NEW DELHI: Bharat Electronics Limited on Monday approved signing a Joint Venture Agreement with Safran Electronics & Defence, France, for the HAMMER weapon system project, formalising a 50:50 equity partnership between the two firms.The approval was granted at BEL’s board meeting, the company said in a stock exchange filing. The operationalisation of the joint venture will be subject to regulatory and administrative approvals in both India and France.Under the agreement, BEL and Safran will incorporate a private limited company under the Companies Act, 2013. The registered office and principal place of business will be located in Pune or any other mutually agreed location.The joint venture will operate a “Center of Excellence” to act as a technology and teaming partner for the manufacturing, supply, maintenance and repair of the Guidance Kit of the HAMMER weapon system. The primary end users will be the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy, while other Indian users may be included based on mutual agreement.The company will be incorporated with an initial authorised share capital of Rs 1,00,000, comprising 1,000 equity shares of Rs 100 each. This may be increased up to Rs 10,00,00,000 or any other amount depending on business requirements.

The board of the joint venture will consist of four directors, with two nominated by BEL and two by Safran. The Chairman will be appointed by the nominees and will not have a casting vote.Also read – ‘Hammer’: Used in Op Sindoor to crush Pakistan; India inks pact with France for homegrown hellfire – why the deal mattersThe move is expected to strengthen domestic technological capabilities in the production and lifecycle support of critical components of the HAMMER system, aligning with India’s push for greater indigenisation in defence manufacturing.

HAMMER Operation Sindoor: Precision strikes with flexibility and control

The Indian Air Force deployed HAMMER precision-guided weapons during Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, as part of calibrated cross-border strikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.Operation Sindoor was launched in retaliation for the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22 that killed 26 civilians. Nine sites were struck, including Jaish-e-Mohammed’s base in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s hub in Muridke.Weapon selection was central to the operation. The IAF used a layered mix of SCALP cruise missiles, HAMMER precision-guided bombs and loitering munitions. Within this mix, HAMMER was used where flexibility and adaptability were essential.

Its modular design and multiple guidance options enabled tailored strikes based on target characteristics and real-time assessments. The system allowed stand-off engagement without requiring aircraft to fly directly over heavily defended areas. Its off-axis launch capability reduced exposure to air defence networks, particularly near populated and sensitive military zones.By pairing HAMMER with SCALP, the IAF demonstrated a layered strike doctrine, with SCALP targeting deep and hardened objectives and HAMMER engaging medium-range sites requiring precision and manoeuvrability.

What exactly is HAMMER and how it works in combat

HAMMER, short for Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range, officially designated AASM from the French Armement Air-Sol Modulaire, is a precision-guided air-to-ground stand-off weapon designed to bridge the gap between conventional bombs and cruise missiles.Despite often being described as a missile, HAMMER is fundamentally a guided bomb system. It consists of a standard unguided bomb fitted with modular guidance and propulsion kits, converting it into a high-precision strike weapon.The system has two core components. The first is a nose-mounted guidance section that determines navigation and targeting. Depending on mission needs, it can combine inertial navigation and GPS for all-weather strikes, infrared imaging for fixed targets, or laser guidance for engaging moving targets.

The second is a tail-mounted range extension kit with a solid-fuel rocket booster and manoeuvrable winglets. After release, the booster increases stand-off range while the winglets allow sharp turns and off-axis attacks. This enables aircraft to strike accurately while remaining outside heavily defended airspace.HAMMER kits can be attached to bombs weighing 125 kg, 250 kg, 500 kg and 1,000 kg, including Mark 80 series bombs. This scalability allows use against a spectrum of targets, from lightly protected structures to hardened bunkers.In operational settings, HAMMER offers modularity, manoeuvrability and precision, making it suited to modern air operations where flexibility and controlled escalation are key.