IAF's Rafale could have up to 6 HAMMER hardpoints; primed to devastate land-based targets

On Monday, the first batch of five Rafale fighter aircraft took off from France for India, nearly four years after the two countries inked an inter-governmental agreement to supply 36 of the multi-role jets to the Indian Air Force (IAF) under a Rs 59,000-crore deal.

The aircraft flew out from the Merignac airbase in French port city of Bordeaux and will cover a distance of nearly 7,000 km with air-to-air refuelling and a single stop in the United Arab Emirates before arriving at Ambala Air Base on Wednesday, officials said. The aircraft are expected to significantly boost the Indian Air Force's combat capabilities at a time India is locked in a tense border row with China in eastern Ladakh.

Rafale capable of carrying a range of weapons

The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons. European missile maker MBDA's Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile and Scalp cruise missile will be the mainstay of the weapons package of the Rafale jets. Meteor is the next generation of BVR air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) designed to revolutionise air-to-air combat. The weapon has been developed by MBDA to combat common threats facing the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Sweden, PTI reported.

Features & capabilities of HAMMER missiles

Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force is also zeroing in on procuring new generation medium-range modular air-to-ground weapon system HAMMER to integrate with the Rafale jets, using the emergency financial powers provided by the government to the armed forces for faster acquisition of key weapons and platforms.

HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) is a precision-guided missile developed by French defence major Safran. The missile was originally designed and manufactured for the French Air Force and Navy. 

With a range of 60-70 km, the HAMMER missile lends India the capability to destroy bunkers, hardened shelters and other targets in all other terrains including the mountainous locations such as Eastern Ladakh. Reportedly, a single Rafale fighter jet can carry up to 6 HAMMER missiles to hit multiple targets simultaneously.

The missile is maintenance-free

According to the airforce-technology.com, Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM) HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) weapon system has a length of 3m and weight of 330kg and has a range of over 60km at high altitudes and 15km at low altitudes. It has fire and forget-capability and an extended stand-off capacity. The interoperable missile has the ability to engage multiple targets simultaneously. It can also strike fixed or moving targets with high precision. The missile is maintenance-free and has low lifecycle costs.

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Besides the missile systems, the Rafale jets will come with various India-specific modifications, including Israeli helmet-mounted displays, radar warning receivers, low-band jammers, 10-hour flight data recording, infra-red search and tracking systems among others.

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The IAF has already completed preparations, including readying required infrastructure and training of pilots, to welcome the fighter aircraft.  Official sources said the Rafale jets are likely to be deployed in the Ladakh sector as part of IAF's efforts to enhance its operational capabilities along Line of Actual Control with China in view of the border row with the country. The second squadron of Rafale will be stationed at Hasimara base in West Bengal.

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Out of 36 Rafale jets, 30 will be fighter jets and six will be trainers. The trainer jets will be twin-seater and they will have almost all the features of the fighter jets.

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(With PTI inputs)