Amid India-China tension, IAF to boost Rafale capabilities with HAMMER missiles from France With the Rafale fighters arriving in the country in the middle of a dispute with China, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is further boosting the capabilities of the combat aircraft by equipping it with the HAMMER missiles from France.
"The order for the HAMMER missiles is being processed and the French authorities have agreed to supply them to us at a short notice for our Rafale combat aircraft," government sources said.
HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) is a medium-range air-to-ground weapon designed and manufactured for the French Air Force and Navy initially.
India had signed a deal worth over Rs 60,000 crore with France in September 2016 for 36 Rafales to meet the emergency requirements of the Indian Air Force.
Armed with the long-range Meteor air to air missiles and SCALP, the Rafales would give India an edge over both Pakistan and China in terms of air strike capability.
