France has exceeded its production plan for Hammer bombs by almost 40%, Le Parisien reported. The AASM Hammer, a modular smart air-to-surface stand-off weapon manufactured by Safran, is now a key part of Ukraine’s frontline arsenal.
According to Le Parisien, Safran produced 830 AASM units in 2024 and plans 1,200 more in 2025. Production of the kits, which transform standard bombs into high-precision munitions, has quadrupled since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.
According to Safran, the kits were originally developed for French Rafale fighter jets but were adapted for Ukrainian Soviet-era Mig and Sukhoi fighters in under four months during autumn 2023. The French government ordered this integration after US-made JDAM bombs missed targets due to Russian GPS jamming. Safran stated that the adaptation now enables Ukraine to “engage targets with excellent precision.”
The AASM Hammer is a French guidance and propulsion kit for existing unguided free-fall bombs—similar to the American JDAMs—but uniquely includes a rocket motor that extends its range from 15 km at low altitude to up to 70 km at high altitude; two variants exist: the Hammer-250 for 227 kg Mk.82 bombs and the Hammer-1000 for 908 kg Mk.84 bombs, with final tests of the latter scheduled for late 2024, Militarnyi notes.
French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu previously promised delivering 50 AASM kits per month. Each bomb can carry an explosive payload ranging from 250 to 1,000 kg.
Safran Electronics and Defense president Franck Saudo told Le Parisien that the AASM’s GPS-independent navigation is “absolutely critical in Ukraine” due to persistent Russian jamming. The weapon system is now widely used in Ukrainian precision airstrikes across the battlefield.
