Toy copter in Parliament exposes security risk

Rage

DFI TEAM
Senior Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
5,419
Likes
1,001
Toy copter in Parliament exposes security risk

30 Apr 2009, 0331 hrs IST, TN


NEW DELHI: Exposing a chink in the high-security cordon around New Delhi's VIP zone, a sophisticated remote-controlled toy helicopter landed in the vicinity of Parliament House complex on Wednesday — sounding alarm bells in the security establishment.

Though there was no threat in Wednesday's incident, the implication of the incident — if the toy had been used to carry chemicals or explosives as a lethal payload — have worried the security agencies.

Though the toy was found to be a harmless object during a preliminary examination, the incident showed up some unanticipated challenges for security mechanism including existing jamming systems in the high-security zone which are currently only meant to block communication devices. This is unlike other countries like US and UK where all such buildings have vehicles mounted with jammers to block low-power radio frequency used in such remote controls.

The scare in the wake of the incident was evident till the time technical experts of the security agencies finally ruled out existence of any surveillance camera or other additional equipment attached to the toy.

Confirming the incident, Lok Sabha secretary general P D T Achary said the toy chopper — about two feet in length — landed near the cycle stand of Parliament Annexe. Personnel from intelligence and security agencies reached the spot soon and took away the toy for a detailed examination. They have already begun investigations into different aspects of the incident, he added.

Sources in the agencies, meanwhile, have ruled out possibility that the toy helicopter could have been used as a trial (dry run) by somebody for any future terror act. The authorities have, however, no knowledge who could have launched the toy copter and from where exactly it could have come to the Parliament Annexe. [Interjection: How on Juno's rump did they "rule out" a trial run if they have no knowledge of the source of the incident?]

Security sources said it appeared from the make of the toy chopper and the cells used in it that it had the capacity to fly around 15 minutes. During preliminary investigation, it was found that the "sophisticated" toy came flying from the western side of Parliament from somewhere near Talkatora Road around 10.55 am, they added.

The object landed near the cycle stand and was detected by a CRPF jawan deployed there, claimed sources. The spot was cordoned off as the jawan alerted the control room at the Parliament Annexe which immediately rushed a Quick Reaction Team (QRT) to the site.

"We are also trying to track the remote control which was used for this helicopter," said an officer, adding the matter will be examined thoroughly and additional measures will certainly be taken to block such remore-control guided equipments in future.
:suicide_fool-edit:



Toy copter in Parliament exposes security risk - India - The Times of India
 

shiv

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2009
Messages
326
Likes
47
this shows the incompetence and lack of thinking in our security establishment,even after so many years of fighting terrorism and securing vip's,they still dont have a foolproof system.

example-
if a plane or helicopter is flying towards PM's house the airforce planes will take 10 minutes to reach the spot where it can deploy missiles and 12 minutes to actually reach the PM's house,but by then the other craft would have done its job.........
 

Rage

DFI TEAM
Senior Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
5,419
Likes
1,001
This is speculation here folks, but the online grapevine has it that the copter was evidently a 'Picoo Z', a miniature, 2-channeled, remote controlled microcopter manufactured by Hong Kong's Silverlit Toys. It is a cheap Chinese copy of the Air Hogs' 'Havoc Heli' sold in North America, and until 2006 held the record for the smallest remote-controlled production model copter ever built. It is a beginner's model - having a weighted aereofoil-like 'stabilizer bar' with a rounded leading edge followed by a sharp trailing edge incorporated into the main rotor, producing a lift perpendicular to the motion and acting as a complete cyclic-authority self-stabilizer - so that merely inducing enough power to negate gravity will cause the copter to hover in mid-air in stable fashion. Having spawned a number of other chinese-made clones, the model is available cheaply - at a wholesale price of $18 infact - worldwide. Sources have it that a child was playing with the copter near Gur'dwaara Rakab Ganj, when he lost control and it drifted (weighs a mere 10-12 grams) into the Parliament annexe near the Rajendra Prasad statue.


A plausible reason for the kid having lost control is that the scorching hot Delhi sun overpowered the IR transmitter and caused the chopper to crash. The Picoo Z is designed only for indoor flying, and occasionally outdoors when there are mild conditions. But with temperatures approaching 40C in the summer, it is wholly possible that the infra-red transmitter on the chopper was overwhelmed. The fact also that the toy is powered by infra-red, instead of the more common radio frequency control - considerably mitigating its control range - explains why the kid couldn't get the chopper back up in the air after it crash landed near Parliament.


Still, ongoing inquiries are being made by the bobbies among the locals to confirm that fact. So expect to hear some news soon.
 

ppgj

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
2,029
Likes
168
Bharat Electronics to secure parliament with hi-tech gadgets

Published : December 2009

Bangalore. State-run Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) will soon make India's parliament house a highly protected place with its hi-tech electronic gadgets.

"Parliament will have an extra security cover in the next six-eight months with access control system to monitor movement of members, officials and visitors," according to BEL chairman and managing director Ashwani Kumar Datt.

He told reporters recently that the Bangalore-based BEL got a Rs 30-crore order from the central government to install the access control security system in the parliament building that will check unlawful entry or movement of people.

"Similar high security will be provided at the cabinet secretariat, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) office and other sensitive and vital installations in Delhi," Datt said on the margins of an "International Radar Symposium India" (IRSI-2009) held here.

The heightened security will have closed circuit television (CCTV), baggage checking devices and other intelligent gadgets for ensuring an eagle's eye in the national capital.

As the leading manufacturer of various radars for civil and defence services, BEL has secured an order from the Indian Air Force for 30 radars and from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for six all-weather forecasting and monitoring Doppler radars.

The seventh edition of the radar symposium has chosen "Demystifying Radar Technology" as its focal theme to attract greater participation of the Indian private industry in the development and manufacturing of various types of radars for civil, commercial and military applications.

About 500 delegates from India and overseas took part in the four-day biennial event, which included tutorials for young engineers and serving technocrats in microwave electronics, radar technology and associated areas.

The IRSI was jointly organised by BEL with a host of state-run institutes and private firms in the radar-related domain.

(IANS)

..:: India Strategic ::.. Bharat Electronics to secure parliament with hi-tech gadgets
 

Latest Replies

Global Defence

New threads

Articles

Top