Amid ongoing tensions with China and a string of ceasefire violations fromPakistan, the Indian Armed Forces have been authorised to raise theirweapons and ammunition reserves to be able to fight 15 days ofhigh-intensity conflict, up from the earlier ten-day mark.

According to a report by ANI citing government sources, the armed forcesare expected to spend over Rs 50,000 crore to acquire both equipment andammunition from local and foreign sources, using both the extended stockingrequirements and the emergency financial powerslinkafter the stand-off with China began in Eastern Ladakh.

“A number of weapon systems and ammunition are being acquired now under theauthorisation of having reserves to fight a 15-day intense war with theenemies. The stocking would now be at 15-I level from the 10 I levels,”government sources told ANI.

According to the report, this authorisation was approved “some time ago”.

India’s War Wastage Reserveslinkto be for the forces to fight up to 40 days of war—this was reduced to 20days in 1999 and later cut to 10 days. In 2015, a Comptroller and AuditorGeneral (CAG) report revealed that India would run out of most of itsammunition within just 10 days. Such reserves are also calculated keepingin mind the threat of a two-front war with both China and its all-weatherally Pakistan.

Since June, India and China have been engaged in a standoff in the EasternLadakh region, with both sides deploying thousands of troops along the Lineof Actual Control. Despite multiple rounds of talks, the standoff hascontinued into the winter—prompting India’s military-industrial complex tokick into overdrive to keep troops supplied, warm, and readylink.

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