BEL and Safran form jv to make HAMMER precision air-to-ground weapons in India

India Our Bureau - : Nov 26, 2025 - : 4:55 pm

Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and France’s Safran Electronics & Defence (SED) have signed a joint venture cooperation agreement to manufacture the Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range (HAMMER) air-to-ground weapon in India.

The agreement, concluded in New Delhi on 24 November, advances earlier plans outlined in a memorandum signed during Aero India in February 2025.

The joint venture will be incorporated as a private limited company with equal shareholding between the two partners. It will manufacture, supply and support the HAMMER weapon system for the Indian Air Force and Navy.

BEL will lead the final assembly, testing and quality assurance, while Safran will provide technology support. The partners expect to progressively localise the supply chain to achieve up to 60 per cent indigenous content, including sub-assemblies, electronic systems and structural components. Production transfer is planned in phases.

The HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) is a precision-guided air-to-ground weapon originally developed for the French Rafale combat aircraft. It has been deployed in operational missions by French forces and is designed for high accuracy against fixed and mobile targets. The weapon is modular, with multiple seeker configurations and extended-range propulsion options, and can be integrated with different fighter aircraft. India has already acquired HAMMER weapons for the Rafale fleet, and integration with the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas is under way.

The JV is intended to meet growing demand from India’s armed forces for stand-off weapons that can be launched from ranges beyond enemy air-defence envelopes. Indigenous production is expected to

reduce dependence on imported systems and strengthen long-term sustainment and support. Both companies have said the arrangement is aligned with national efforts to increase domestic defence manufacturing and build self-reliance in critical technologies.

Safran Electronics & Defence executive vice president Alexandre Ziegler said the joint venture would combine the company’s experience in developing precision-guided weapons with India’s industrial capability.

BEL chairman Manoj Jain said the agreement marked a step in expanding domestic production capacity for advanced munitions.

Once formed, the joint venture will oversee manufacturing and lifecycle management of HAMMER systems in India, including maintenance and future upgrades. Integration work for Indian-made variants is expected to focus on Rafale and Tejas aircraft, with the aim of building domestic capabilities in smart weapon design and production.

bel / safran / hammer-weapon /

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