NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to buy an advanced version of the Spice-2000 bomb, which can be used to reduce enemy buildings and bunkers to rubbles in no time. It is to be noted that Spice-2000 bomb was used by IAF's Mirage-2000 fighter jets in the airstrikes on Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp at Balakot in Pakistan.

However, the penetrator version of Spice-2000 bombs was used by the IAF in the Balakot airstrikes which made holes in the concrete rooftops of the buildings in the Jaish camp but did not destroy the buildings. The bombs, however, exploded inside the building killing those who were present inside the building.

"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.

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It is expected that the acquisition of an advanced version of Spice-2000 would be done through the emergency powers granted to the three services. The emergency powers give the three services authority to buy any equipment of their choice worth up to Rs 300 crore.

Sources said that the Army has decided to use this power to buy Spike anti-tank guided missiles deployment to tackle any possible armoured threat posed by the enemy troops.

The IAF is planning to acquire an advanced version of Spice-2000 bomb from Israel which is one of the main weapon and ammunition supplier of the Air Force. A 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 had conducted the Balakot airstrikes on February 27 in response to the terrorist attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama which resulted in the martyrdom of 40 CRPF personnel.