Write Comment     |     E-Mail To a Friend     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Print

Micro craft may be future defenders

Scientists from Bangalore are working on a unique technology to be mounted on micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) that can help civic agencies tackle emergencies like the Carlton Tower episode better and armed forces to counter the threat posed by terrorists armed with chemical weapons.

Gathering information at the site of incidents assumes great importance in evolving a contingency plan and civic agencies lack the technology to do so on most occasions. "The MAVs are able to reach inaccessible areas, detect the cause of the accident, capture and send images, thus helping in rescue operations," a scientist said.

Scientists, as part of the National Programme for MAVs (NP-MICAV), envisage an intelligent, unmanned MAV that can detect use of various chemicals, send the data to the bases, thus enabling better assessment of situations.

The advanced detection mechanism will help counter the threat posed by possible use of chemical weapons by terrorists, or even in conventional warfare as they will be equipped to sense chemicals released by mines and other weapons used.

Sources, who declined to comment on whether India has perceived threats of chemical warfare from enemy countries, were more candid in perceiving such threats from terrorist outfits.

"Nothing can be ruled out considering the mode of operation of terror groups and resources at their disposal," they said. Speaking to Deccan Herald, Lt Gen (retired) V J Sundaram, one of the pioneers of MAVs in the country, said: "MAVs are the future with the ‘algorithms’ of warfare changing drastically over the years, and India, though late in embarking on a MAV project of this magnitude, will not be left behind." He said the technology being developed to detect use of chemicals in warfare is a combination of biological findings and electronic engineering.

"The creation of sensors is inspired by the human body. Just like how we humans can detect various particles through our senses, we want to develop electronic sensors that can perform the same job for us in drastic situations."

Programmed sensors

MAVs will be equipped with sensors that will be programmed to detect various chemicals during warfare, he added.

They will use miniature IR sensors, micro sensors for foliage penetration and detection of chemical weapons besides creating real-time image mosaics.

Talking of the civilian applications, NP-MICAV Chief Executive Officer K Ramachandra said: "The technology will be the same except that the MAVs will be programmed to detect chemicals of different kinds."

What is chemical warfare?

Chemical warfare (CW) is the involvement of toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. While offensive use of living organisms (such as anthrax) falls under the biological warfare umbrella, chemical warfare, under the Chemical Weapons Convention, involves use of non-living toxic products produced by living organisms (eg: toxins such as botulinum toxin, ricin, and saxitoxin).

Chemical warfare does not depend on explosive force to achieve an objective. Rather, it depends on the unique properties of the chemical agent weaponised. A lethal agent is designed to injure or incapacitate the enemy, or deny unhindered use of a particular terrain.