Need to overcome gaps in ammunition availability: Defence panel

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Thursday underscored there was need to address the gaps in ammunition availability with the armed forces in the country, sources said.

According to highly placed sources, the DAC chaired by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar observed there was a need to "overcome hollowness of ammunition".

A Comptroller and Auditor General report had said that the accepted norm of maintaining ammunition stock for 40 days was met in case of only 10 percent of the various types of ammunition held.

In a written reply to parliament earlier this year, Parrikar admitted to "deficiencies in some of the critical ammunitions on priority" but added that the government had taken "effective steps to mitigate the deficiencies to ensure desired level of operational-preparedness commensurate to threat perception in a dynamic strategic scenario".

The minister said the CAG report covered the status as existed in March 2013, but steps had been taken to mitigate deficiencies since then.

He said in May that production had been increased by 18 percent to overcome ammunition shortage.