India–France to Jointly Manufacture HAMMER Air-to-Ground Weapons

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