Faced with constant threat of avalanches in many snow-bound areas in the northern as well as north-eastern sectors, especially during winter months, the Indian Army is scouting for an advanced man-portable avalanche rescue system that comprises a search radar and electronic response beacon.

The system comprises a rescue radar designed to detect personnel and equipment buried under snow in real time, and a reflector with an electronic transponder to return the signals emitted by the radar to pin point the location.

“The system ensures force protection in areas with adverse weather and climatic conditions and prevents non-operational casualties in snow bound areas. Equipped with advanced sensors and mitigation technology, this system enhances battlefield survivability and security of personnel against vagaries of weather,” a request for information issued by the Army on December 22 states.

The system is required to incorporate multiple victims marking feature in case of more than one buried individual and also include audio and video indication system and display for distance indication. It should have the option of being mounted on drones.

The high probability of avalanches as well as landslides and mudslides in many parts of Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim poses a danger to troop movement and deployment. Extreme weather, storms, heavy snowfall and unstable terrain make avalanches a leading cause of non-combat casualties.

In September this year, three soldiers were killed when an avalanche hit an Army camp in the Siachen Sector. A captain was rescued after being buried for hours. The most notable incident in Siachen was in February 2016, when 10 soldiers were buried under snow at an altitude of 19,000. One soldier, Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad, was finally evacuated after six days but he later succumbed to cold-weather injuries.

An avalanche struck an Army patrol at 14,500 in the Kameng Sector of Arunachal Pradesh in February 2022, killing seven personnel. It was only after several days that their bodies could be retrieved due to adverse weather conditions.

Among the worst incident in recent times was an avalanche that struck a training camp in Gulmarg in which 17 soldiers were killed during a skiing exercise. Multiple avalanches that struck Army camps during heavy snowfall in the Gurez Sector of Kashmir and adjoining areas killed 20 soldiers during January 2017.

The Army has been engaged in the mitigation of avalanche hazards for decades, with DRDO’s Defence Geo Research Establishment in Chandigarh playing a crucial role in the forecast of avalanches and developing technologies to minimise risk and damage.

The Army is working with the industry and the academia to develop newer technology for avalanche rescue that involves the use of drones, satellites and artificial intelligence. The Army has also been inducting equipment such as Avalanche Monitoring Radar that uses microwave pulses to detect avalanches and landslides in under three seconds through snow, fog and darkness within an area of a few square kilometers.

Victim detection and rescue equipment for locating buried personnel have also been procured. In 2022, the Army acquired 20 advanced Swedish avalanche rescue systems for precise location in deep snow.