Work continues on France's supply of a record number of AASM Hammer aerial bombs for AFU Air Force – Ministry of Defense

Ukraine and France are continuing work on a record level of supplies of AASM Hammer guided aerial bombs for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense reports.

"Recently, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and French Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Catherine Vautrin, during a meeting in Kyiv, signed a Letter of Intent regarding the joint production of weapons on the territory of Ukraine and France. A separate topic of the negotiations was the work on a record level of supplies of AASM Hammer guided aerial bombs," the message states.

As the Ministry of Defense clarifies, in the French Air and Space Force, AASM Hammer aerial bombs can be used from a wide range of aircraft. In particular, they are compatible with the F-16, Dassault Rafale, Mirage 2000D, and others. In the Air Force of the AFU, these aerial bombs have been adapted for launches from MiG-29 aircraft.

AASM Hammer is a kit of additional equipment that transforms free-fall aerial bombs into high-precision, guided munitions. It includes a guidance unit and a tail module with fins and a booster.

Thanks to the guidance unit with inertial, satellite, laser, or infrared guidance types, these bombs hit targets with a deviation of up to 10 m. The booster allows for the destruction of enemy objects at a distance of up to 70 km. Therefore, aircraft can drop them at a safe distance from the impact zone.

Currently, the most popular AASM Hammer kits are for the 250-kg Mk 82 aerial bomb and the 1,000-kilogram Mk 84. However, kits for other bombs also exist.