- विज्ञापन -
New Delhi: Pakistan’s military is facing a critical shortage of artillery ammunition, severely limiting its warfighting capabilities to just four days. The shortage is attributed to the country’s recent arms deals with Ukraine which have drained its war reserves.
Sources say, the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF), which supplies the military, has struggled to replenish supplies amid surging global demand and outdated production facilities. As a result, Pakistan’s ammunition reserves can sustain only 96 hours of high-intensity conflict, leaving its military vulnerable.
Pakistan’s military doctrine, centred on rapid mobilisation to counter India’s numerical superiority, hinges on artillery and armoured units. Without sufficient 155mm shells for its M109 howitzers or 122mm rockets for its BM-21 systems, the army’s ability to blunt an Indian offensive is severely compromised.
The social media posts on X in April 2025 claimed that critical 155mm artillery shells, vital for Pakistan’s artillery-heavy doctrine, were diverted to Ukraine, leaving stockpiles dangerously low.
The POF, designed to meet domestic needs first, struggled to replenish supplies amid surging global demand and outdated production facilities.
However, with the sale of 155 MM ammunition to Ukraine, all 155 mm gun systems, including their self-propelled and MGS artillery, are without adequate stocks of ammunition.
The shortage of artillery ammunition has severe implications for Pakistan’s military doctrine, which relies heavily on artillery and armoured units. Without sufficient ammunition, the Pakistan army’s ability to blunt an Indian offensive is severely compromised.
Source say, due to lack of critical ammunition, Pakistani Military hierarchy is deeply concerned up to some limits of panic. The same was discussed in the Special Corps Commanders Conference on 02 May 2025 among many other things.
Earlier, Former Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa acknowledged these limitations, stating that Pakistan lacks the ammunition and economic strength to engage in a prolonged conflict with India.
Sources say, intelligence reports suggested that Pakistan has constructed ammunition depots near the India-Pakistan border in anticipation of potential conflict.
Pakistan sailed its ammunition to distant wars, only to find itself stranded, its arsenals empty, and its defences teetering on the edge. The pursuit of short-term gain has left a long-term wound, one that could prove fatal in the next crisis.
