India, France to jointly manufacture HAMMER air-to-ground weapons, Pg13

Key Highlights:

• BEL (India) and Safran (France) signed a JVCA on Monday to produce HAMMER weapons in India.
• India previously procured HAMMER weapons in 2020 for Rafale jets during the Ladakh standoff.
• HAMMER is a precision-guided munition with a range of up to 70 km.
• The JV aims to meet the needs of the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy.

Detailed Insights:

• The HAMMER weapon system can be fitted to standard bombs of 250kg, 500kg, and 1,000kg weights.
• HAMMER is an all-weather weapon, resistant to jamming, and effective against fortified structures.
• The joint venture company (JVC) will be a private limited company with a 50:50 shareholding.
• The JVC aims to achieve up to 60% indigenization of HAMMER production.
• This agreement formalizes the intent expressed during Aero India on February 11 this year.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Joint Venture: A business agreement where two or more parties combine resources to undertake a specific project.
• Indigenization: The process of developing domestic capabilities to produce goods and services, reducing reliance on imports.
• Precision-Guided Munition: A guided weapon intended to precisely hit a specific target, minimizing collateral damage.