China switches off BeiDou navigation system along India border

After being in service for a year, China’s People Liberation of Army has stopped using its BeiDou navigation system. The PLA's move is being viewed as an effort to hide its activities along the border areas with India. 

The development comes after the Indian Army significantly ramped up its surveillance grid along its northern and eastern borders. With its enhanced surveillance systems, the Indian Army has been able to receive clearer pictures and real-time information about the PLA activities along the Line of Actual Control. 

The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, which was developed by China was aimed to replace and end dependency on the American Global Positioning System. As per intelligence reports, the use of the BeiDou system has been reduced along the northern borders in the last one month. 

China had to reduce its usage of navigation systems that it had deployed in June 2020 after India reinforced its long-range surveillance drones, radars and night vision capabilities. The armed forces work in an integrated manner to assess the feed from UAVs, satellite imagery, radars and ground cameras for a robust and accurate assessment of ground situation not only along the LAC but also in the depth areas of the Chinese side.

While speaking to a group of journalists from Delhi at Rupa in Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern Army Commander Lieutenant General Manoj Pande had said the surveillance close to the LAC was being enhanced and that in certain areas the deployment had been augmented. 

Lieutenant General Pande said that the Indian Army had enhanced its preparedness levels and its capability to respond to any eventuality. He further said that the army had inducted new radars, long-distance surveillance drones and platforms for night vision capabilities. Besides China, Pakistan has also been using the BeiDou satellite system to deploy weaponry systems.

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• China
• India
• Ladakh
• Border
• defence