NEW DELHI – Holding foreign drones as potential threat to aviationsecurity, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has tied up with theIndian army to train personnel in identifying drones of Pakistani andChinese origin, an officer of the force said.

A six-day-long training session was conducted last month in Gopalpur,Odisha, with more sessions planned for the personnel posted at 59 airportsacross the country. The official cited above was part of the first batch,Hindustan Times has reported.

In Delhi, about 60-70 cases of unidentified flying objects being sightedhave been reported but detection has not been done in any of those cases.

“The involvement with army will help us not only in detection andidentification of the drone but also tell us how to neutralise it. Theycall it Remotely Piloted Aerial System and during training, various typesof drones were displayed. Those assembled in Indian and neighbouringcountries are different and how to spot them was part of the training,” theCISF officer said.

The ministry of civil aviation, which has come up with a draft regulationallowing the use of drones, but with some restrictions, has also formed acommittee that would study the use of radar that can detect the drones.

“There is focus on neutralising the flying object but we must first be ableto detect it. So far, it is detected through naked eye but never traced (toits origin nation). World over, there is separate radar for detection ofdrones or any other small flying objects, which should be the priority forus, too,” said a CISF officer posted at the Delhi airport.

The ministry is also testing technologies to capture drones.

“We have already tested technologies that can capture them or block thecommunication system. Another technology which will be displayed (at futuretraining sessions) would be on how to trace the operator of the illegaldrone,” said a ministry official.

The draft is open for public consultation and the ministry is soon expectedto finalise the rule.