Ukrainian pilots are actively using French AASM Hammer air-dropped bombs. The commitment to supply these precision-guided munitions was officially announced in January 2024, and now, almost half a year later, the first video showing their use has surfaced.
The video, which is now going viral on the internet, captures both the moment two Hammers are launched by a MiG-29 and the moment they hit the target.
Read more: Ukrainian Forces Strike russian Troops at Avdiivka Coke Plant Using AASM Hammer Guided Bombs
Ukrainian MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter jets firing French-made AASM "Hammer" guided bombs.The AASM is a precision-guided bomb kit that can be integrated with various bomb sizes, including 250 kg, 500 kg, and 1000 kg variants. pic.twitter.com/pG9kJTR91y— Clash Report (@clashreport) June 27, 2024
In the footage, the MiG-29 pilot flies at a very low altitude to avoid detection by enemy radars, then pitches the nose upward and sharply gains altitude at a 45-degree angle. At the seventh second of this maneuver, the AASM Hammer is released, after which the MiG-29 pilot completes the U-shaped Immelmann turn, and then descends back to a minimum altitude. As the aircraft retreats, the AASM Hammers activate their engines, propelling them higher to approach the target via a plunging fire trajectory.
Due to this method, the attack range of the smart bomb is reduced to only several tens of kilometers, instead of the usual 70 km achieved with conventional high-altitude drops. This technique, employed by Ukrainian pilots, is actually not a novelty, it is traditionally used when the enemy has long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems.
Presumably, Ukrainian pilots use the same method when launching strikes on russian invasion forces with other similar standoff bombs, such as the JDAM-ER and SDB. Earlier, Defense Express covered the topic, noting that the Australian JDAM-ER prototype named Kerkanya was test-dropped during a sharp climb maneuver and flew 44 km this way.
Note that, precisely speaking, the name AASM Hammer refers to the kit that is installed on ordinary 250-kg and 1000-kg bombs. It consists of guidance systems (inertial and satellite navigation plus optional thermal imaging or laser guidance) and steering surfaces in the nose part, as well as a solid-fuel rocket engine in the tail.
France committed to supplying 600 of these bombs in 2024, 50 units per month, but the manufacturer, Safran, announced in early June that it was ready to produce 90 units monthly. As noted by the head of the company, Olivier Andries, negotiations are currently ongoing to increase the order for AASM Hammers.
Also, in a separate article, Defense Express delved into the AASM Hammer capabilities and specifications in more detail.
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