SCALP, AASM Hammer, and Aster 30: France Has Granted Ukraine All the Promised Licenses

Ukraine has received all the licenses France promised for the domestic production of three types of weapons: Aster 30 air defense missiles, AASMHammer guided bombs, and SCALP cruise missiles.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the development.

In July, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the licensing agreement following a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris. The agreement allows Ukraine to produce these weapons domestically under French licenses.

Aster 30

Ukrainian forces have been successfully employing Aster 30 missiles for an extended period as part of the SAMP/T surface-to-air missile systems supplied by France and Italy.

The modern Aster 30 Block 1 variant can engage aerodynamic targets, including aircraft, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), at ranges of up to 120 km and altitudes of up to 25 km.

In addition, the system can intercept tactical ballistic missiles at ranges of up to 30 km.

AASM Hammer

The French AASM Hammer is a guidance kit that converts conventional unguided Western-designed bombs into precision-guided munitions.

Unlike the American JDAM, AASM Hammer kits are equipped with an integrated rocket motor, enabling them to engage targets at ranges of up to 15 km when released from low altitudes and up to 70 km when released from high altitudes.

Currently, two versions are available: the Hammer 250, designed for 227 kg Mk 82 bombs, and the Hammer 1000, designed for 908 kg Mk 84 bombs. Both are available with different guidance systems.

SCALP EG

The Franco-British SCALP EG / Storm Shadow is an air-launched cruise missile measuring 5.1 metres in length, weighing 1,300 kg, and equipped with a 450 kg warhead designed to destroy hardened, fixed targets.

The missile was developed by Matra and British Aerospace beginning in the late 1990s. It has been in service with France and the United Kingdom since 2003 and is manufactured by the MBDA consortium.

The French SCALP-EG and British Storm Shadow variants are essentially identical in design, differing primarily in their software and the specifics of their integration with carrier aircraft.