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. In 2009 a second order for 680 units was placed, by the end of that year deliveries had reached 334.
Afghanistan 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.
Libya 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. 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. In Libya, 225 AASM bombs have been dropped. "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."
India 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. India has started the process of integrating Hammer to its indigenous fighter
Tejas. The
Indian Air Force deployed
Dassault Rafale armed with AASM Hammer during the
Operation Sindoor, early in the morning of 7 May 2025, to strike locations in Pakistan.
BEL-SED Joint Venture Bharat Electronics and
Safran Electronics & Defense signed a
memorandum of understanding on 11 February 2025, to establish a joint venture for the production, customization, sales, and upkeep of AASM Hammer in India. A Joint Venture Cooperation Agreement was signed by Bharat Electronics Limited and Safran Electronics & Defense on 24 November 2025, formalizing the earlier MoU that was signed in February 2025. The joint venture will be established as a
private limited company in which both businesses will own 50% of the shares. In order to fulfill the operational requirements of the Indian Air Force and
Indian Navy, the joint venture will localize the production, supply, and maintenance of AASM Hammer. Key sub-assemblies, electronics, and mechanical parts would be produced in India, gradually increasing the level of indigenization to 60%. BEL will oversee final assembly, testing, and quality control as the production is transferred in stages. On 16 February 2026, BEL approved the Project HAMMER which includes the formation of the joint venture, a 50:50 equity
Private Limited Company under the
Companies Act 2013. The joint venture will operate a
Centre of Excellence that will act as "technology and teaming partner for the manufacturing, supply, maintenance and repair of the Guidance Kit of the HAMMER weapon system". The JV will have a board of four directors two nominated by each BEL and SED. The primary users include the
Indian Air Force and the
Indian Navy. The partnership was one of the agenda during the bilateral meet between French president
Emmanuel Macron and Indian prime minister
Narendra Modi.
Ukraine 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. The first reported use of the AASM by Ukraine took place on 5 March 2024. They have been deployed from
MiG-29s,
Su-25s and Mirage 2000-5F. == Operators ==