Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (Air-to-Ground Modular Weapon) | |
---|---|
Type | Air-to-surface missile |
Place of origin | France |
Service history | |
In service | 2007–present |
Used by | French Air and Space Force French Naval Aviation Royal Moroccan Air Force Egyptian Air Force Qatar Air Force Indian Air Force Ukrainian Air Force |
Wars | War in Afghanistan 2011 Libyan civil war Mali War Operation Inherent resolve Russo-Ukrainian War |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | Safran Electronics & Defense |
Unit cost | €164,000 (US$210,707) (FY2011) [1] €252,000 (US$323,770) including development costs (FY2011) [1] |
Specifications (250 kg (550 lb) version) | |
Mass | 340 kg (750 lb) |
Length | 3.1 m (10 ft 2 in) |
Warhead | 250 kg (550 lb) bomb body (Mk82, BLU 111 or CBEMS/BANG) |
Engine | Solid rocket motor |
Operational range | Over 70 km (43 mi) [2] [3] [4] |
Guidance system | Hybrid inertial/GPS in decametric all-weather version Hybrid inertial/GPS + infrared homing or SALH in metric day/night version |
Accuracy | 10 m (32 ft 10 in) CEP decametric version 1 m (3 ft 3 in) CEP metric version |
Launch platform | Dassault Rafale Dassault Mirage 2000D Dassault Mirage F1 F-16 Tejas MiG-29 |
The Armement Air-Sol Modulaire [5] [6] (meaning Modular Air-to-Ground Armament), commonly called AASMHammer (standing for Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range), [7] is a French, all-weather, smart air-to-surface stand-off weapon developed by Safran Electronics & Defense. Meant for both close air support and deep strike missions, the AASM is highly modular.
There are three variants of the AASM Hammer kit, with different guidance systems depending on the target and operational context. The baseline variant integrates a nose-mounted guidance section and a tail-mounted range extension kit (with winglets for movement and a rocket booster) attached to either a 125-kilogram (276 lb), 250-kilogram (550 lb), 500-kilogram (1,100 lb), 1,000-kilogram (2,200 lb) class bomb (such as the Mark 80 series general purpose bombs). [7] This variant features a hybrid inertial navigation system (INS) and a Global Positioning System (GPS) guidance system. The other variants include an additional infrared homing or laser guidance module in the nose-mounted guidance section for increased accuracy, and the ability to hit moving targets.
The AASM entered service in 2007 with the French Air Force and Naval Aviation, equipping the Dassault Rafale and Mirage 2000D.
The program started in 1997, when the Délégation Générale pour l'Armement (DGA), the French defense procurement agency, launched an international competition on the design for the weapon. In 2000, a contract was awarded to SAGEM (that became part of Safran before the end of the development) [8] for an initial lot of AASM GPS/INS bomb kits, expected at the time to be delivered in 2004 and to enter service the following year. [9]
A test campaign to validate in flight the main performances of this AASM variant started on 6 December 2004, and ended on 26 July 2005. [10]
While demonstrating excellent results, this campaign showed the need to change some of the aerodynamic features of the weapon. To compensate for delays in AASM deliveries in 2008 France ordered dual-mode (laser- and GPS/INS-guided) GBU-49 Enhanced Paveway II kits for integration with Mirage 2000D and Rafale fighter-bombers. [11] The GPS/INS + IIR guided version completed its qualification tests on 9 July 2008, after three firings at the DGA's missile test range in Biscarosse. [12] This 250 kg IR version performed a night launch from a Rafale fighter-bomber at DGA's Biscarosse test range in December 2010.
According to Safran Electronics & Defense, the weapon was launched at a range of more than 50 km from the target, which was hit within one meter. [13] A 125 kg version was successfully test fired on 27 January 2009, [14] and a laser guided variant was air-launched for the first time on 17 June 2010. [15]
The 1000 kg version commenced testing in 2020, with inert separation trials from a Rafale. [16] [17] Qualification firings finished in early 2023 and a delivery of the first kits started the same year. [18]
According to French Senate's Comité des Prix de Revient des fabrications d'Armement (CPRA) cited by the daily La Tribune , the total cost of the AASM program including development costs and the delivery of 2348 kits is €846m. [19] On that basis the per-weapon cost is $300,000 or twelve times the cost of the comparable American JDAM, although the latter has been manufactured in much larger quantities (~250,000 kits) and would be reasonable to expect a slight reduction of the cost ratio if larger contracts are signed and economies of scale are achieved. [20]
The 2012 defence budget presented to the Senate reported the project had cost €592.2m (~US$800m) with a unit cost of €164,000, or €252,000 including development costs. [1]
In 2017 La Tribune reported a unit cost of €120,000 for a new version called AASM Evolution (Block IV) with the aim by Safran to lower it to €80,000. [21]
AASM comes in several variants according to its size and the type of guidance used.
