Armement Air-Sol Modulaire

The AASM , also known as AASM Hammer ("Hammer" standing for "Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range"), is a French, all-weather, <a href="/facts/Precision-guided_munition/9kX0Hy3y">smart</a> air-to-surface stand-off weapon developed by <a href="/facts/Safran_Electronics_%26_Defense/n1kXxshw">Safran Electronics & Defense</a>. Meant for both <a href="/facts/Close_air_support/buqaXGIp">close air support</a> and deep strike missions, the AASM is highly modular.
The AASM consists of a nose-mounted guidance section and a tail-mounted range extension kit (featuring winglets for maneuverability and a rocket booster) attached to either a 125-kilogram (276 lb), 250-kilogram (550 lb), 500-kilogram (1,100 lb) or 1,000-kilogram (2,200 lb) class bomb (such as the <a href="/facts/General-purpose_bomb/d1Kc0bJL">Mark 80 series</a> general purpose bombs). There are three variants of the AASM Hammer kit, with different guidance options depending on the target and operational context. The baseline variant features a hybrid <a href="/facts/Inertial_navigation_system/UzUTMhK2">inertial navigation system</a> (INS) and a <a href="/facts/Global_Positioning_System/DKVLnzF3">Global Positioning System</a> (GPS) guidance system. The two other variants respectively integrate, in addition to the hybrid INS/GPS guidance system, either an <a href="/facts/Infrared_homing/shTBbEmn">infrared homing</a> module or a <a href="/facts/Laser_guidance/8kIvSTAg">laser guidance</a> one in the nose-mounted guidance section for increased accuracy, and the ability to hit moving targets.
The AASM entered service in 2007 with the <a href="/facts/French_Air_Force/F3Wz5T6q">French Air Force</a> and <a href="/facts/French_Naval_Aviation/CyucJrpY">Naval Aviation</a>, equipping the <a href="/facts/Dassault_Rafale/Y1AKumMG">Dassault Rafale</a>.

Armement Air-Sol Modulaire open-in-new

Armement Air-Sol Modulaire