French AASM Hammer bombs enhance Ukraine's F‑16 firepower

The French are integrating their powerful AASM Hammer glide bombs into F-16 aircraft, soon to be delivered to Ukraine. We delve into the performance of the powerful and unusual French "hammer".

As discussed during the LCI broadcast by Thomas Gassilloud, the chairman of the National Defense and Armed Forces Committee of the French National Assembly, this initiative represents a significant contribution of equipment and technical support to Ukraine.

This adaptation involves equipping the F-16A/B MLU aircraft, designated for Ukraine, with precision AASM Hammer bombs. These bombs are highly effective and offer pinpoint accuracy beyond the capabilities of JDAM-ER bombs.

Ukrainians currently deploy MiG-29 and Su-27 aircraft to carry the French bombs. However, this form of improvisation does not fully exploit the weapon’s potential as full integration does. This development is particularly noteworthy as the French have traditionally been hesitant to integrate their armaments with American-made aircraft, typically offering their weapons exclusively with their own aircraft.

The AASM Hammer, an acronym for Armement Air-Sol Modulaire, Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range, is a product of Safran. These are conversion kits designed for Mk 82, 83, and 84 bombs weighing roughly 225 kg, 450 kg, and 900 kg, respectively, akin to the JDAM/-ER or Paveway kits. However, the AASM Hammer stands out with an additional rocket motor and a guidance system augmented by foldable wings.

This design enables the release of a Hammer bomb not only from great heights but also at low altitudes, aiding in evading ground-based anti-aircraft radars like the S-300/400 systems. With a gliding range of about 15 kilometres, it can attack targets such as Pancyr-S1 from a safe distance.

AASM Hammer bombs are notable for their variety of guidance systems, a feature not matched by competitors. Unfortunately, the primary guidance system, utilizing inertial and satellite navigation, is prone to jamming by Russian forces. For a 900 kg bomb, a deviation of a few dozen metres to a few hundred metres might not be critical, but for smaller 225 kg bombs, accuracy is crucial when targeting heavily fortified areas.

In these scenarios, two alternative guidance systems prove invaluable by ensuring accuracy within 1 metre and enabling the targeting of moving objects. The simpler system relies on a laser beam reflected off the target, necessitating, for example, a drone to illuminate the target until impact. This method, however, might alert the target through its sensors.

The most sophisticated and effective option is the expensive optoelectronic guidance system, which captures the thermal image of the target. It can independently detect, identify, and track a particular object based on a database of targets and image recognition algorithms, providing a "fire and forget" capability.