BENGALURU: Hours after defence minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin concluded the 6th India–France Annual Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru with a headline announcement on local production of Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range (Hammer) missiles, defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), elaborating on the agreement said it will form an equal joint venture (JV) with Safran Electronics & Defense.
“The operationalisation of the provisions of JVA is subject to regulatory and administrative approvals of both the countries. BEL and Safran Electronics & Defense also signed a Master Production Agreement (MPA), which sets out the terms of cooperation for transfer of production of Hammer in India,” BEL said.
The agreement was signed by BEL CMD Manoj Jain and Safran’s executive VP and defence director Alexandre Ziegler in the presence of the two ministers during the dialogue.
The proposed joint venture company will have equal shareholding between BEL and Safran Electronics & Defense. It will focus on manufacturing, supplying and maintaining the Hammer weapon system to meet the requirements of the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.
“Hammer is a combat-proven, precision-guided weapon system known for its high accuracy and modular design, making it adaptable for multiple platforms, including the Rafale and LCA Tejas,” BEL said.
According to the release, indigenisation levels will progressively increase. “The transfer of production will happen in a phased manner ensuring a stabilised production line in India. The indigenisation level will progressively increase with key sub-assemblies, electronics and mechanical parts being manufactured locally,” BEL said.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of renewed India–France defence cooperation. On Tuesday, Singh and Vautrin renewed the broader defence cooperation framework for another decade. For India, local production of Hammer marks a shift from being a buyer to becoming a co-producer of a frontline precision weapon.
Safran Electronics & Defense already supplies Hammer systems and SIGMA95 inertial navigation systems to India. The new arrangement extends that relationship into manufacturing and lifecycle support within India.
Chethan Kumar is a Senior Assistant Editor with the Times of Indi...
Read MoreChethan Kumar is a Senior Assistant Editor with the Times of India. Aside from specialising in Space & Science, he has reported extensively on varied topics, with special focus on defence, policy and data stories. He has covered multiple elections, too. As a young democracy grows out of adolescence, Chethan feels, there are reels of tales emerging which need to be captured. To do this, he alternates between the mundane goings-on of the Common Man and the wonder-filled worlds of scientists and scamsters, politicians and soldiers. In a career spanning nearly 18 years, he has reported from multiple datelines — Houston, Florida, Kochi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Sriharikota (AP), NH-1 (J&K Highway), New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Raichur, Bhatkal, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, to name a few — but is based out of Bengaluru, India’s science capital that also hosts the ISRO HQ.
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