France Eyes Jet-Powered AASM Hammer 250 XLR to Restore SEAD Capability

French Air and Space Force Chief of Staff Gen. Jérôme Bellanger told lawmakers the planned Hammer 250 XLR has the potential to help restore the service’s kinetic SEAD/DEAD capability.

Reports suggest the French Air and Space Force (Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace – FASF) is looking to use Safran’s AASM Hammer XLR weapon to help address a longstanding gap in its Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD/DEAD) capability. According to Opex360, the Chief of Staff of the FASF, General Jérôme Bellanger, highlighted the potential of the new jet-powered munition during his testimony to the National Assembly on Oct. 14, 2026.

The AASM Hammer XLR is an extended-range variant of the standard Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM/A2SM) Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range (Hammer) munition, Safran’s primary modular precision-guided air-to-ground weapon. Unlike the existing variants, which use a solid-fuel rocket booster for additional range, the XLR versions are designed to use a miniature turbojet engine.

The A2SM XLRs were first unveiled in the June 2025 edition of the Paris Air Show, and will be produced in both the 250 kg and 1,000 kg variants, with the Hammer 250 XLR being the one specifically mentioned for the potential SEAD/DEAD mission. The new turbojet propulsion is intended to increase the XLR’s range from approximately 70 km to 140 km.

The service currently does not have dedicated radar-killing munitions for the SEAD/DEAD role. The Hammer 250 XLR would meet that capability gap until the more advanced Stratus RS anti-radiation missile and the Rafale F5 become operational by the mid-2030s.

At its booth at the #ElAlameinAirshow2026, which began today in Egypt, Safran is showcasing the AASM HAMMER 250 XLR, a new-generation precision-guided air-to-ground munition. https://t.co/dO5Daxfv5p

— Defensehere (@defensehere_en) September 8, 2026

There is, however, no public information on whether France’s Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) has already awarded a contract to Safran or how many munitions the service intends to procure. Bellanger’s testimony to the National Assembly about the A2SM XLR’s anti-radar utility and Opex360’s claim that the new kit is “expected to be operational by 2028” are the only confirmation that the weapon is set to join the FASF’s inventory.

A2SM XLR and the SEAD capability gap

Bellanger brought to the attention of the National Assembly the gap in the FASF’s kinetic SEAD/DEAD capability. According to Opex360, he described the retirement of the AS-37 MARTEL anti-radiation missile in the 1990s as a capability that had been “stupidly abandoned.”

La portée de l’armement air-sol modulaire #AASM #A2SM #Hammer @SAFRAN utilisé par le #Rafale @Dassault_OnAir va doubler grâce à l’ajout d’un petit réacteur https://t.co/5jOHpCzWrE https://t.co/FVLNH89uKT

— Philippe Top-Action (@top_force) June 22, 2025

The MARTEL was employed by the Jaguar fighters, and the munition constitutes a “key area of fighter aviation.” France currently relies on the Tactical Signal Analyzer (ASTAC) electronic-intelligence pod carried by the Mirage 2000D RMV and is developing the Archange fleet to strengthen its strategic Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) capabilities.

The ASTAC pods carried by a formation of Mirage 2000D RMVs can collect electronic intelligence (ELINT) from radar emissions in a given area. The information can contribute to the generation of a “tactical situation of enemy air defenses” for other friendly assets, which can be shared with other friendly assets through the Mirage 2000D RMV’s “data transmission chain.”

Un Mirage 2000D de la 3e Escadre de Chasse équipé d’un pod ASTAC de recueil de renseignement électromagnétique est prêt à partir en mission. https://t.co/AI9BTBJBKy

— Escadrons de Chasse français (@EscadronsChasse) May 17, 2025

The ASTAC pod itself was slated for retirement along with the Mirage F1, but was saved by a 2011 amendment to the budget at the time, Opex360 added. This supplementary change required ASTAC to be adapted onto the Mirage 2000D RMV.

Bellanger said, however, that ASTAC and Archange are “insufficient to neutralize or destroy” various radars of today’s peer adversaries, according to the report. He further added the A2SM XLR “will allow us, while awaiting the Stratus RS, to engage enemy air defenses.”

The weapon will be integrated on the Rafale, which is already certified to carry the standard AASM. Opex360 also added that there are no plans to integrate the AASM 250 XLR on the Mirage 2000D RMV.

A French Air and Space Force Rafale carrying six AASM Hammer 250s, along with three fuel tanks and two each of MICA IR, MICA RF and Meteor air-to-air missiles. | Source: Safran AASM Hammer

As mentioned earlier, the Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM or A2SM) Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range (HAMMER) is a modular range extension and guidance kit for 250 kg and 1,000 kg bombs. The former are usually Mk82 227 kg / 500 lb bombs, while the latter can use both BLU 109 or Mk 84 907 kg / 2,000 lb bomb bodies.

While the FASF has often shown its Rafales carrying four AASM Hammer 250s, an official image from Safran shows the aircraft carrying as many as six AASM Hammer 250s by using triple ejector racks. These would be carried along with a loadout of three fuel tanks, and two each of MICA IR, MICA RF and Meteor Beyond Visual-Range (BVR) missiles.

La DGA a prononcé la qualification de la munition de précision AASM 1000 pour le #Rafale. Cette nouvelle version de l’AASM est l’une des nouvelles capacités du standard F4 du Rafale. Elle sera utilisée par @Armee_de_lair et par @Marinenationale.

https://t.co/znbKlt3gyq https://t.co/tm4MUtmZdO

— Direction générale de l’armement (@DGA) January 26, 2023

The French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA), by the end of 2022, announced the integration of the AASM 1000 on the Rafale, after separation trials began in 2020. The bomb can be carried by both the French Navy (Marine Nationale) Rafale M and the FASF’s Rafales.

The naval Rafale M has been seen carrying two AASM Hammer 1000s – one under each wing – during an exercise from the carrier FNS Charles de Gaulle between July 6 and 7, 2026. FASF Rafales meanwhile have been seen with as many as three AASM Hammer 1000s in recent images.

Quand on rejoint “la Chasse”, on sait qu’on va faire un travail différent, exotique. On va sortir de sa zone de confort et assumer une responsabilité supérieure : celle de se porter garant du bon fonctionnement d’un système pour l’ensemble de la Chasse. https://t.co/qFLbDsAkTA

— Escadrons de Chasse français (@EscadronsChasse) October 12, 2026

The AASM Hammer family offers several guidance configurations, including inertial navigation system (INS)/GPS guidance, INS/GPS with an infrared seeker, and INS/GPS with a laser seeker.

Early in March 2026, the DGA and Safran tested the dual-mode Laser InfraRed (LIR) seeker at the Biscarosse missile testing facility. The seeker has both modular Imaging InfraRed (IIR) and Semi-Active Laser (SAL) sensors, allowing greater accuracy and flexibility in contested environments.