New Delhi: With having to maintain vigil on two fronts – Western and Northern – the 13-lakh strong Army is slowly but steadily building its ammunition stocks ranging from rockets and missiles to high-calibre tank and artillery shells to ensure it can comfortably fight a full-blown war for over 10 days, with the eventual aim to have adequate stockpiles in place to last 40 days.
All the different types of ammunition for the Army will be built up to 10 (I) levels,” which mean adequate stocks to undertake 10 days of “intensive” full-spectrum fighting, by 2022-2023, as per the latest assessment, sources said.
However, it does not mean the Army is not operationally ready for war as of now. “It is, especially on the western front. But ammunition reserves have to be built keeping both Pakistan and China in mind,” sources said.
The “earlier huge deficiencies” in several types of “critical” ammunition have already been “substantially plugged”, with more supplies in the pipeline under the 24 contracts (19 with foreign arms companies) worth Rs 12,890 crore inked for the Army.
