For the first time, Ukraine has released an official video, which is embedded below, showing its Su-25 Frogfoot ground-attack jets employing French-supplied Hammer rocket-boosted precision-guided munitions. The compilation, showing multiple launch angles, reinforces the importance of the weapon to the Ukrainian Air Force, especially when it comes to precisely engaging Russian targets, including those located further back from the front lines.
The video montage from the Ukrainian Air Force focuses on the Su-25s of the 299th Tactical Aviation Brigade (299 BrTA) as they attack Russian targets in daylight with the Hammer — also known by the French name Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM; Modular Air-to-Ground Armament). At least 10 different sorties are shown, with the weapons being released in pairs, although only two individual Su-25s — single-seaters with the Bort numbers “28 Blue” and “47 Blue” — can be identified. All the aircraft in the video have blue and yellow identification panels painted on, to help avoid ‘friendly fire’ incidents, and at least some of the launches are made simultaneous with the release of infrared countermeasures to spoof hostile heat-seeking missiles.
A pair of Hammer munitions fall away after launch from a Ukrainian Su-25. Ukrainian Air Force screencap
The Hammer is the first Western precision-guided munition of any kind known to be used by the Ukrainian Su-25 — its integration on the Frogfoot was revealed by a Ukrainian Air Force official in June 2024, as TWZ reported at the time.
That the Hammer is being used extensively in combat by Ukraine is no surprise — after all, France previously committed to supplying Kyiv with up to 50 of the precision-guided bombs every month. In November last year, France said that it would deliver 600 of the munitions to Ukraine by the end of 2024, with the Hammers being sourced from existing, aging stocks, with plans in the works to quickly produce more.
“The production of AASM bombs must be significantly accelerated in order to renew the [French] stocks with new munitions,” the French National Assembly Defense Committee stated. “The Ministry of the Armed Forces now aims to produce 1,200 by 2025.”
The weapons are also used by Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters, and it was on one of these jets that we first got a close-up look at the weapon and its specially adapted launch pylon. The Ukrainian Su-27 Flanker fighter may also use the weapon.
A Hammer munition on the specially adapted pylon under the wing of a Ukrainian MiG-29. via X
As we have explained in the past, the baseline 250-kilogram (551-pound) version of the Hammer has a standoff range of around 43 miles, putting it roughly on par with the U.S.-made Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range, or JDAM-ER, also used by Ukraine.
Unlike the JDAM-ER, however, the French munition doesn’t only rely on a pop-out wing kit to extend its range but is also fitted with a solid-fuel rocket. It should be noted that Hammer munitions can also be employed in an unpowered mode, providing a much-reduced range — if desired. The video compilation doesn’t appear to show any of the munitions underway in powered mode, but since they are all seen very soon after release, it’s likely that their motors simply hadn’t yet fired.
As well as the tail-mounted range-extension kit, Hammer adds a nose-mounted guidance section to a NATO-standard ‘dumb’ bomb.
All types of Hammer munitions have a GPS-assisted inertial navigation system (INS) package that is designed to strike specific fixed target coordinates. There also exist multi-mode guidance options that add either imaging infrared or semi-active laser homing, allowing the weapon to engage moving targets as well as enhancing overall accuracy. This also offers alternative guidance options in GPS-denied environments, which would be particularly relevant on the Ukrainian battlefield.
A display depicting different guidance options for the Hammer. Safran
However, none of the munitions shown in the 299 BrTA video appear to have the transparent nose associated with the imaging infrared or semi-active laser homing options. This is also in keeping with the Hammers that we have previously seen attached to Ukrainian MiG-29s.
The bombs shown are also all 250-kilogram weapons, although Hammer can also be used to adapt 125-kilogram (276-pound), 500-kilogram (1,102-pound), and 1,000-kilogram (2,202-pound) bombs.
A graphic showing the core components of the Hammer weapon. Safran
The bombs seen in the video all show evidence of a thermal protective coating designed to help delay them from ‘cooking off’ in the event of a fire, something that is otherwise frequently seen on U.S. Navy aircraft ordnance.
Also noteworthy is the pylon that the Su-25 uses to launch the Hammer. This is the same as previously seen on the MiG-29, which you can read more about here.
