Ranchi: The central reserve police force (CRPF) is all set to use unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to add precision in its assault against the Maoists in Jharkhand.
 
The move has been prompted in view of the growing casualty of the central force in its war against the leftwing extremist outfits in the trouble-torn states like Chattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
 
CRPF Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Alok Raj, who recently undertook a weeklong training on operational manoeuvring of the UAV, told the iGovernment that the flying gadget could provide high-resolution photographs of the difficult terrains and information about movement of the rebels from a safe distance.
 
The UAVs, costing in the range of Rs 70 lakh to Rs one crore each, is equipped with high definition cameras, which could take photographs of the ground from 10,000 feet with impressive clarity both in day and night. In the night, it uses infrared technology to transmit thermal images.
 
Induction of the UAVs, however, will be done in consultation with the Jharkhand Police and after final field trials.

Sources said that a firm demonstrated the use of the UAV in Dhurva area last month. “The final trial is awaited, after which it would be decided as how many such vehicles would be inducted and when,” said an Inspector General rank officer of the Jharkhand police.
 
The plan to use the UAV against the Maoists is considered a well-thought action against rooting out the ultras from the state. After getting the authority to arrest the suspects, the CRPF has already embarked upon the exercise to set up its intelligence network across Jharkhand.