According to The Wall Street Journal In the midst of a tragic military operation in Gaza, the Biden administration has approved a $320 million arms deal for Israel. The deal involves the transfer of Spice Family Gliding Bomb Assemblies, a type of smart bomb known for its high accuracy, from a US subsidiary of an Israeli defense company to the Israeli government.
What are spice bombs?
Spice, which stands for Smart, Precise Impact, Cost-Effective, bombs are air-to-ground weapons developed by Rafael USA, the American branch of a prominent Israeli arms manufacturer. These bombs are part of a family of guided weapons systems designed to make unguided bombs more fine. They essentially turn regular bombs into GPS-guided munitions. Spice bombs use advanced guidance kits that combine INS/GPS (Inertial Navigation System/Global Positioning System) guidance and electro-optical seekers to precisely target their intended destinations.
This technology greatly improves their accuracy and targeting abilities, making them more effective at hitting their desired locations. These are the bombs that were used during the Balakot airstrikes in February 2019, when the Indian Air Force targeted the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). The terrorist camp in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in response to the Pulwama attack.
It has not been disclosed about the exact extent of military aid and equipment provided to Israel during the recent military operations, which began on October 7. This transfer comes at a time when there are increasing international calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, as the civilian casualties from Israeli air strikes continue to rise.
