KRC's device can prevent 'air terrorism'
17 October 2001 23:09 IST The Konkan Railway Corporation has claimed that its indigenously built Anti-Collision Device can protect aircrafts from hijacking and also tall buildings from terrorist attacks like what happened in USA on 11 September.
"Provision of ACD's network gives safety shield against any terrorist actions of hijacking aircraft and causing the kind of damage that occurred to World Trade Centre in New York", states the KRC.
The ACD, named as 'Raksha Kavach', was dedicated to the nation recently by railway minister Nitish Kumar at a function held Konkan Rail Vihar in Navi Mumbai.
In the background of the tragedy in US which claimed thousands of innocent lives, the KRC has now publicised the ACD on its website, stating "we can protect tall buildings from terrorist attacks".
According to B Rajaram, the KRC CMD, the device has an in-built microprocessor with knowledge to act automatically when unsafe conditions arise to ensure safety. A software-based device can be programmed for dedicates use of aircrafts, he adds.
"Inputs are taken from GPS and uses a radio trans-receiver to communicate every half-second with any other ACD within a prefixed range of distance, which also has inputs from GPS, both interact, and automatically decide and act together to avoid collision with each other", states the website information.
According to KRC, it automatically over-rides the pilots while the flying object is shifted away from ACD-protected area. The ACD intervenes on collision course, avoiding such kind of tragedies.
Technology solution of ACD is the right answer for the problem of tackling the terrorism using civilian aircraft while increasing insurance premiums or posting of sky marshals simply escalate costs but cannot guarantee safety, it states.
While each unit costs US $ 20,000, the KRC feels a city may need about four to five such devices whereas every authorised flying object should be fitted with one such device each.
In order to avoid even high speed train collisions like in Khanna and Ghaisal, Nitish Kumar had announced that Indian railways will go for it all over India. A survey is being taken up of the entire railway network in the country to assess the number of ACDs required to be installed.
The railway ministry plans to install the Raksha Kavach in all the locos, guard vans, levels crossing gates and railway stations, besides the trains. The device is tested by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation of the railway ministry.
