First Defence Deal of Modi 2.0: Set to buy over 100 SPICE bombs used in Balakot Strikes

On thursday Indian Air Force has signed its first defence deal worth around Rs 300 crore to buy more than 100 SPICE bombs from Israel.

These SPICE bombs are the same bombs which were used by the Indian Air Force to attack the madrasa of Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot, Pakistan, on February 26.

As the deal is under emergency powers, thus as per the contract, the advanced SPICE bombs would be delivered to the Air Force in the next three months.

SPICE stands for 'smart, precise-impact and cost-effective'. It is manufactured by the Israeli defence technology company Rafael. 

SPICE bomb has a standoff range of 60 kilometres and approaches 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 IAF is now going to acquire the bunker buster or the building destroyer version with Mark 84 warhead which can decimate targeted buildings," sources told ANI. 

In response to the terrorist attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama which resulted in the martyrdom of 40 CRPF personnel, the IAF had conducted the Balakot airstrikes on February 27.