India and France on Tuesday announced deepening of military ties, including making the Hammer missiles in India under a joint venture. The country’s first helicopter-making unit in the private sector was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emanuel Macron.Modi and Macron were in Mumbai for a bilateral meeting after which the two sides also announced a renewal of the 10-year agreement on defence cooperation —reciprocal deployment of officers at Indian Army and French Land Forces establishments.The Hammer (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) was used during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May last year. It is already mated to the existing fleet of Rafale jets of the IAF. It will be produced under a joint venture between Bharat Electronics Limited and Safran of France.The missiles will be needed for the 114 Rafale jets which the Defence Acquisition Council okayed on February 12. These can also be fitted on the indigenous Tejas jets.Meanwhile, India’s first helicopter “final assembly line” in the private sector was inaugurated at Vemagal, Karnataka. A joint venture between European giant Airbus and India’s Tata Advanced Systems Ltd will build Airbus H125 helicopters.The made in India H125 helicopter can also meet the Indian armed forces’ requirement for a light multi-role helicopter, especially on icy heights of the country’s Himalayan frontiers. The plan includes a military version — the H125M — to be offered from this Indian factory with high levels of indigenised components and technologies.The made in India H125M can decisively boost the Atmanirbhar Bharat ambition in the field of military helicopter manufacturing by expanding the existing ecosystem. It is the only helicopter that can fly to Mount Everest — 29,000 ft in altitude.The delivery of the first made in India civilian H125 copter is expected in early 2027. The helicopter will be available for exports in the South Asian region as well. The Airbus-Tata tie-up for helicopters is happening just two years after the two companies joined hands for making the C295 military aircraft.Speaking at an event at Vemagal in Bengaluru, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, “Our collaboration with France is limitless”. The investment in the plant is almost Rs 1,000 crore.Rajnath also met his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin. The meeting reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral defence cooperation, with focus on expanding industrial collaboration, especially in view of French companies pitching in for a massive “make in India”.