The Indian Air Force conducted precision airstrikes on nine terror locations targeting key infrastructure of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Pakistan and PoK under Operation Sindoor on Wednesday.
The operation marked India's first combat use of Rafale jets, its most advanced fighters. Armed with SCALP and HAMMER missiles along with Kamikaze drones, they delivered precise strikes. Here's how deadly the HAMMER proved in action.
For deep strikes, Rafales deployed the SCALP (Storm Shadow) missile—an air-launched cruise missile with a range of 450 km. It uses GPS, INS, and terrain-hugging navigation to penetrate enemy defences and accurately destroy hardened targets.
The IAF also used HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) missiles. Developed by Safran (France), HAMMER is a precision-guided air-to-ground weapon designed for tactical targets at medium range (up to 70 km).
The HAMMER missile is compatible with 250kg, 500kg, and 1000kg bomb variants, offering flexibility for different mission requirements. It uses GPS and INS guidance systems, with optional infrared or laser targeting for enhanced precision. Designed to resist jamming and electronic countermeasures, the missile is highly effective against a range of targets including bunkers, mobile platforms, and fortified structures.
HAMMER bombs struck medium-range targets including mobile terror assets and key control centres. Their high precision ensured destruction of objectives with minimal collateral damage, especially in urban-adjacent zones.
Operation Sindoor demonstrated India's enhanced air-strike capability. The combination of Rafale, SCALP, HAMMER and Kamikaze drones enabled coordinated multi-target attacks, marking a major shift from the Balakot airstrikes (2019).