various combat situations. The domination must involve strengthening of defensive positions to tackle various combat situations that may arise. Smart fence will be of no consequence without strong defensive positions in case of a determined attack and will jeopardize physical security of borders.
The second aspect is deterrence. Deterrence is physical. It is to guard borders and border guarding obstacles by effective use of weapons to deter conventional and unconventional threats. The conventional threat looms in the form of localised conflict or attack as HAMAS did on 7 October 2023. The unconventional threats are peacetime border guarding threats in the form of drug and arms smuggling, illegal migration and cattle smuggling. These can only be addressed through effective deterrence.
A smart fence is not a deterrence but a physical crime prevention barrier, which is of no consequence without an effective deterrent. Deterrence is men on the ground with authority to retaliate. The less lethal or non-lethal strategy being practised on the ground especially on our eastern borders, renders smart fence vulnerable to breaching despite its anti-cut and anti-climb properties. There is no open-source data available on breaching of the smart fence on the eastern borders. However, it may be happening since smugglers and anti-national elements know the policies in vogue, which restrain border men from exercising effective deterrence.
Similarly on the western borders, hesitation to authorise retaliation may lead to combat strengthening by our counterpart. Therefore, when it comes to choosing between hard and soft security, the border security establishment need to go for hard security which means effective use of smart fence and deterrence wherein both complement border security. Hard security calls for professional response and retaliation to thwart the ill designs of adversaries and smart fence as physical barrier effectively reinforces hard border security aimed at containing unconventional threats.
What is a smart fence and what are its properties?
A smart fence is an integration of single line high wire fence and technology wherein a single line high wire fence acts as a physical barrier with modern sophisticated devices such as sensors, cameras, lasers and radar systems acting as surveillance tools for border guarding with a command and control system to monitor, alert and authorise retaliation. The ministry of home affairs’ annual report 2022-23 describes the smart fence concept. Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) is the integration of manpower, sensors, networks, intelligence and command control solutions to improve situational awareness at different levels of hierarchy to facilitate a prompt and quick response to emerging situations.
It further says two pilot projects in stretches of five kilometres along the India-Pakistan border and one project of 61 kilometres at Dhubri, Assam along the Indo-Bangladesh border are in the final stage of completion. The smart fence security system is a single line high wire made of high quality steel that is anti-cut and anti-climb giving no space to intruders, smugglers and infiltrators to hold hand and foot support to climb. It should be made of such high-quality steel that generator induced cuts could also be not inflicted upon it. It should have anti corrosion properties—so it does not rust due to high temperature, rains and other environmental conditions. At the top there should be space for putting concertina or razor wire to deter those who overcome the anti-climb technology. It should have technological integration comprising both ground-based and water-based sensors for land and riverine borders, infrared cameras, sirens and computers to take the feed for analysis and activate a prevention and retaliation mechanism. Water-based sensors should have the capacity to detect movement of up to 10 metres depth.
You must be logged in to view this content.