Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, who will soon take over as the Director General of Military Operations, said India is taking note of every new method employed by any military force across the world.
Speaking at his last press conference as General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the Army's Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, Lt Gen Ghai, answering a question about the weaponisation of pagers used in the Israel-Lebanon conflict, said, “Every time a new method is employed by any military force across the world, we always take note of it to draw our own lessons, so we can incorporate what is relevant to us and prepare our army and armed forces accordingly."
He said what is unfolding in the Middle East is a new trend and the manner in which it is unfolding is unique. “Therefore, we will certainly analyze it, put it into perspective, and come to conclusions about what is relevant and how it could affect us."
Further, he said the Army will soon be able to crack the encrypted handsets used by militants in Jammu and Kashmir.
Admitting that 'Ultra' communication was giving terrorists secrecy needed to communicate, he said, "Ultra communication has various layers of encryption and while presently, it is affording them the secrecy that they want. But I assure you that work is happening in that regard and soon we will be able to crack that encryption and I am hoping that will further dent the terrorist ecosystem network."
READ MORE: Amid Iran-Israel conflict and Israel’s retaliation threat, India holds joint naval drills with Iran
The 'Ultra' handsets combine cellphone capabilities with specialised radio equipment that does not rely on traditional mobile technologies like Global System for Mobile or Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA). The device operates on radio waves for transmitting and receiving messages. According to officials, each 'Ultra' set is linked to a control station located across the border and two 'Ultra' sets cannot reach out to each other.