New Delhi, Feb 26: In a step to secure its bases after the Pathankot attack, the IAF has sought the services of trained canines from paramilitary ITBP for security duties.
ITBP officials said the Air Headquarters has sought help from the Union Home Ministry to allow it “procure” a contingent of trained dogs for anti-sabotage and explosive detection duties from one of the paramilitary forces, preferably the ITBP.
The Indian Air Force(IAF), they said, has informed that at present it does not have “adequate” number of canines to deploy for such duties and hence it is seeking “immediate” help in this regard from their counterparts in the internal security domain after a comprehensive security audit of its 950 flying and non-flying bases necessitated the urgent requirement for having these security measures.
The audit also brought to fore chinks in the security of these bases including at Pathankot.
The IAF is understood to be interested in procuring these four-legged soldiers from the inventory of border guarding force Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force as it is not only decorated as the ‘centre of excellence’ in this domain but is also credited with training the most versatile breed of Belgian Malinois dogs for infantry patrol and operations role in the country for the first time.
The ITBP canines are also the most relied by security agencies to conduct anti-sabotage checks before and during the conduct of a VVIP event.
Sources said the IAF is preparing a comprehensive security of its bases and deployment of security dogs is one of the most important aspects highlighted in the recently completed audit done by it.
Also Read Battle for Capital: Delhi goes to polls tomorrowNew Delhi: The stage is set for the high-stakes Assembly elections in Delhi, with over 1.56 crore voters eligible to cast their ballots from 7 am onwards on Wednesday. Voting will take place across 13,766 polling stations in all the 70 Assembly constituencies to decide the fates of 699 candidates in a contest that could reshape the political landscape of the capital. Led by Arvind Kejriwal, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is seeking a third straight term, banking on its governance record and welfare schemes. On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is making a determined push to reclaim the capital after more than 25 years. The Congress, which ruled Delhi for 15 years till 2013, is striving to stage a comeback after failing to win a single seat in the previous two elections. Polling will begin at 7 am on Wednesday and continue until 6 pm under tight security arrangements. The Election Commission has deployed 220 companies of paramilitary forces, 35,626 Delhi Police personnel, and 19,000 home guards to ensure peaceful voting. Nearly 3,000 polling booths have been identified as sensitive, and special security arrangements, including drone surveillance, have been made at some of these locations. According to Delhi Police, additional police forces will be deployed for the sensitive booths where Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) will also be stationed to maintain law and order. Special provisions have been made for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, with 733 polling stations designated for their accessibility. In an effort to streamline the process, the Election Commission has introduced a Queue Management System (QMS) app, which will enable the voters to check crowd levels in real time. Additionally, 6,980 out of 7,553 eligible voters under the home voting facility have already cast their ballots. The campaigning, which officially ended at 6 pm on Monday, saw a high-voltage battle between the three main contenders. The AAP focused on its governance model, with Kejriwal and Chief Minister Atishi leading rallies across the city. Led by heavyweights like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and party president JP Nadda, the BJP intensified its attack on the AAP over corruption allegations and law and order issues. The Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, too put up a spirited campaign, targeting both the AAP and the BJP on various issues.
The IAF has, meanwhile, set in motion its plans to procure more and more pups for training them in anti-sabotage security duties and deploy them in phases at these bases for vigil and perimeter patrol.
Till that time, they said, the IAF will procure fully-trained canines from the ITBP and take Labradors and German Shepherd breed of dogs for deployment in the first phase.
They said a meeting between the officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, ITBP and IAF is soon expected to take place during which the exact numbers, cost and delivery timelines would be finalised.
The January 2 attack on the Pathankot air base, which houses fighter jets and attack helicopters, left 7 security personnel dead while four militants were also killed.
