Successful
first qualification firing test of Sagem's Hammer air-to-ground guided
weapon with laser terminal guidance
French
defense procurement agency DGA has successfully carried out the first
qualification firing test of the laser terminal guidance version of
the AASM Hammer modular air-to-ground weapon built by Sagem (Safran
group).
The test was carried out by the DGA's missile test department at the
Cazaux air base on May 31, with the Hammer weapon being fired from a
production Rafale fighter. The target, a bridge pier located more than
50 kilometers from the release point, was illuminated by an airborne
illuminator that was activated during the last few seconds of the weapon's
flight.
Laser version of the AASM Hammer modular air-to-ground weapon built
by Sagem (Picture:
Sagem)
The AASM Hammer's guidance was deliberately initialized
by offsetting the target's GPS coordinates by over 50 meters. Thanks
to its navigation, laser spot detection and terminal guidance algorithms,
the AASM hit its target to within a meter. Prior to the impact, the
missile steered itself to a glide slope of 20°, preferred for this
type of operational scenario.
Laser version of the AASM Hammer versus highly mobile simulated target (Archive
footage)
Developed and produced by Sagem, with the DGA as
contracting authority, the AASM Hammer is a family of air-to-ground
weapons comprising guidance and range augmentation kits attached to
standard bombs.
The GPS/inertial/laser guidance version, designated SBU-64 Hammer, joins
the AASM range which already includes two other versions qualified for
deployment by Rafale: GPS/inertial and GPS/inertial/infrared versions.
The SBU-64 features a semi-active laser seeker in place of the infrared
imager, plus dedicated algorithms that are activated during the terminal
phase. This version of the AASM can be used to attack moving targets.
The AASM has been deployed in foreign theaters of operation, demonstrating
its performance and reliability. During long-range missions on the Rafale
fighter, the AASM has shown its ability to engage high-value targets,
previously reserved for cruise missiles. It has also shown that it can
neutralize opportunity targets, in short time loop, as well as enemy
air defenses, day or night and at standoff distance.
The French armed forces will start taking delivery of the AASM SBU-64
at the end of 2012, as part of a contract that provides for the production
of several hundred units.
