IAF To Get Hammer Standoff Weapon For Rafales By November End In ‘Large Numbers’ From French Air Force Stocks: Report

India signed a deal with France for Hammer precision strike kits in September and the weapon is likely to be delivered by the end of this month.

According to this report, the air-to-ground weapon will be delivered to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in “large numbers” by the end of November.

The report adds that the weapon will be delivered to the IAF from the stocks of the French Air Force as India has requested an emergency delivery.

The Ministry of Defence and the IAF had decided to procure Hammer in July this year as tensions with China along the Line of Actual Control worsened with standoffs at multiple locations in eastern Ladakh.

The weapon, which can strike targets in enemy territory from standoff ranges, is manufactured by French defence major Safran.

The weapon can hit targets up to a range of 70 kilometers, depending on the altitude of release. It uses “automatic target recognition” technology to hit its target with precision, and can be used in “fire and forget” mode.

Safran says the weapon has “high resistance to GPS unavailability, jamming and target location errors” and requires “zero maintenance” to reduce life costs.

Hammer can be used for both close air support and deep strike missions.

The weapon is made up of a guidance kit and a range extension kit, Safran says in the literature available on the company’s website. These kits can be fitted on a standard bomb body of the Mk80 series or the likes.