In a major development, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has hammered a Rs 300 crore deal with Israel to buy over 100 SPICE bombs, that were used in the February 26 Balakot strike.
It is a type of bomb whose fuse is delayed to ensure maximum casualties. It can reduce enemy buildings and bunkers to rubbles in no time.
According to reports, the bombs to be acquired by the IAF as an advanced version of the Spice 2000 bomb used to target JeM’s terror camps in Balakot.
This is the first defence deal signed by the government after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over for a second term.
“A contract for procuring over 100 SPICE bombs with Mark 84 warheads was signed with Israel under emergency provisions as per which the deliveries would be done in three months time,” top government sources told ANI.
“The IAF is now going to acquire the bunker buster or the building destroyer version with Mark 84 warhead which can decimate targeted buildings,” the sources said.
SPICE bombs have a standoff range of 60 kilometres and approach the target as its unique scene-matching algorithm compares the electro-optical image received in real-time via the weapon seeker with mission reference data stored in the weapon computer memory and adjusts the flight path accordingly. SPICE 2000 consists of an add-on kit for warheads such as the MK-84, BLU-109, APW and RAP-2000.
The Balakot strike came in response to the terrorist attack in Pulwama in which over 40 CRPF personnel were killed on February 14.