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The central government has authorised the army vice chief with more financial powers to purchase a range of ammunition and spares in order to keep the army ready for a “short and intense” war.
The vice chief has been allowed to procure 46 types of ammunition and spares for 10 different types of weapons systems, said an army source. Another proposal to allow the army to procure 20 types of armament and six types of mines is also under consideration by the defence ministry.
At the present market rate, the total cost of these ammunition and spares, required to maintain the optimal level of the force readiness, would be around Rs 40,000 crore.
However, in reality, the spending would be less as the army already has some stocks of these ammunition and spares, sources told DH.
The decision was taken a few days ago to fill up a void in the army’s war readiness as pointed out in the past by the Comptroller and Auditor General as well as by a Parliamentary committee.
An internal assessment of the army in the wake of the Uri terror attack in 2016 also came up with the same conclusion.
“The army was pressing the government to ensure speedy procurement of military platforms, ammunition and spares, citing evolving security challenges. The decision is a major move to fill various gaps in our combat readiness,” said a senior army official.
A 2015 CAG report red-flagged the critical shortage in ammunition, which was steadily on the rise since 2009.