Gallant Warriors
17 Nov 2021
The Indian Air Force has placed an order for French-made HAMMER missiles that would further bolster the capabilities of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas.
The new installation will help the fighter aircraft take out ground targets and hardened bunkers at stand-off ranges of over 70 kilometres.
The development comes at a time when India is embroiled in a fierce military stand-off with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The capability enhancement of the LCA Tejas fighter jet has been done using the ‘emergency procurement power’ granted by the central government to defence forces.
“The HAMMER missiles are in the process of being integrated with the LCA Tejas and it will significantly enhance its capability to take out hardened targets from stand-off distances,” government sources told news agency ANI.
The IAF acquired the first consignment of the HAMMER missiles for the Rafale fighter jets, also from France, when the aircraft started getting delivered to India.
France had agreed to supply the missiles for the Rafales at a short notice last year due in view of the heightened Chinese aggression along the LAC.
HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) is a medium-range air-to-ground missile that was initially designed and manufactured for the French Air Force and Navy. It comprises a frontal guidance kit and a rear-mounted range extension kit matched to a dumb bomb. The weapon is modular because it can integrate different types of guidance units and different types of bombs.
Indian defence forces have comprehensively utilised the emergency procurement powers to equip themselves with the necessary arsenal to battle any aggression by its adversaries, both along the LAC and the Line of Control.