Failed ordnance factories CENJOWS 21 May 2019
https://cenjows.gov.in/article-detail?id=171
Failed ordnance factories CENJOWS 21 May 2019
The army has approached the MoD highlighting increased accidents in peace time firing due to faulty ammunition produced by Ordnance Factories. It has also expressed concern over slippages in supply and development of ammunition by the same factories. This has not been the first time such concerns have been raised.
There are 41 ordnance factories, which presently hold monopoly on production of equipment including ammunition for the armed forces. These operate under the Ordnance Factories Board (OFB) located in Kolkata. In the MoD they come under the department of defence production. Since the MoD is controlled the bureaucracy, there is no military say over them. Thus, all service HQs can do is approach the ministry and hope it acts in their favour and firmly.
Earlier attempts to reduce dependency on ordnance factories met with stiff resistance from their unions. The government delisted forty items from their production list for which their unions went on a token strike and threatened prolonged agitations. Their claim is that they are the second line of defence for the armed forces and hence the government must invest in them, rather than delist items from their inventory.
In the case of ammunition, the OFB claims that ammunition supplied to the army is only after stringent inspection by the factory’s quality control department as well as the Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA). It added that accidents sometime occur due to ‘bulk exploitation’ of the ammunition by the army.
The OFB statement read, ‘the important reasons (for failures) can be manufacturing deficiencies, improper handling and storage in ammunition depots, improper maintenance of weapon systems and improper handling of ammunition and weapons during firing. The OFB is not aware of the storage/handling/maintenance conditions at the army’s end, which are equally responsible for defects/ accidents.’
It is very easy to throw the blame across the board and claim that they have instituted complete checks and monitoring. The reality is that the DGQA and ordnance factories only resort to limited checks and not 100% as they have claimed. The reasons for the same is involvement of multiple factories, quantities, limited interest and lack of staff. To add to the misery of the army and possibly increased accidents, ordnance factories have now demanded self-certification from the DGQA. If the same is granted, there would be further callousness.
Laxity of the part of the OFB has been evident in multiple cases. One well-established case is the blast of faulty mines in May 2016 in the Pulgaon ammunition depot which led to 19 deaths. The reason was the reluctance of the OFB to recollect these mines, despite repeated reminders from army authorities. In fact, three years before this incident, the army had refused to stock mines manufactured by the ordnance factory in Chanda, as they were leaking TNT.
Post an accident during firing as part of normal training at the School of Artillery in Devlali in 2009, which led to one death and multiple injuries, an X-ray machine to recheck fuses manufactured by ordnance factories was obtained from them on loan, post raising a hue and cry. Faulty fuses came to light. Had this not been resorted to, there could have been more accidents. However, such a facility is neither available in ammunition depots nor during field firing in ranges. The fault in ammunition accidents in most cases exist in fuses attached to the shell, which either have components missing or wrongly placed, due to manufacturing defects.
When soldiers fire ammunition manufactured by ordnance factories, they do so with complete faith on the manufacturer. Peace time accidents are immensely demoralizing and impact morale and faith in the equipment. This cannot be allowed to happen as it is the same ammunition which the army would fire during hostilities.
Had there been regular defects with a single type of ammunition, in a specific firing area, involving a specific depot, then it could have been faulty storage or handling. However, accidents spread across the country involving multiple ranges, depots and establishments cannot be attributed to storage and handling, but to manufacturing. The seriousness of the case can be gauged from the fact that the army has stopped firing specific equipment due to increased accidents.
Every single accident has been investigated and the results shared with the OFB. Its refusal to enhance its checks indicates sheer callousness. The OFB and the government have not invested in modernizing ordnance factories, only leading to continuity in poor quality production.
In addition, has been the issue of supply of requisite quantity of ammunition. The CAG had pulled up the MoD in Jul last year for poor holdings. The CAG report stated, ‘OFB, which had a limited production capacity vis-a-vis the requirement of Army, accepted targets for supply of ammunition covered under the roll-on indent in mutual consultation with AHQ. It however, failed to supply the accepted quantities, and there was shortfall in 54 to 73 per cent types of ammunition.’ This has come about because ordnance factories are fighting tooth and nail against them being privatized or orders placed on private domestic manufacturers, while unwilling to expand their own capacities.
Ordnance factories were essential post-Independence when the nation lacked an industrial base. These have over time outlived their utility and are presently white elephants sucking the defence budget only because the armed forces have no option but to place orders on them. They are no longer the second line of defence as they claim to be. They occupy prime land and have a high operating cost, while the profit they generate is because the armed forces must pay what is demanded.
Governments have not had the courage to privatise these factories fearing union pressures. Thus, they adopt a safe attitude, refuse to invest in technology leaving the armed forces to purchase poor quality ammunition manufactured by them. They continue being pampered at the cost of lives of trained soldiers. Though some orders are now being placed on private manufacturers, this is insufficient.
In this environment, it is unlikely that any serious action would be taken against them nor would their work culture change, despite the army flagging its concerns. In a few days the army complaint would die a natural death and more lives would continue being lost. The MoD would go back into hibernation as it has been doing with multiple earlier complaints.
Things can only change if the incoming defence minister is determined to break the shackles of his predecessors and act.
About the Author
Maj Gen Harsha Kakkar
Retired Major General Indian Army