Prem Kumar wrote:For bunker busting, why not develop a parachute-retarded, sensor fuzed, HESH round?
Something that's lobbed in the general vicinity of the bunker/sangar, in a top-attack mode, has an IIR sensor which seeks out the target and deploys the HESH warhead. Good for spall damage inside the structure
Thats for general war where you use Air Force. And they have their targets and this will be lowest priority. Even after decades of knowing about HAS in Fizzleya airbases not one IAF thought about getting ordnance that will destroy them. They want to attack runways just as Durandal in 1967 Five day War. SAAW is modern way to hit runways. In war you need to kill them dead. Not pin prick them to come back.
After Desert Storm they acquire Paveway kits and find out in Kargil they need Israeli help to integrate and talk about it 20 years later. Politicians wont let that help be acknowledged for vote bank politics. Cant even thank publicly some one who saved you behinds.
This learning in a war is typical British attitude. RAF came out of British Army and same attitude of penny pinching and general knows best has percolated.
Coming to bunker busting its a real issue for IA since atleast 1965 war. Its not like this first time they came across such structures. In Kohima and Imphal, BIA came up with the tactics to blow up IJ bunkers. Even a near miss with the 1000 lb bomb was not enough. They would bring a 5.5 inch medium gun and direct fire with delay fuze. The odd thing is in 1965 they had the 5.5 inch still with them and even 7.2" But these were divisional and corps assets!!!
Dhanush in direct fire mode can take these out from 4 km that is is if they can get line of sight. Not likely in mountains.
So his Excalibur with all those fins and canards has more control capability and with its INS/GPS and delay fuze would be able to attack those bunkers.