India, France ink pact for production of HAMMER precision guided air-to-ground weapon
NEW DELHI: Defence manufacturing companies Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) of India and Safran Electronics and Defence (SED) of France on Monday signed a Joint Venture Cooperation Agreement (JVCA) for the production of Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range (HAMMER) Smart Precision Guided Air-to-Ground Weapon in India. The JVCA was inked by CMD, BEL, Manoj Jain and Executive Vice President, SED, Alexandre Ziegler in the presence of Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar & CEO Safran Olivier Andries in New Delhi. This JVCA is set to provide a major impetus to Make-in-India in defence. The agreement, as per the MoD, formalises the intent expressed in the MoU signed between BEL and SED on February 11, 2025 during Aero India, reaffirming the willingness of both sides to incorporate a potential Joint Venture Company (JVC) in India. The JVC shall be formed as a private limited company with 50:50 shareholding. It will localise the manufacturing, supply and maintenance of HAMMER to meet the operational needs of the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy, said the MoD. The indigenisation level will progressively increase upto 60 percent with key sub-assemblies, electronics and mechanical parts being manufactured locally. The transfer of production will happen in a phased manner with BEL leading final assembly, testing and quality assurance, it added. HAMMER is a combat-proven, precision-guided weapon known for its high accuracy and modular design, making it adaptable for multiple platforms, including the 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 manufacturing of smart precision guided air-to-ground weapons.
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