In October 2010, these versions were given alphanumeric designations with the INS/GPS version becoming the SBU-38 (SBU=Smart Bomb Unit), the INS/GPS/IIR version becoming the SBU-54 and the INS/GPS/SALH version becoming the SBU-64; the system as a whole was renamed Hammer to make it more appealing to export customers. [24]
The first order for AASM was placed by the DGA in 2000 for a total of 744 units; deliveries started in 2007 after a two-year delay in development. [25] In 2009 a second order for 680 units was placed, by the end of that year deliveries had reached 334. [26]
AASM made its combat debut on 20 April 2008, during the War in Afghanistan when a Rafale fighter dropped two in support of ground troops. [27]
On 24 March 2011, it was reported that an AASM bomb dropped from a Dassault Rafale was used to destroy a Libyan Air Force G-2 Galeb light ground attack/trainer jet, the first Libyan warplane to challenge the no-fly zone during the 2011 Libyan civil war, on the runway just after the plane had landed at Misrata Airport. [28] On 6 April 2011, it was reported that a AASM bomb dropped from a Dassault Rafale was used to destroy a Libyan tank at a range of 55 km. [29] In Libya, 225 AASM bombs have been dropped [30]
"Also referred to as the Hammer, the AASM weapon has impressed during the campaign to date. Incorporating a precision guidance kit and propulsion system, the design will eventually be available for use with standard bombs weighing between 125 kg and 1 000 kg, although a 250 kg version is the only one currently in service. Sagem cites a range capability of more than 32nm from high altitude, or 8nm from low level. Launches can also be made from an off-axis angle of up to 90°, while up to six weapons can be fired against individual targets in a single pass and with just one trigger press." And "Libya represents the first opportunity for the French Air and Space to employ the Thales Damocles targeting pod, although the Navy gave the system its combat debut over Afghanistan in late 2010." [31]
According to a report by Hindustan Times , India placed an order for "large numbers" of the Hammer in September 2020 and deliveries will be completed by the end of November 2020. The reports adds that the French Air and Space Force will transfer some of its supplies of Hammer to India to ensure immediate deliveries. [32] India has started the process of integrating Hammer missile to its indigenous fighter Tejas. [33]
On 16 January 2024, French president Emmanuel Macron announced France would be providing several hundred AASM Hammer precision-guided weapons to Ukraine, at a rate of 50 units per month in 2024. [34] [35] [36] [37] The first reported use of the AASM by Ukraine took place on 5 March 2024. [38]
The GBU-12 Paveway II is an American aerial laser-guided bomb, based on the Mk 82 500 lb (230 kg) general-purpose bomb, but with the addition of a nose-mounted laser seeker and fins for guidance. A member of the Paveway series of weapons, Paveway II entered into service c. 1976. It is currently in service with the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and various other air forces.
The Mark 84 or BLU-117 is a 2,000-pound (900 kg) American general purpose aircraft bomb. It is the largest of the Mark 80 series of weapons. Entering service during the Vietnam War, it became a commonly used US heavy unguided bomb. At the time, it was the third largest bomb by weight in the US inventory behind the 15,000-pound (6,800 kg) BLU-82 "Daisy Cutter" and the 3,000-pound (1,400 kg) M118 "demolition" bomb. It is currently sixth in size due to the addition of the 5,000 lb (2,300 kg) GBU-28 in 1991, the 22,600 lb (10,300 kg) GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (MOAB) in 2003, and the 30,000 lb (14,000 kg) Massive Ordnance Penetrator.
The Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs, or "dumb bombs", into all-weather precision-guided munitions (PGMs). JDAM-equipped bombs are guided by an integrated inertial guidance system coupled to a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, giving them a published range of up to 15 nautical miles (28 km). JDAM-equipped bombs range from 500 to 2,000 pounds. The JDAM's guidance system was jointly developed by the United States Air Force and United States Navy, hence the "joint" in JDAM. When installed on a bomb, the JDAM kit is given a GBU identifier, superseding the Mark 80 or BLU nomenclature of the bomb to which it is attached.
Paveway is a series of laser-guided bombs (LGBs).
The Dassault Mirage 2000N is a variant of the Mirage 2000 designed for nuclear strike. It formed the core of the French air-based strategic nuclear deterrent. The Mirage 2000D is its conventional attack counterpart. Although it looks like a Mirage 2000 trainer, it was actually used as a fighter-attack aircraft.
Brimstone is a ground or air-launched ground attack missile developed by MBDA UK for the UK's Royal Air Force. It was originally intended for "fire-and-forget" use against mass formations of enemy armour, using a millimetre wave (mmW) active radar homing seeker to ensure accuracy even against moving targets. Experience in Afghanistan led to the addition of laser guidance in the dual-mode Brimstone missile, allowing a "spotter" to pick out specific and the highest priority targets, particularly useful to minimise collateral damage when friendly forces or civilians were in the area. The tandem shaped-charge warhead is much more effective against modern tanks than older similar weapons such as the AGM-65G Maverick missile. Three Brimstones are carried on a launcher that occupies a single weapon station, allowing a single aircraft to carry many missiles.
