(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) New Delhi August 25 (QNA) - The Indian Army does not have enough ammunition to last 20 days of intense fighting in a full-scale war says a Times of India report published Monday. The daily newspaper had first said this in a report published in March this year. "Six months later this situation has not changed" says the report today. Officials say Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is aware of the situation. Measures are being taken to build up War Wastage Reserves (WWR) due to the "long-winded" arms procurement procedures as well as the sluggish performance of the 39 arms factories under the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) officials say. The WWR should be adequate for 40 days of intense fighting the TOI report says. The Indian Army's WWR will reach 100% by 2019 providing it receives budgetary allocation of around US $16.048 Billion (Rs 970 Billion) sources told TOI. India imports 23 types of ammunition while the OFB manufactures the remaining the source said. Phase-I of India's ammunition roadmap will ensure deficiency of critical ammunition is made up to sustain 20 days of 'intense fighting' and three years of training ammunition by March 2015 costing $3.145 Billion (Rs 192.5 Billion). The defence ministry ordered $159.41 Million (Rs 9.630 Billion) worth of ammunition from the OFB in 2013-14. In 2012 the Indian government had approved for the Army around 25000 3UBK Invar missiles for its T-90S main-battle tanks which were running short of ammunition. It had also passed the project to integrate the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles on Sukhoi-30MKI fighters. Together the two projects are worth around Rs $1.324 Billion (Rs 80 Billion) the TOI report said. (QNA)
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