BEL–Safran JV approved for HAMMER weapon system in India

Bharat Electronics Limited approved signing a joint venture agreement with France’s Safran Electronics and Defense on 16 February, 2026 for the HAMMER weapon system project, formalizing a 50:50 equity partnership between the two companies.

• Under the agreement, BEL and Safran will establish a private limited company under the Companies Act, 2013. The registered office and principal place of business will be in Pune or any other mutually agreed location.
• HAMMER is already integrated with the French Rafale and is also being integrated with the LCA Tejas.
• The joint venture will operate a “Center of Excellence” to act as a technology and teaming partner for manufacturing, supply, maintenance and repair of the guidance kits of the HAMMER weapon system.
• Its primary end users will be the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy, while other Indian users may be included based on mutual agreement. The company will be established with an initial authorized share capital of Rs 1,00,000, comprising 1,000 equity shares of Rs 100 each.
• The board of the joint venture will have four directors, of which two will be nominated by BEL and two by Safran. The chairman will be appointed from among the nominated directors and will not have voting rights.
• The Indian Air Force used HAMMER precision-guided weapons during Operation Sindoor on 7 May, 2025. It was part of a calibrated cross-border strike against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

About HAMMER

• It is a precision-guided air-to-ground weapon developed by the French company Safran Electronics and Defense. Its strike range is up to 70 kilometers, making it possible to attack from outside hostile air defense zones.
• HAMMER, short for Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range, officially named French Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM), is a precision-guided air-to-ground stand-off weapon designed to fill the gap between conventional bombs and cruise missiles.
• Despite often being called a missile, HAMMER is actually 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. The second is a tail-mounted range extension kit that includes a solid-fuel rocket booster and maneuverable winglets.
• It can be fitted with bombs ranging from 125 kg to 1,000 kg (such as Mk 80 series). It uses GPS, Inertial Navigation (INS), infrared and laser-guided options.
• It can destroy bunkers and moving targets with high accuracy despite bad weather and jamming.

About Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)

• It was established in 1954 in Bangalore under the Ministry of Defence to meet the electronics needs of the Indian Armed Forces. From a small communication equipment manufacturer, it has emerged as a ‘Navratna’ company and a major producer of advanced equipment such as radar, defense systems and EVMs. It is a key foundation of defense self-reliance in the country.
• Production began in 1956 with communication equipment. It manufactured receiving valves in 1961 and germanium semiconductors in 1962. It built transmitters for All India Radio in 1964. It established a radar manufacturing facility in 1966.
• In 1970, it started manufacturing black and white TV picture tubes, X-ray tubes and in 1973 began manufacturing radar for the Navy.
• Today, it is a multi-technology company with 9 units, manufacturing radar, weapon systems, electronic warfare systems, EVMs and civilian products (such as solar).