A closer view of a Hammer munition with its range-extending wings popping out after launch from a Ukrainian Su-25. Ukrainian Air Force screencap
Suffice it to say, the pylon is of a specialized type, sharing the same general form as the one Ukrainian MiG-29s have been using together with U.S.-supplied JDAM-ER glide bombs and that is designed to provide GPS-assisted initial positioning data to their guidance systems just prior to launch. These pylons have a prominent protrusion with a GPS antenna at the forward end. As we have noted in the past, mounting this device on a protrusion will help ensure it has a clear line of sight to the GPS satellite constellation and is not shadowed by the aircraft’s wing structure.
A clearer view of the Hammer pylon under the wing of the Su-25 with the protrusion at the front mounting a capped antenna. Ukrainian Air Force screencap
Not visible in the video are the other changes that will have been made to accommodate the French-made weapon, specifically the cockpit interface. However, we know by now that Ukraine employs Western-supplied precision-guided munitions via an ad-hoc control system that utilizes iPads or similar tablet-like devices installed in the cockpits.
A Ukrainian Su-25 pilot prepares for a combat sortie in eastern Ukraine on Aug. 1, 2023. Photo by Libkos/Getty Images A Ukrainian Su-25 pilot prepares for a combat flight on August 1, 2023, in eastern Ukraine. Photo by Libkos/Getty Images
The appearance of the new video underscores what we already knew about the Hammer, namely that it provides the Ukrainian Air Force with a valuable option for conducting precision strikes beyond the front lines while reducing risks to the launch platforms. The Hammer needs to be released at higher altitudes to get the most reach, although the weapon drops in the video are from a fairly low altitude, making use of a pop-up maneuver to get more range — whether in combination with the rocket booster or in unpowered mode.
A graphic provides a highly schematic look at the different employment options for Hammer, including launching it up and over terrain at its target. Safran
Based on information from the manufacturer, the Hammer, using its rocket booster, can strike targets at least nine miles away even when released at very low altitudes where the aircraft employing it can better hide from enemy air defenses. The weapon can also be lobbed over terrain, providing a further degree of protection to the launch aircraft. All of this is of particular importance to the pilot of the Su-25, whose mount — due to its relatively low speed and limited agility — is at particular risk from the ever-present threat of Russian air defenses.
As for the booster, as well as additional range, this ensures that the Hammer impacts the weapon with a higher energy state than its glide bomb counterparts, meaning it can penetrate further into certain hardened targets.
A video shows a MiG-29 employing Hammer using low-altitude toss-bombing techniques that make good use of the munition’s unique design:
Footage reportedly showing Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet firing French-supplied AASM-250 Hammer guided bombs at a target in Belgorod Oblast of Russia.
Notice the very low altitude from which the munitions are being launched.
Geolocated impact point: Nekhoteevka border crossing,… pic.twitter.com/mGGuqRAmyK
— Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (BlueSky too) (@Archer83Able) June 27, 2024
The Su-25 has suffered considerable losses in Ukrainian service (as well as in Russian hands) since the current conflict began. According to the Oryx open-source tracking group, 20 Ukrainian Frogfoot losses can be visually confirmed with the potential for further attrition on top of this.
Nevertheless, with a dire need for tactical airpower, Ukraine has continued to make use of the Su-25, including adapting it to use other Western-made weapons, albeit unguided ones. In the past, we have discussed the use of U.S.-supplied 5-inch Zuni air-launched rockets by Ukrainian Su-25s, although there have been reports that the stocks of these older weapons have now been exhausted. Now, the availability of Hammer munitions means that the Frogfoot still has a useful role to play, despite the very high threat level over the battlefield.
A series of photos show Zuni unguided rockets being prepared for arming Ukrainian Su-25s. via X
By now, Western-provided precision strike weapons are a familiar feature of the arsenals of Ukraine’s Soviet-era jets, something that would have been almost unthinkable before the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.
With the F-16 multirole fighter now in Ukrainian service, this might well be the next platform to emerge armed with Hammer. This would have the added benefit of a weapons integration process that is much more straightforward than on Ukraine’s older combat jets, with their need for specially tailored pylons and weapon interfaces as part of ad-hoc solutions.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
