Source: IE
Context:
India and France have signed a major defence manufacturing agreement to locally produce HAMMER precision-guided air-to-ground munitions, marking a strategic expansion of bilateral defence cooperation.
Joint Venture Between BEL & Safran
- Bharat E and Safran Electronics & Defence (France) signed a Joint Venture Cooperation Agreement (JVCA).
- The JV will be a 50:50 private limited company established in India.
What is HAMMER?
- HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) is a smart standoff air-to-ground weapon.
- Key features:
- Range: up to 70 km
- Against (250 kg, 500 kg, 1000 kg bombs)
- Compatible with Rafale and Tejas aircraft
- All-weather and low-altitude launch capable
- Jamming-resistant, difficult to intercept
- Effective against fortified, hard targets
