Why in news?

India's Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Safran signed a joint venture in November 2025 to manufacture HAMMER in India under 'Make in India', with indigenization rising to 60% over time.
 
Key Features

• Officially known as AASM (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire) or Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range,
• It is a French-developed, all-weather precision-guided air-to-surface weapon by Safran Electronics & Defense.
• It transforms standard bombs into smart munitions via a guidance and range-extension kit, offering ranges up to 70 km when launched from aircraft like Rafale or Mirage 2000.​

• Modular guidance combines GPS/INS with optional infrared (IR) or laser seekers for high accuracy (within meters), even in GPS-denied or jammed environments.​
• Supports warheads from 125 kg to 1,000 kg, enabling strikes on fortified bunkers, moving targets, or high-value assets in close air support or standoff missions.​
• The Indian Air Force uses it on Rafale jets with Litening pods for compatibility, prioritizing it over alternatives for Ladakh-like terrain due to agility and low-altitude launch capability.
• This boosts India's precision strike arsenal amid border tensions.​​
• Combat-proven in operations like Mali (2013), Libya, Syria, Afghanistan (2008), and India's Operation Sindoor (May 2025) against terror camps in Pakistan.​

Download Pdf