What is HAMMER? The air-to-surface weapon India & France will make together

Ahead of the 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin are set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday to manufacture HAMMER precision-guided weapons in India, the defence ministry said in a statement.

The weapon was used during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May last year and is already integrated with the Indian Air Force’s Rafale fighter fleet. The proposed joint venture will meet the future requirements, including the forthcoming order for 114 Rafale jets cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council last week.

Last year in November, Bharat Electronics Limited and French major Safran Electronics and Defence (SED) signed a joint venture cooperation agreement (JVCA) for the production of Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range (HAMMER) smart precision guided air-to-ground weapons in India.

The JVCA will aim to localise the production, supply and maintenance to meet the operational needs of the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy, formed as a private limited company with 50:50 shareholding and up to 60 per cent indigenisation in India, with key sub-assemblies and electronics manufactured locally.

What is HAMMER?

  The HAMMER is a hybrid air-to-surface precision-guided bomb kit developed by SED that converts conventional gravity bombs into long-range, stand-off smart weapons through modular guidance and propulsion units.

The nose-mounted guidance kit is fitted in front of the bomb and integrates an Inertial Navigation System and Global Positioning System, with the option of infrared or laser guidance support. A tail-mounted range-extension kit with a solid-rocket booster provides extended range, enabling the bomb to glide or power itself toward the target with high accuracy.

This configuration converts conventional gravity (“dumb”) bombs into smart, stand-off, long-range precision weapons with accuracy close to 1-10 meters from the target.

The HAMMER can be fitted on bombs ranging from 125 kg to 1,000 kg, allowing it to perform multiple roles, from close air support to strike hardened or high-value targets.

The rocket-assisted kit allows the weapon to be released from long distances, enabling fighter aircraft to strike targets while staying outside the enemy air-defence zones, improving survivability and offering operational flexibility.

The increasing role of modern air warfare and local production of the HAMMER is expected to increase India’s stand-off strike capability and fulfil the demand for the future, while deepening defence industrial cooperation between India and France.