French AASM Hammer precision-guided air bombs are to be adapted for use with Gripen fighter jets that are expected to enter service with Ukraine. Le Figaro reports this.
The weapons integration work will be carried out jointly by French and Swedish specialists. The process will involve Swedish company Saab, the manufacturer of the Gripen fighter jets, as well as French company Safran, which is involved in the production of AASM Hammer bombs.
Adapting the munition will allow Gripen jets to use an air-launched weapon that Ukrainian troops have already mastered, without having to develop a new weapon for the aircraft. At the same time, specialists will need to ensure that the AASM Hammer is compatible with the fighter’s hardpoints, weapons control systems and mechanisms for transmitting target data.
According to Defence Express, the advantage of the AASM Hammer is that the bomb is equipped with solid-fuel boosters, while the new XLR version has a turbojet engine. This allows the bombs to be launched from a lower altitude than conventional glide bombs require, reducing risks to the aircraft carrying them.
Swedish Gripen jets already use US-made Mk 82 unguided bombs and GBU-39, GBU-12 Paveway II and GBU-49 Paveway II guided bombs. The integration of French AASM Hammer bombs will add another type of precision-guided munition to this list.
Previously, France mainly positioned the AASM Hammer as a weapon for its Rafale fighter jets, and its use was closely associated with these aircraft. France has said it plans to begin initial training for Ukrainian pilots on Rafale fighter jets, which are also expected to be supplied to Ukraine. However, Defence Express explains that the training appears not to have started yet. As a result, Ukraine is expected to receive the Gripen before its French counterparts.
The AASM Hammer is a French precision-guided modular air-to-ground munition with folding wings and a solid-fuel rocket motor. Its stated range is more than 70 km. It can be fitted with warheads weighing between 125 and 1,000 kg and use infrared or laser guidance, as well as INS/GPS systems. The munition is designed for use day and night and in various weather conditions.
Ukraine is already using AASM Hammer munitions in combat. The French bombs were previously adapted for use with MiG-29 fighter jets and later with Su-25 attack aircraft. In addition, Ukraine and France agreed in February to jointly produce the munitions.
On 30 June 2026, an agreement was signed in Kyiv in the presence of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Sweden’s Defence Minister. It provides for the purchase of 16 modern Gripen E multirole fighter jets using a European loan, with support from the UK. Deliveries of these aircraft are due to begin in early 2029.
Under the agreement, Ukraine will also receive the first 16 Gripen C/D jets as military assistance from Sweden in early 2027. This will allow Ukraine to integrate the platform more quickly, train pilots and technical personnel, adapt its infrastructure and build up the combat capabilities of the Air Force. In addition to the aircraft, Ukraine will receive the necessary equipment, as well as logistical and technical support. Ukrainian pilots and technical personnel are already undergoing training in Sweden.