NEW DELHI: India’s newly incorporated Rafale omnidirectional fighter jets, which already have a lethal weapons package, are now ready to receive “Hammer” precision-guided air-to-ground munitions amid the ongoing military confrontation with China in Eastern ladakh.
Sources of the Ministry of Defense say the first shipment of the Hammer (Extended Range Highly Agile Modular Ammunition) Weapons are likely to arrive in India from France next month.
With an attack range of 20 to 70 km, Hammer ammunition is designed to destroy bunkers, reinforced shelters and other targets in all terrain, including mountainous Ladakh. “The emergency procurement of the ammunition was signed last month with France, which is speeding up deliveries,” said a source.
The IAF has so far installed eight of the 36 twin-engine Rafale aircraft contracted in the 59 billion rupee deal signed with France in September 2016. While the first five fighters had landed at Ambala air base on July 29, the The next three arrived in India on Wednesday. Three to four planes will arrive in India every two to three months, depending on the delivery schedule.
The 4.5-generation Rafales have a combat range of 780 km to 1,650 km, with no air refueling, depending on the nature of their mission. The fighters are already armed with “Scalp” air-to-ground cruise missiles with a range of over 300 km and the Meteor air-to-air missiles, which have an attack range of 120 to 150 km, among other weapons.
As TOI previously reported, the all-weather Hammer munitions are similar to Israeli-sourced “Spice” precision-guided bombs, which were used by Mirage-2000 fighters during the Balakot airstrikes in February last year. A Rafale jet can carry up to six Hammer weapons to hit as many targets simultaneously.
The IAF has currently deployed an “adequate number” of Sukhoi-30MKI, Mirage-2000, MiG-29 and other front-line fighters, as well as Apache and Chinook heavy-lift attack helicopters in Ladakh, as well as in other sections to along the 3488 km line of Real Control with China to attend to any contingency. The first five Rafales have also made “familiarization outings” in Ladakh.
.
