Air Force looks at buying advanced 'bunker buster' version of Spice-2000 bombs

Buoyed by its success in the Balakot air strikes against a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist camp in Pakistan, the Indian Air Force is now planning to buy an advanced version of the Spice-2000 bomb, which can completely destroy buildings and bunkers.

During the Balakot strikes, the Air Force had dropped Spice-2000 bombs from Mirage-2000 fighter aircraft after a pack of 12 of these fighters crossed the Line of Control to strike the Jaish facility in the Khyber Pakhtunwa province.

However, the Spice-2000 bombs used in the Balakot strikes were the penetrator version which made holes using their weight in the concrete rooftops of the buildings in the Jaish camp which don't destroy buildings but explode inside killing people with the mix of 70-80 kg explosives with shrapnel.

"The IAF is now planning to acquire the bunker buster or the building destroyer version with Mark 84 warhead which can decimate targeted buildings," government sources told ANI.

The acquisition is likely to be done through the emergency powers granted to the three services for buying any equipment of their choice worth up to Rs 300 crore to prepare for any hostilities, they said.

Under the powers, the Army has already made up its mind to buy Spike anti-tank guided missiles deployment against any possible armoured threat posed by the enemy troops.

The Spice-2000 bombs have been acquired from Israel which is one of the main weapon and ammunition supplier of the Air Force.

The Balakot air strikes were conducted by the Air Force in response to the Pulwama terrorist attack on a CRPF convoy in which 44 personnel lost their lives.