Dogs can play vital role as tactical tools for anti-terror ops, say experts at Gurgaon conference

The seminar ‘Canine as Tactical Weapon in Fight against Terrorism’ was inaugurated by Kiren Rijiju, Union minister of state for home.

Dogs are not only man’s best friend but they can also be very potent and smart tactical tools in countering the challenges of terrorism and even in wars.

During the demonstration, Fizy, a dog trained by French trainer Thomas was made to wear specialized goggles that included high-definition cameras and asked to deliver a jamming device at the gate of the Niranjan auditorium, where the seminar was taking place. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

This was displayed at the two-day canine seminar on dogs by National Security Guard (NCG) in Manesar where an advanced surveillance system that showed dogs wearing video cameras and goggles helped neutralize improvised explosive devices (IED) and other terror threats.

The seminar ‘Canine as Tactical Weapon in Fight against Terrorism’ was inaugurated by Kiren Rijiju, Union minister of state for home.

The highlight of the event was the display of K9 vision system, a product that combines the latest audio-visual technology and the superior abilities of dogs to create a surveillance system that can help security forces get live feed and information on the live action.

During the demonstration, Fizy, a dog trained by French trainer Thomas was made to wear specialized goggles that included high-definition cameras and asked to deliver a jamming device at the gate of the Niranjan auditorium, where the seminar was taking place.

The dog, being directed through a wireless network, not only completed the task but also retrieved the jammers and the entire process was streamed live on the main screen.

“This system can be deployed during terror attacks, inside houses, buildings, closed doors and open areas,” said Ajay Gupta, director, SRG Techno, a Gurgaon-based company that demonstrated the technique.

“Terrorists are using both conventional and non-conventional modes to strike. It is not possible to man every inch of land, so technology and canine force have to be used as a force multiplier,” said Rijiju.

Rijiju also flagged off NSG’s motorcycle expedition, 2017, that will pass through NSG’s regional hubs in Gandhinagar, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata and cover 7,000 km across the country in 38 days.

Director General of NSG, Sudhir Pratap Singh, said, “ Dogs are playing an ever-active role in counter-terrorism operations and they actively participate with house intervention teams and in render safe operations. They also help in sanitising the operation areas.”