Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and France’s Safran Electronics & Defence have signed a Joint Venture Cooperation Agreement to manufacture theHAMMER precision-guided air-to-ground weapon system in India.
What it is?
- TheHAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range)is a smart, precision-guided,air-to-ground Weapon designed to strike hardened targets with high accuracy from stand-off ranges.
Developed by:Originally developed bySafran (Sagem), France, and now set for joint manufacturing withBELin India.
Aim:To provide the IAF and Navy with acombat-proven, modular, precision weaponsuitable for mountainous warfare, quick deployment, and integration with aircraft likeRafale andTejas.
Key Features of HAMMER:
- Modular Architecture:Features a guidance kit + range-extension kit that can be fitted onto multiple types of general-purpose bombs, enhancing flexibility across missions.
- High accuracy precision Strike:UsesGPS/INS, infrared, and laser-guidedoptions, enabling accurate strikes on bunkers, hardened shelters, airstrips, and enemy infrastructure.
- Extended Stand-Off Range:Can hit targets up to70 km, enabling aircraft to strike without entering high-risk airspace—crucial for operations in contested zones.
- High Agility & Manoeuvrability:Optimised for mountain warfare (e.g., Ladakh), allowing precision strikes even incomplex topography and high-altitude environments.
- Platform Compatibility:Integrated withRafale, and to be integrated withLCA Tejas, providing flexibility across Air Force and Navy combat platforms.
- Joint Manufacturing &Indigenous:The BEL–Safran JV will achieve60% localisation, with BEL leading final assembly, testing, and quality assurance, reducing foreign dependence.
IAS-2026 - OPTIONAL / GEOGRAPHY / PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION / SOCIOLOGY / ANTHROPOLOGY / ORIENTATION ON 03 & 04-10-2025 
