I'm coming Atcha! AASM hammer bomb – a new advantage for the Ukrainian Air Force

The AASM Hammer is not just a bomb, but a modular air-to-ground weapon system using high-precision air guidance technology.

It has been in French service since 2007, but Paris announced at the beginning of 2024 the transfer of these bombs to Ukraine, with the objective of delivering around 600 during the year, or 50 per month.

French arms manufacturers have demonstrated the capacity to launch higher numbers – up to 90 bombs per month – which now depends solely on the green light from the French government. Negotiations are already underway to increase production rates.

AASM Hammer Features and Benefits

Developed by the French company Safran Electronics & Defense, the AASM Hammer is based on an ordinary unguided bomb, to which a kit is added that transforms it into an intelligent munition.

The double acronym of the weapon comes from the French – Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire) and the English HAMMER – Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range.

The American Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended Range (JDAM-ER or GBU-38) systems, also supplied to Ukraine, are built according to a similar modular principle.

Other modular weapons include systems dating from the mid-1960s, such as the American Paveway series of laser-guided bombs (GBU-10/12/24/27) and the electro-optically guided family of GBU glide bomb -15 and its rocket-propelled sibling, the AGM-130 missile.

In general, the idea of ​​​​creating guided aerial bombs is logical – with the development of navigation systems and the creation of a guidance module, it became possible to create a hybrid of a missile with a conventional aerial bomb, characterized by the precision of his shooting. and relatively low cost compared to some types of missiles.

Ammunition modification in the case of the AASM Hammer has many advantages over conventional aerial bombs:

• During production, there is no need to spend resources on creating the bomb itself, since it is based on ordinary aerial bombs produced in large quantities.

• This means a reduction in costs for the disposal of existing traditional munitions, which, after modernization, acquire new qualities and properties and strengthen the country's defense potential.

• This approach reduces the cost of the munitions themselves, as only the manufacturing and design of the bomb modification kit is required.

• The modularity of such systems makes it possible to modernize bombs of different calibers, as well as install different guidance systems for “smart” bombs, depending on the type of combat task.

It seems that the developments of Western designers have pushed the Russian army to develop various types of planned or guided aerial bombs, which the Russian army is now actively using in its war against Ukraine. Although Russian bombs are not as precise, they can inflict serious damage on military and civilian infrastructure.

AASM Hammer Components

The AASM Hammer in its basic configuration is a guided bomb consisting of three parts, including a nose-mounted guidance section, a tail-mounted range extension kit with fins, and the bomb itself. The installation of this improved system transforms an ordinary 250 kilogram bomb into a guided bomb with a range of more than 70 kilometers, depending on the launch parameters.

The AASM Hammer guidance system includes an inertial system and GPS navigation, and advanced variants can have additional infrared or laser guidance for even greater strike accuracy.

Using GPS guidance, the AASM Hammer can hit targets with a nominal or median hit distance of up to 10 meters. If laser guidance is used, tests have shown that the AASM hammer hits a target at a distance of 50 kilometers with a nominal deviation of 1 meter. For reference, the Mk 82/BLU-111, a bomb of similar weight, has an elliptical error zone of 80 by 30 meters, depending on aircraft parameters at the time of weapons release, wind conditions and of the aircraft weapons release calculation. Therefore, even the AASM's nominal 10 meter deflection could be much more effective against targets requiring a little more precision.

AASM hammer value for Ukraine

France currently supplies Ukraine with AASM Hammer kits based on a 250-kilogram bomb, but there are already developed versions based on 125, 500 and 1,000-kilogram aerial bombs. Thus, if necessary, more powerful versions of these high-precision bombs can be supplied to Ukraine.

The AASM Hammer was primarily developed for the France-based Dassault Rafale and Mirage 2000D fighters, but, due to standardization, other NATO aircraft can also use these bombs. In order not to wait for the supply of Western aircraft, Ukraine quickly adapted its MiG-29, Su-27 and Su-24 aircraft to use the AASM Hammer, which now makes it possible to destroy the enemy with these bombs .

The transfer of these technological weapons is extremely important for Ukraine. The use of high-precision bombs with a flight range of 70 kilometers reduces the risks for pilots of the Ukrainian Air Force. Such a launch range keeps them at a suitable distance from the front line and gives them time to perform anti-missile maneuvers in the event of the launch of anti-aircraft missiles at the aircraft. This is extremely important due to the small number of combat aircraft currently available in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian army has successfully used the AASM Hammer since the beginning of March 2024. The first bomb was dropped on the occupants of the Avdiivka coking plant. Subsequently, it was probably the AASM Hammer that destroyed the Russian command post in the Kherson region.

Possible changes

The attack range of the AASM Hammer depends on the speed of the carrier aircraft and its altitude. The maximum range of the bomb is 70 kilometers, and if the launch altitude is low, 15 kilometers. In 2022, a new range extension kit for 1,000 kilogram bombs was introduced, which can increase the range up to 200 kilometers.

The addition of a rocket engine gives the version a much longer range. This modification is supposed to extend the bomb's range to 200 kilometers, but it is unclear whether France plans to purchase and transfer systems with the latest model's rocket engine. Furthermore, Ukraine would not hesitate to acquire more powerful 500 and 1,000 kilogram bombs, similar to the JDAM family of weapons, which already includes 500 kg (GBU-32) and 1,000 kg models. (GBU-31). It is therefore hoped that a decision on the transfer of other versions of the AASM Hammer will be made – especially since information has already been announced about the possibility of supplying France-based Mirage 2000 aircraft to Ukraine.