The government is said to have extended "full financial powers" to the Armed Forces vice-chiefs for the purchase of war stockpiles to maintain combat readiness for "short and intense wars". To curb China's goondabazi near the Sikkim-Bhutan border, the Vice Chiefs have been freed from the procedure to seek the permission of the Defense Acquisition Council before signing any deal. After the Uri attack in September 2016, the armed forces were authorized to sign emergency deals worth over Rs 20,000 crore -- primarily with Russia, Israel, and France -- to ensure their warships and fighters, tanks and artillery could undertake at least 10 days of "intense fighting" without worrying about ammunition and other reserves. The government had then set up empowered procurement committees under the Army, Navy and IAF vice-chiefs with emergency revenue financial powers to "make up deficiencies and operational voids" by inking deals over a three-month period at a time. It may be noted that the C&AG had earlier pointed to the Forces' dismal state of preparedness in a report. The war wastage reserve, according to the report, had fallen to one-third of the requirement to fight an intense war. And in the paramilitary forces, particularly in anti-Naxal operations, troops have to resort to rationing for bullets and other munitions.