French defense procurement agency DGA awarded Sagem (Safran group) a major contract in late December 2009 for AASM (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire) modular air-to-ground weapons to be deployed by the French air force.

The contract covers:

* A long-term order for 3,400 AASMs, including an initial firm order for 680 units.
* Development and integration of a latest-generation GPS module.
* Qualification and production engineering for the inertial/GPS/laser terminal guidance version.

Developed and produced by Sagem, the AASM weapon comprises a guidance kit and range augmentation kit integrated on a standard 250 kg bomb. The AASM family also includes 125, 500 and 1,000 kg bombs.

Fired from standoff distance day or night and in all weather conditions, the AASM offers a range exceeding 50 kilometers. The AASM can be released at low altitude, and can also be fired off-axis, in relation to the aircraft’s flight path. It offers very high precision and strikes its target vertically, a feature suited to asymmetrical conflicts. This makes it the perfect weapon for combat in difficult terrain or urban environments, for both planned missions and opportunity fire.

The new inertial/GPS/laser-guided version expands the AASM family, which already includes two versions qualified on the Rafale multirole combat aircraft, with inertial/GPS or inertial/GPS/infrared guidance. In particular, the new version enables precision strikes against moving targets.

This latest order follows the initial contract won by Sagem for 750 AASMs to be delivered to the French air force. The AASM has been deployed on Rafale fighters in Afghanistan for the last two years.

The AASM is also marketed by MDBA as part of its broad offering of weapon system meeting the requirements of armed forces in international markets.