Indian Army patrol parties on the China and Pakistan border will soon be able to transmit real-time video footage and related information about any suspicious movement through radio and live streaming. While one corps is already digitised through Mobile Cellular Communication System (MCCS), the other four corps guarding the line of Control (loC) and line of Actual Control (lAC) will have this connectivity in the next two years.
In simple terms, if a patrol party comes under fire on the loC in Jammu & Kashmir or an intrusion by Chinese troops takes place on the lAC in remote ladakh or Arunachal Pradesh, the section commander of the patrol can transmit live footage right up to Army Headquarters in New Delhi within seconds. This will be done through digested compact data radios from the front via live streaming to enable the local commanders and the higher-ups to deal with the situation accordingly, Army officials said here on Tuesday.
This information technology-enabled transformation to fight modern-day warfare in network centric environment started ten years ago and the Army wants to dovetail it with the “futuristic soldier project,” likely to be completed by 2020. A futuristic soldier, clad in a specially-tailored combat suit, will don a camera-mounted helmet; carry a miniaturised radio set connected with a satellite and pouches of life-saving medicines. Equipped with a palm-sized computer or mobile set, he will relay information from the battlefield in quick time through an encrypted and secure communication network.
As part of the Digital Army, jawans are now getting trained in basic computer applications soon after recruitment in 45 regimental centres and training institutions. The objective is to achieve connectivity for operational and administrative purposes for the 12-lakh strong Army by 2018. At present, the Battalion Commander positioned at least five km away from his troops stationed on the front, be it the loC or lAC, relays information to his Corps Commander or divisional head through video conferencing facility. The Battalion Commander receives audio ground report from the section leader through hand-held radio sets.
Though this system is relatively fast, the introduction of data radios capable of transmitting video footage will provide real-time situational awareness during an encounter or an attack by the enemy. Moreover, this critical input will be beamed right up to New Delhi through an optical network. It also means that if a soldier gets injured in the battlefield or falls seriously ill while serving at the Siachen glacier, the same data radio backed by the MCCS can double up as a node for tele-medicine.
A specialist doctor located in New Delhi or any command hospital can guide the doctor on the ground about the course of treatment to be followed, thereby ensuring that casualties are reduced by a large number. In fact, the MCCS now implemented in 16 Corps guarding Jammu division and partially in 15 Corps proved effective in providing speedy rescue and relief work during the unprecedented floods in the State in October last year. With all mobile networks down due to the calamity, the MCCS helped in directing rescue efforts and locating missing people.
The Army is also planning to have its own cloud computing and all unclassified data will be uploaded on it, officials said. When asked about the implications of using Chinese-made communication systems as they are procured from the open market, they said all systems as per standard procedure are screened. They also said so far no instance of security breach in this regard has come to notice.
On the administrative side, digitization of service and pay and allowance records of all jawans and officers are nearly complete. It will help computer-savvy jawans to report any anomaly in their service record, pay and allowances for immediate correction. Also, the pension record of all ex-servicemen is about to be completed, they said adding the ultimate aim is to do away with tedious file work.