New Delhi: Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and France's Safran Electronics and Defence (SED) have signed a Joint Venture Cooperation Agreement (JVCA) for local production of the Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range (HAMMER) Smart Precision Guided Air-to-Ground Weapon. The JVCA was signed by BEL CMD Manoj Jain and SED Executive Vice President Alexandre Ziegler in the presence of Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar (IAS) and Safran CEO Olivier Andries at an event held here in New Delhi on Monday, November 24.
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The agreement formalizes discussions initiated through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on February 11, 2025, during Aero India, and confirms the intention to establish a Joint Venture Company (JVC) in India. According to officials, “The joint venture will be formed as a private limited company with 50:50 shareholding, and will localise manufacturing, supply, and maintenance of HAMMER to meet operational needs of the Indian Air Force and Navy.” The level of indigenisation is set to reach 60 percent over time, with key sub-assemblies, electronics, and mechanical parts produced locally. BEL will lead the final assembly, testing, and quality assurance, while the transfer of production will take place in phases.
HAMMER is recognized as a combat-proven, precision-guided weapon system known for its modular design and high accuracy, capable of being deployed from platforms such as Rafale and Light Combat Aircraft Tejas. “This JVCA underscores BEL’s commitment to strengthening India’s defence industrial base and aims at leveraging SED’s extensive experience in the manufacturing of smart precision-guided air-to-ground weapons,” said an official statement.
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