CBU-105: Indian Air Force’s Ultimate Tank-Buster

As the recent Balakot Strike captured the attention of many people with the use of SPICE-2000 Precision Glide Bombs which were used to strike the JeM Headquarters and Training Camp deep inside Pakistan with pinpoint accuracy, Indian Air Force’s arsenal of Precision Weapons isn’t just limited to the SPICE. Perhaps the ultimate Tank-Buster Weapon with Indian Air Force is equipped with the SEPECAT Jaguar: CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapon which in other words can be described as the “Ballet of Destruction”.

Defence sources said that CBU-105 is a sensor fused weapon of 1,000 pound (450Kg) which is dropped with the help of GPS. The best part of the weapon is that it can be used during day or night and even in adverse weather conditions. In 2010 the Indian government placed an order of 512 bombs which were delivered by company. To use them the Jaguar fighter aircraft were upgraded with new Drain III Navigation and Combat system. Upgraded Jaguar fighter aircraft can carry 4-6 sensor fused bomb (CBU-105) on enemy targets.

CBU-105 is a highly versatile and interestingly unique weapon capable of taking down multiple targets at once with Indian Air Force in today’s test taking out an entire dummy enemy tank brigade target at once. About 512 CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapons were ordered by Indian Air Force to equip the SEPECAT Jaguar tasked with Deep Penetration Air Strikes. Jaguar can carry about 4–6 CBU-105 at once and the way of its operation makes it quite safe and reliable in combat.

As soon as the CBU-105 is dropped from the aircraft, the weapon releases some 10 BLU-108 submunitions as the bomb makes a retarded approach towards the target with the parachute slowing their descent. It further consists of “Skeet” warheads and when the target is approached the CBU-105 fires four rotating skeets onto the target and then fires 0.9 kg explosively formed penetrator to take out the target while the fragmentation causes the destruction of soft-skinned targets in the vicinity.

To help achieve unprecedented accuracy, an Infrared seeker scans for the targets with a Laser Ranging Device calculating exact timing for release. These Smart Bombs costs almost $700,000 per unit and with such features can be used for pulverizing enemy formations, terror camps and also warships and other naval targets.

Source:- Harsh B Mishra Quora