Chinese Ultra Set Handsets: New Security Threat in Jammu and Kashmir

Chinese-made ‘Ultra Set’ handsets, used by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, pose a new security threat by bypassing traditional mobile technologies.

Key Points

• Chinese-made ‘Ultra Set’ handsets are a new security threat in Jammu and Kashmir.
• These handsets combine cell phone capabilities with specialized radio equipment, bypassing traditional mobile technologies.
• Originally intended for the Pakistan Army, these devices are now used by terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir.
• The handsets were discovered during arms and ammunition recovery operations in the Pir Panjal range.
• The devices indicate a direct link between terror groups and the Pakistan Army.
• The ‘Ultra Set’ handsets operate on radio waves and use Chinese satellites for message transmission.
• This development highlights Chinese support to Pakistan and its impact on regional security.
• The recent China-Pakistan meeting on CPEC further underscores their strategic cooperation.

Chinese-made communication devices, known as ‘Ultra Set’ handsets, are posing a significant new challenge to security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. These handsets combine cell phone capabilities with specialized radio equipment that does not rely on traditional mobile technologies like Global System for Mobile (GSM) or Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA). The recent discovery of these devices in Jammu’s Pir Panjal range has raised alarm bells among security agencies.

Originally intended for the Pakistan Army, these sophisticated devices are now being found in the hands of terror groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir. According to security sources, these groups are pushing the devices into the region through infiltrating terrorists. The discovery of ‘Ultra Set’ handsets during arms and ammunition recovery operations indicates a direct link between these terror groups and the Pakistan Army.

Jammu and Kashmir have seen a rise in terror attacks in recent weeks, and during these operations, security forces have recovered not only arms and ammunition but also advanced communication devices. The ‘Ultra Set’ handsets, which are highly encrypted and mostly used by the Pakistan Army, were among the items seized. According to the Director General of Police in Jammu and Kashmir, around 70-80 foreign terrorists are currently active in the Union Territory, most of whom have recently infiltrated, further indicating the connection between these terror groups and the Pakistan Army.

The Chinese-made ‘Ultra Set’ handsets, found frequently in the Kashmir Valley, operate on radio waves for message transmission and reception, bypassing traditional mobile technologies. Each device is linked to a control station located across the border, with Chinese satellites carrying compressed messages from the handsets to a master server in Pakistan for onward transmission.

The recovery of these sophisticated devices underscores the support that the Chinese government is providing to Pakistan, which ultimately ends up in the hands of terror groups. This situation comes against the backdrop of the recent China-Pakistan meeting regarding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). During the 3rd round of the Joint Consultative Mechanism (JCM) of Political Parties on CPEC and the Pakistan-China Political Parties Forum in Islamabad, both nations reaffirmed the importance of CPEC and pledged to further strengthen their strategic partnership.