Operation Sindoor on 'strategic pause', govt gives military power for emergency buying

With New Delhi issuing a stern warning to Islamabad that the current pause in Operation Sindoor is only temporary unless Pakistan stops supporting cross-border terrorism, the government has granted emergency procurement (EP) powers to the armed forces, allowing purchases of up to ₹40,000 crore, The Times of India reported.

Officials told TOI on Saturday that the Defence Acquisitions Council, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, recently approved the sixth round of emergency purchases (EP-6) for the Army, Air Force and Navy to boost and replenish their weapons stockpiles.

The first four rounds of EP were approved during the military standoff with China in eastern Ladakh, while the fifth focused on counter-terrorism operations. Under EP-6, the armed forces can fast-track multiple contracts – each worth up to ₹300 crore – covering both capital and revenue expenditure, bypassing the usual lengthy procurement procedures.

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“The contracts must be finalised within 40 days, with deliveries completed within a year. These powers will be exercised by the three Service vice chiefs,” an official said.

This will allow the armed forces to quickly strengthen their stockpiles of missiles, long-range weapons, loitering and precision-guided munitions, kamikaze drones, counter-drone systems, and other arms and ammunition.

There is a 15% cap on both capital and revenue procurements from the total defence budget allocated for the current financial year. “All EP-6 purchases must be carried out with the concurrence of financial advisers, and special permission is required for imports,” the official added. “While actual expenditure is likely to remain below the 15% ceiling, the provision gives the Services the necessary flexibility to address urgent operational gaps and replenish ammunition stocks depleted during the four days of intense hostilities from 7 to 10 May,” officials further said.

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For instance, the IAF used a range of advanced weapons during its precision strikes, including BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles (jointly developed with Russia), Israeli-origin Crystal Maze-2 and Rampage missiles, Spice-2000 precision-guided bombs, as well as French-origin Scalp cruise missiles and Hammer air-to-ground munitions. The IAF also deployed Israeli-made Harop and Harpy kamikaze drones, as reported earlier by TOI.