Egypt orders AASM missiles from Sagem

PARIS, June 17 (UPI) -- The Egyptian Air Force is to receive AASM Hammer air-to-ground missiles from Sagem of France for use on Rafale fighters.

The contract for the missiles was signed by Sagem and the Egyptian Ministry of Defense at the Paris Air Show but details as to the number of missiles and the value of the deal were not disclosed.

"Sagem will deliver the first AASM Hammer missiles by the end of 2016, along with associated support services," the company said. "The contract with Egypt covers all three versions of the AASM Hammer now in service: hybrid inertial/GPS guidance, inertial/GPS and terminal infrared guidance, and inertial/GPS plus laser terminal guidance.

"Offering a range exceeding 60 kilometers (about 27 miles), the AASM Hammer missile will give Egypt's Rafales a significant operational advantage, because of their ability to conduct all-weather, day/night precision ground strikes against fixed or moving targets, while also reducing collateral damage."

The AASM Hammer, deployed by the French military since 2008, is comprised of a frontal guidance kit and a rear-mounted range extension kit matched to a dumb bomb.