BEL, Safran sign pact to jointly produce HAMMER precision weapon in India

Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and France’s Safran Electronics and Defence (SED) have signed a Joint Venture Cooperation Agreement (JVCA) to produce the Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range (HAMMER) precision-guided air-to-ground weapon in India, the Defence Ministry said on Monday.

The agreement was signed by BEL Chairman and Managing Director Manoj Jain and SED Executive Vice President Alexandre Ziegler in the presence of Defence Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar and Safran CEO Olivier Andries.

The pact follows an MoU signed between the two sides during Aero India in February 2025, and paves the way for setting up a 50:50 joint venture company that will undertake manufacturing, supply and maintenance of HAMMER munitions for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.

The joint venture will be incorporated as a private limited company in India, with production to be localised in phases.

According to BEL, the level of indigenisation will progressively rise to about 60%, with key sub-assemblies, electronics and mechanical components to be manufactured domestically.

BEL will lead the final assembly, testing and quality assurance activities.

HAMMER is a precision-guided weapon system with high accuracy and a modular design that allows integration with multiple aircraft platforms, including the Rafale and the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas.

The proposed joint venture “underscores BEL’s commitment to strengthening India’s defence industrial base and aims at leveraging SED’s extensive experience in manufacturing of smart precision guided air-to-ground weapon,” the ministry said.

BEL Q2 Results

BEL reported a net profit of ₹1,286 crore in the second quarter of the current financial year, up 18% from ₹1,091 crore in the same period last year.

The company's revenue from operations rose 26% to ₹5,764 crore in July-September period from ₹4,583 crore a year earlier.

It reported stable operational performance in September quarter as its EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) advanced 22% to ₹1,695 crore.

The operating profit margin, however, contracted by 90 basis points to 29.41%.