SOURCE: AFI
Safran, a leading global aerospace and defense company, showcased its advanced HAMMER 250 Long Range Low Yield (LRL) precision-guided munition at the International Paris Air Show 2025, drawing significant attention from defense enthusiasts and industry experts. The event, held at Le Bourget, featured the cutting-edge weapon system prominently, highlighting its potential to revolutionize aerial combat capabilities.
The HAMMER 250 LRL is an upgraded variant of Safran’s highly successful HAMMER family of precision-guided weapons. Designed for enhanced range and accuracy, this munition integrates advanced guidance systems, including laser and GPS/INS (Inertial Navigation System) technologies, enabling it to strike targets with pinpoint precision from extended distances. With a range exceeding 70 kilometers when launched from high altitudes, the HAMMER 250 LRL offers flexibility for both air-to-ground and air-to-sea missions, making it a versatile asset for modern air forces.
The weapon’s lightweight design and modular configuration allow it to be integrated with a variety of fighter jets, including the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Rafale jets. The incorporation of the HAMMER 250 LRL into the IAF’s Rafale fleet is expected to significantly enhance India’s aerial strike capabilities. The Rafales, already equipped with advanced avionics and weaponry, will gain extended standoff range and improved precision, enabling them to neutralize high-value targets—such as enemy air defenses, infrastructure, and command centers—while remaining safely beyond the reach of hostile anti-aircraft systems. This added capability will bolster India’s deterrence posture, particularly along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and in potential conflict scenarios in the Indo-Pacific region.
The HAMMER 250 LRL’s low-yield warhead minimizes collateral damage, aligning with the growing emphasis on precision strikes in urban and sensitive environments. Its compatibility with the Rafale’s advanced targeting systems, including the SPECTRA electronic warfare suite, ensures seamless integration, enhancing the IAF’s operational flexibility and mission success rates.
Defense analysts have praised the munition’s adaptability and cost-effectiveness, noting its potential to equip other IAF platforms in the future. As India continues to modernize its air force under the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” initiative, the HAMMER 250 LRL’s integration with the Rafale jets represents a strategic leap forward, reinforcing the IAF’s role as a formidable force in regional security.
NOTE: AFI is a proud outsourced content creator partner of IDRW.ORG. All content created by AFI is the sole property of AFI and is protected by copyright. AFI takes copyright infringement seriously and will pursue all legal options available to protect its content.