A general-purpose bomb is an air-dropped bomb intended as a compromise between blast damage, penetration, and fragmentation in explosive effect. They are designed to be effective against enemy troops, vehicles, and buildings.
The Texas Instruments BOLT-117, retrospectively redesignated as the GBU-1/B was the world's first laser-guided bomb (LGB). It consisted of a standard M117 750-pound (340 kg) bomb case with a KMU-342 laser guidance and control kit. This consisted of a gimballed laser seeker on the front of the bomb and tail and control fins to guide the bomb to the target. The latter used the bang-bang method of control where each control surface was either straight or fully deflected. This was inefficient aerodynamically, but reduced costs and minimized demands on the primitive onboard electronics.
Paveway IV is a dual mode GPS/INS and laser-guided bomb manufactured by Raytheon UK. It is the latest iteration of the Paveway series.
The "SPICE" is an Israeli-developed, EO/GPS- guidance kit used for converting air-droppable unguided bombs into precision-guided bombs.
A guided bomb is a precision-guided munition designed to achieve a smaller circular error probable (CEP).
The M982 Excalibur is a 155 mm extended-range guided artillery shell developed in a collaborative effort between the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and the United States Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC). The Excalibur was developed and/or manufactured by prime contractor Raytheon Missiles & Defense, BAE Systems AB and other subs and primes in multiple capacities such as Camber Corporation and Huntington Ingalls Industries. It is a GPS and inertial-guided munition capable of being used in close support situations within 75–150 meters (250–490 ft) of friendly troops or in situations where targets might be prohibitively close to civilians to attack with conventional unguided artillery fire. In 2015, the United States planned to procure 7,474 rounds with a FY 2015 total program cost of US$1.9341 billion at an average cost of US$258,777 per unit. By 2016, unit costs were reduced to US$68,000 per round. Versions that add laser-guidance capability and are designed to be fired from naval guns began testing in 2015. By October 2018, over 1,400 rounds had been fired in combat.
The Kh-25/Kh-25M is a family of Soviet lightweight air-to-ground missiles with a modular range of guidance systems and a range of 10 km. The anti-radiation variant (Kh-25MP) is known to NATO as the AS-12 'Kegler' and has a range up to 40 km. Designed by Zvezda-Strela, the Kh-25 is derived from the laser-guided version of the Kh-23 Grom. The Kh-25 remains in widespread use despite the apparent development of a successor, the Kh-38.
The GBU-44/B Viper Strike glide bomb was a GPS-aided laser-guided variant of the Northrop Grumman Brilliant Anti-Tank (BAT) munition which originally had a combination acoustic and infrared homing seeker. The system was initially intended for use from UAVs, and it was also integrated with the Lockheed AC-130 gunship, giving that aircraft a precision stand-off capability. The Viper Strike design is now owned by MBDA.
Lei Shi, abbreviated as LS, is a series of precision-guided munitions (PGM) developed by Luoyang Optoelectro Technology Development Center (LOTDC), a subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). Leishi is a type of guidance kit that can modify existing unguided bomb into guided standoff munition. These maneuverable guided bombs are similar in roles to the American Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kit but with longer ranges.
A precision-guided munition (PGM), also called a smart weapon, smart munition, or smart bomb, is a guided munition intended to hit a specific target, to minimize collateral damage and increase lethality against intended targets. During the Persian Gulf War guided munitions accounted for only 9% of weapons fired, but accounted for 75% of all successful hits. Despite guided weapons generally being used on more difficult targets, they were still 35 times more likely to destroy their targets per weapon dropped.
The GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) is a 250-pound (110 kg) precision-guided glide bomb that is intended to allow aircraft to carry a greater number of smaller, more accurate bombs. Most US Air Force aircraft will be able to carry a pack of four SDBs in place of a single 2,000-pound (910 kg) Mark 84 bomb. It first entered service in 2006. The Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) was later developed to enable the SDB to be launched from a variety of ground launchers and configurations.
The Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Equipped with a wide range of weapons, the Rafale is intended to perform air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, anti-ship strike and nuclear deterrence missions. It is referred to as an "omnirole" 4.5th generation aircraft by Dassault.
Martlet or the Lightweight Multirole Missile(LMM) is a lightweight air-to-surface, air-to-air, surface-to-air, and surface-to-surface missile developed by Thales Air Defence for the United Kingdom. It is named after a mythical bird from English heraldry that never roosts, the Martlet.
The High Speed Low Drag (HSLD) bomb is a family of new generation short range air-dropped precision-guided munition that is currently being developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). This general-purpose bomb is made for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and can be used against the destruction of strategic high value enemy infrastructure from stand-off distances. HSLD is comparable to Mark 80 series of bombs used by United States Air Force (USAF).