Throughout the nearly three-year conflict initiated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have achieved significant milestones in employing Western-supplied weaponry, integrated into their inventory of Russian/Soviet-origin platforms. Notable examples include Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG cruise missiles, JDAM-ER guided bombs, AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles, Zuni rockets, and Hydra rockets, used by MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters, as well as Su-24 Fencer attack aircraft. The most recent development involves the Su-25 aircraft of Ukraine’s Air Force, seen equipped with a French-supplied AASM/HAMMER bomb in footage showing its launch against ground targets.
The presence of AASM/HAMMER stand-off guided bombs on Ukrainian combat aircraft was confirmed in April last year. These weapons are part of several support packages provided by France to Ukraine, announced by President Emmanuel Macron in January 2024. These packages aim to enhance Ukraine’s ground attack capabilities at extended ranges.
Following these announcements, Ukraine’s Su-27 and MiG-29 fighters were equipped with this new capability, mirroring their integration of American JDAM-ER bombs.
More recently, Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot attack aircraft have also been fitted with this system, as evidenced by a viral video showing a Su-25 carrying two AASM/HAMMER guided bombs supplied by France.
The Safran AASM (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire, or Modular Air-to-Ground Armament), also known as HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range), is a guidance kit that can be attached to “dumb” bombs weighing 250 or 1,000 kg from the Mk family. Its guidance systems—INS/GPS, INS/GPS IR, and INS/GPS Laser—allow combat aircraft to execute attacks from higher altitudes and longer distances, ranging between 15 and 70 kilometers depending on the release altitude.
The use of Western-origin weaponry in Ukrainian combat aircraft reflects the increasing Westernization of Ukraine’s Armed Forces arsenal as stocks of Russian/Soviet-origin equipment dwindle due to the ongoing conflict. For Ukrainian Su-25s specifically, recent months have seen their armament upgraded with LAU-10 launchers for Zuni rockets, replacing the Soviet-origin 80mm S-8 rockets, which are now nearly depleted.
Finally, regarding the use of HAMMER-equipped bombs, it’s worth noting that this system will also be deployed on Mirage 2000-5 fighters that France is transferring to Ukraine. These aircraft are intended to complement the current fleet of F-16s, focusing on ground-attack missions. To that end, the French government has confirmed that the Mirage jets have undergone upgrades and modifications, with delivery scheduled for the first half of 2025.
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