Posted on 02/26/2019 9:46:27 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
Computer-generated image of the SPICE munitions | Screengrab from Rafael video
As news of the Indian Air Force strike on terror targets in Pakistan dominated headlines across the world, speculation has begun on the kind of weapons the Mirage 2000 jets carried.
The speculation has increased as the Indian Air Force hit a target in 'Pakistan proper' at Balakot, far from the Line of Control. While initial reports said the Indian Air Force used laser-guided bombs, some media agencies claim the Mirage 2000 fighters hit the targets from 'standoff' ranges, which meant they needn't have strayed significantly beyond the Line of Control.
Typical laser-guided bombs have a maximum range of around 15km, which would expose the carrier aircraft to possible interception from enemy fighter jets and air defences. A standoff weapon would have been preferred by the Indian Air Force to hit a target in Balakot to minimise the risk of aircraft losses.
The Indian Air Force is known to operate the Israeli SPICE bomb kit. SPICE, which stands for Smart, Precise Impact and Cost-Effective, is a guidance and manoeuvring kit manufactured by Israel's Rafael. The SPICE kit adds a sophisticated guidance system—consisting of inertial navigation, satellite guidance and electro-optical sensors for pinpoint accuracy—and control fins to a conventional unguided bomb. The SPICE turns a conventional 'gravity' bomb into a sophisticated long-range munition.
The SPICE-1000 kit, which is available for 500kg bombs, has a glide range of nearly 100km, while the SPICE-2000 (meant for 1,000kg bombs) has a glide range of around 60km. Weapons like the SPICE-1000 and the SPICE-2000, which are also difficult to detect by most ground-based radars, given their small sizes, enable an aircraft to hit targets at standoff distances.
Moreover, satellite-guided munitions like the SPICE are not affected by heavy cloud cover a
(Excerpt) Read more at theweek.in ...
Rare image of Indian Mirage 2000 with SPICE munition
Will this blow up into something bigger?
I know there’s no love lost.
Hope it doesn’t.
That’d be a hell of a mess.
Yeah since it seems they roll out nukes mighty early in the conflicts!
At least that’s what I recall from last time.
Posturing back and forth sometimes gets out of control.
If they used Tactical Nukes, instead of Theater Nukes, I wouldn’t give a darn. But you’re right, they go for the “big boys”, right-off.
We were living in India during the 2001 war and went on vacation to Italy until things cooled off.
WOW Honey, NJ’s at war with Philly. Let’s go to Iowa for a couple of weeks until the radiation lifts. LOL.
I can’t even imagine that. Glad you all made it safely.
Disagree....the Pakis have gotten away with sponsoring terror and drugs for too long. Trump cut their aid for a reason. We should never give them another dime. Go Injuns!
You WANT it to blow up into something bigger?
Cause there’s nothing else to disagree with in my 3 line post :)
He who controls the spice, controls the universe
you beat me to it!
Yes...the ISI needs to be taken down and their agents in DC need to be routed. The Pakis likely cannot deliver a nuke so I say go Indians (not Cleveland). They should never again be able to threaten anyone or support the Taliban! We would have saved thousands of lives if this problem was solved before, but that would have taken courage
“The Spice must flow...”
Adding SPICE to a terrorists life.
Where did I go wrong?
Nuke those Po'kistanis, NOW.
SPICE
precision bombing
toss bombing - long glide distance like upto 50-60 km
I hope India nukes Pakistan into the Stone Age.
I
I thought they sent them to the front lines on trucks last time.
Don’t mind me, senility at 50.
I thought they had mobile launchers.
India should be one the United States closest friends, period!
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