Defence public sector undertaking Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Safran Electronics & Defense of France have announced a partnership to create a joint venture for the manufacturing, customisation, sale and maintenance of HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) Smart precision guided air-to-ground weapon in India. The HAMMER is mounted on the Rafale of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by K.V. Suresh Kumar, director (Marketing), BEL, and Alexandre Ziegler, executive vice-president, Safran Electronics & Defense on the sidelines of Aero India 2025.
“The proposed joint venture between BEL and Safran Electronics & Defense will be a major step toward strengthening India’s capabilities in Defence manufacturing and achieving self-reliance in advanced weapon systems. It will localise HAMMER production, enable development of future variants and support the Government of India‘s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative by reducing import dependence,” said Manoj Jain, chairman and managing director, BEL in a statement.
The collaboration will facilitate technology transfer, create opportunities for Indian industries, especially SMEs and position India as a global hub for smart ammunitions production, he stated.
As part of this partnership, BEL and Safran Electronics & Defense also plan to establish a centre of excellence aimed at enhancing India’s Defence capabilities, a release from the companies said. This centre will bolster joint industrial activities in areas such as manufacturing, engineering, and associated services such as operational maintenance, repairs, and overhauls of optronics and navigation equipment for the Indian armed forces, it stated.
Safran will bring its expertise by implementing a knowledge transfer programme which will happen in a phased manner with BEL leading final assembly, testing and quality assurance.
