Pak military battling with artillery shortage, can fight war only for 4 days: Report
The shortage in artillery ammunition is primarily on account of Pakistan’s recent arms deals with Ukraine and Israel, which have drained its war reserves
Amid escalating India-Pakistan tension in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan’s military is struggling with acute crunch of artillery ammunition, severely undermining its operational readiness and raising concerns about its ability to withstand even a brief high-intensity conflict.
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The Pakistan Army currently possesses enough ammunition to sustain combat for just 96 hours, a development that has caused serious alarm within military circles, reports news agency ANI quoting sources.
Exports to Ukraine
The shortage in artillery ammunition is primarily on account of Pakistan’s recent arms deals with Ukraine and Israel, which have drained its war reserves.
Pakistan has recently exported 155mm artillery shells, crucial to Pakistan’s artillery-heavy doctrine, to Ukraine. Executed amid surging global demand and lucrative contracts, this deal has reportedly drained the country’s strategic reserves, leaving its powerful M109 howitzers and BM-21 rocket systems alarmingly understocked.
To add to the neighbouring country’s woes, Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) have been unable to keep up with replenishment demands due to outdated infrastructure and limited production capacity. Despite POF’s stated priority to meet domestic needs, it has struggled to do so under current conditions, officials familiar with the matter told ANI.
The report also states that the gravity of the situation was a key agenda item during a Special Corps Commanders Conference held on May 2. Pakistani military hierarchy is deeply concerned up to some limits of panic.
Economic constraints
Significantly, former Pak Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had earlier warned of the country’s limited capacity for sustained warfare, citing both economic and logistical constraints. The prevailing economic crisis, marked by skyrocketing inflation, rising debt, and dwindling foreign exchange reserves, has only added to Pak military’s troubles as it was forced to suspend training exercises, cut down on rations, and even cancel scheduled war games due to fuel shortages.
Also read: India bans direct, indirect imports from Pakistan over Pahalgam attack
Anticipating a confrontation with India, Pakistan has now initiated construction of new ammunition depots closer to the Indian border. However, without sufficient stockpiles to fill them, analysts argue, such measures offer little strategic value.
“Pakistan sailed its ammunition to distant wars, only to find itself stranded, its arsenals empty, and its defences teetering on the edge,” a senior defence analyst told ANI. “The pursuit of short-term economic gain has inflicted a long-term strategic wound.”