BEL Eyes ₹2,500 Cr-Plus IAF Contract for HAMMER Smart Munitions This Fiscal

Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has indicated that it is expecting a major order worth more than ₹2,500 crore from the Indian Air Force (IAF) for HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) precision-guided munitions during the current financial year. The update was shared during BEL’s Q1 FY2026–27 earnings conference call, where the company’s management outlined its order pipeline and highlighted several significant defence programmes expected to contribute to its order book in the coming months. According to BEL management, the proposed HAMMER precision-guided munition order, valued at over ₹2,500 crore, is among the key opportunities anticipated during FY2026–27.The expected procurement follows the Indian Air Force’s increasing emphasis on expanding its inventory of precision-guided air-to-ground weapons capable of engaging a wide variety of targets under all-weather conditions. The HAMMER—developed by France’s Safran Electronics & Defense and also known as the AASM (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire)—is a modular precision-guided weapon kit that combines inertial navigation, GPS guidance and, depending on the variant, infrared or laser terminal seekers. It allows combat aircraft to accurately strike fixed and moving targets while operating from stand-off distances. The munition has already been integrated with the Rafale fighter and has gained operational prominence because of its flexibility, enabling engagement of hardened structures, infrastructure and tactical targets with a high degree of accuracy. BEL’s anticipated role is linked to the localisation and production of specific systems or components associated with the weapon under India’s broader drive to increase indigenous content in defence procurements.

Key Takeaways

• Strategic Indian defense modernization.
• Technology induction and operational readiness.