India and France are set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a joint venture for the production of HAMMER precision-guided missiles in India. The HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) is a precision strike weapon manufactured by French defence company Safran, capable of engaging ground targets with high accuracy.The weapon was used during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May last year and is already integrated with the Indian Air Force’s existing Rafale fighter fleet. The proposed joint venture will manufacture the missiles in India for the forthcoming order of 114 Rafale jets, which was approved by the Defence Acquisition Council on February 12.The development comes just ahead of the expected announcement of India’s acquisition of 114 additional Rafale fighter aircraft from French plane maker Dassault Aviation.Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will co-chair the sixth India-France Annual Defence Dialogue with his French counterpart, Catherine Vautrin, in Bengaluru on February 17, where the MoU for the HAMMER missile is expected to be discussed.The meeting will review the full spectrum of bilateral defence cooperation, with a focus on expanding industrial collaboration, especially as French companies increasingly participate in India’s ‘Make in India’ programme.Apart from Dassault, which is expected to manufacture a majority of the Rafale jets in India, Safran already has a joint venture with public sector aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to produce helicopter engines.Singh and Vautrin are also expected to renew the defence cooperation agreement for another 10 years. An announcement may also be made regarding reciprocal deployment of officers at Indian Army and French Land Forces establishments.The two ministers are likely to witness the virtual inauguration of the H125 Light Utility Helicopter final assembly line of Tata Airbus by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron at Vemagal in Karnataka.Defence has traditionally been a key pillar of India-France relations. The strength of bilateral ties was reflected in 2024-2025 through a series of high-profile exchanges. Prime Minister Modi was the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Day Parade in July 2023, while President Macron was the Chief Guest at India’s Republic Day Parade in 2024.The recent India-EU Security and Defence Partnership also marks a significant step in deepening engagement with European nations, with military-to-military cooperation steadily increasing.This will be Catherine Vautrin’s maiden visit to India since she assumed office as French Defence Minister on October 12, 2025. The India-France Annual Defence Dialogue is a structured ministerial-level meeting to review and guide defence and security cooperation. The fifth edition was held in France from October 11 to 13, 2023.
