Safran will invest 120 million euros in its Montluçon site alone. Employment at the facility is also expected to increase by 150 people.
The production increase is linked in part to expanded capacity for key bomb components. These include gyroscopes used in inertial navigation systems.
The investment forms part of a broader 1.4 billion euro investment plan approved by Safran in 2025. The programme is intended to support the company’s ability to expand production capacity.
In 2022, the French company produced only about 200 AASM bombs annually. Two years later, amid needs caused by the war in Ukraine, production reached about 830 bombs.
In 2025, Safran produced about 1,080 AASM bombs. Plans for 2026 call for production of 1,400 bombs.
The announced investments are intended to enable further growth in output. In the coming years, production is expected to reach 2,000 AASM bombs per year.
At the same time, Safran is working on new variants of the bomb family. The AASM LIR will have a new guidance system combining satellite and inertial navigation with laser and infrared guidance.
Work is also under way on the AASM XLR. Its range is expected to increase from the current 70 kilometres to about 140 kilometres.
Source: La Tribune.
