Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh interacts with NSG commandos at the NSG garrison in Manesar, Haryana. PTI Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh interacts with NSG commandos at the NSG garrison in Manesar, Haryana. PTI

The National Security Guard (NSG) recently acquired a string of state-of-the-art unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are likely to minimise casualties during counter-terror operations.

The NSG showcased some of the drones, which can conduct surveillance of hideouts and even lob teargas shells and grenades, at a function to mark its Raising Day at Manesar, Haryana, on Tuesday.

Addressing NSG commandos at the event, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that threats posed by “lone wolf attackers” and “do it yourself” terrorists are new and are a major challenge for security agencies.

NSG sources said that Kamikaze drones, which can enter terror hideouts and self-destruct, have also been acquired. Sources said the drones will be effective in room intervention —one can break open the entry and another can enter the room and explode. This will greatly reduce the possibility of casualty among jawans when they physically make room interventions, sources said. Lobbing teargas shells may be useful in hostage situations, they said.

The Kamikaze drone is a loitering munition that can autonomously home in on radio emissions or can be flown manually with a remote control. Rather than holding a separate high-explosive warhead, the drone itself is the main munition. It is designed to loiter around the battlefield and attack targets by self-destructing. If a target is not engaged, the drone will return and land itself at the base.

Praising the NSG for its professionalism and high-quality training, Singh said that barring Jammu and Kashmir, there has been no major terror attack since the 2008 Mumbai strike.

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