FN Herstal – 125 Years of Excellence
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FN Herstal – 125 years of excellence The FN SCAR assault rifle – here in its FN SCAR-L short-barrel close quarters combat configuration – was initially developed to meet the most stringent requirements of demanding customers in the special forces world © TR Equipement On July 3, 1889, a company was Ferdinand, an act that precipitated the long new equipment was being sold to established in the town of Herstal in conflict. However, it was the BAR rifle of the the US military, initially in the form of the Belgium to manufacture 150,000 Mauser 1920s that first marked out FN as a leading FN MAG (M240) 7.62mm machine gun rifles for the Belgian government. From gun manufacturer on the world scale. In and followed up in the 1980s by the FN the seed planted that day grew the 1935 the influential 9mm Hi Power pistol MINIMI (M249) 5.56mm weapon. In the world’s leading developer of small arms – entered production, having been designed early 2000s the FN SCAR assault rifle was FN Herstal. Throughout the 20th century by Browning before he died in 1926, in developed to meet a US specification, the company flourished as it developed collaboration with the Belgian Dieudonné J. and has subsequently become a popular a series of world-leading weapons and Saive. The pistol is still widely used around weapon with many forces. ammunition, and in the 21st century has the world today. continued to add to its reputation for In the late 1970s FN Herstal also began innovation and reliability. In the post-World War II era FN continued to broaden its activities to include weapon to develop important weapons and mounting systems, and self-contained gun Having been established as a rifle ammunition. The FN FAL rifle of the 1950s pods for aerial use. This opened up a new factory as Fabrique Nationale d’Armes became one of the most widely used in the business line that has expanded to now de Guerre, FN added a cartridge factory world, while the first NATO-standard round include remote weapon stations. in 1898, and began gathering expertise – in 7.62mm calibre – was developed in the production of ammunition. Shortly by FN. In the 1970s the company also After 125 years of existence, and nearly after, the factory struck up a cooperation developed NATO’s standard 5.56mm a century as one of the world’s leading with the renowned US firearms designer SS109 round. firearms companies, FN Herstal today John M. Browning, and between the two has grown in both size and reputation to they developed a series of world-beating The year 1970 saw changes for the become one of the most trusted names in weapons. company as it altered its name to Fabrique defence equipment. Although the weapons Nationale Herstal and, more importantly, and technologies may have changed, Browning’s first pistols were produced it acquired the Browning Arms Company, since the early years, the company before World War I, and it is thought that enabling the company greater access remains committed to providing the best a 1910 model was the weapon that was to the US market and marking a major weapons in the world, supported by the used to assassinate Archduke Franz milestone in its global expansion. Before best service capabilities. Advertising Supplement 1 Herstal Group FN MINIMI 5.56 With a workforce of around 2,500 and Mk3 light machine owned by the Walloon Region, the Herstal gun. The weapon Group covers the operations of two can be fed from divisions. Products for the civilian hunting, a 200-round shooting and outdoor markets are handled box or, as here, under the Browning and Winchester an ammunition Firearms* brands, while the defence and pouch of either law enforcement markets are covered by 100- or 200-round FN Herstal products. While the products capacity. Standard M16 30-round are marketed under separate brands, magazines can there are significant synergies between also be used the two sides of the house to drive forward innovations that can benefit both. In previous times the Herstal Group had diversified outside its normal boundaries for additional business, including manufacturing in the motorcycle, auto and aero engine business. However, in recent times it has adopted a different strategy of home in the greater Liège area in Belgium, but the company also partners with broadening its activities within the firearms it has become a global company through many key organisations, including field. This more focused diversification the opening of facilities and offices in local industries with high technology has driven the development of integrated other parts of the world. In the US, FN skills, and with Belgian universities and weapon systems and, more recently, Herstal has both production and sales/ research centres. the integration of electronic systems to marketing subsidiaries, while Browning improve weapon efficiency and capability. International has a large sales and STATE-OF-THE-ART PRODUCTION distribution organisation. Browning also This focus has been supported through has a production facility in Portugal and Production is undertaken using state-of- targeted acquisitions. In 2011 the Finnish participates in the Miroku factory in Japan. the-art tools for barrel and component electro-optics specialist Noptel was added FN Herstal also has liaison offices in Dubai manufacturing to ensure efficient to the FN Herstal stable, bringing with it and Singapore. production and high quality. New expertise in laser range-finding equipment. techniques for surface and heat treatment The Herstal Group’s overall turnover was Through its long history the Herstal Group are explored to further enhance both the €639 million in 2013. has amassed an unrivalled knowledge of products themselves and the processes firearms, but it is committed to investing by which they are made. A new test centre GLOBAL COMPANY heavily to maintain that position. A healthy has been implemented to centralize all internal research and development testing operations, and provide customers While the Herstal Group is rooted in its budget drives innovations from within, with an ultra-modern and technological environment while attending tests. A A ramp-mounted new show room has been created for FN M3M heavy FN Herstal that mirrors the excellence of machine gun the company’s products. can provide suppressive fire, At the same time, the company takes including when its social responsibilities seriously. New arriving at or products and processes have been departing a hot developed that maximise recycling while landing zone. Development of reducing overall ecological footprint. The pintles and pods, Group’s employees benefit from stringent and later of remote health and safety regulations, and also weapon stations, from the Group’s desire to develop and is indicative of invest in its human capital. Recognising FN Herstal’s the long history of the company, the Ars move into Mechanica Foundation has recently been complementary established to preserve and protect the technologies to company’s heritage. support the core firearms business * Registered trademark of Olin Corporation 2 Advertising Supplement Small arms From handguns to heavy machine guns, extended rail for mounting FN Five-seveN FN Herstal has been a world-leader in sights, image intensifiers, Mk2 pistol. The small arms design and manufacture tactical lights and other weapon has a for many decades. The success of the accessories. high-capacity company’s early machine gun and pistol the HP 9x19mm magazine for 20 designs laid a solid foundation upon which and FN Five-seveN. AssAULT RIFLES rounds, and is it has developed a series of weapons to The HP is the current equipped with maintain its leading position in the small successor of the classic Browning FN Herstal has two offerings a Picatinny rail arms marketplace. Hi Power that entered production in in the assault rifle category, for mounting 1935, and is still a favoured weapon of the FN F2000 and the accessories Today FN Herstal offers a range of many security forces. The FN Five- FN SCAR. Chambered weapons that has been exported around seveN was developed in the 1990s as for the NATO 5.56x45mm the world to many users in the defence and part of a new personal defence weapon round, the FN F2000 is of security sectors. The spectrum of products system built around a company-designed bullpup design to retain full spans from small-calibre pistols to .50 cal 5.7x28mm cartridge. barrel length while keeping the weapon machine guns, covering all potential itself extremely short. Like many of FN requirements with families of weapons While the FN Five-seveN is the pistol Herstal’s products, the FN F2000 is that provide numerous options to match component of the 5.7mm family, designed for ambidextrous operation, operational needs. FN Herstal also created the FN P90 sub- and can accept a number of accessories machine gun to use the same ammunition. mounted on the top rail or handgrip rail. PISTOLS AND SUBMACHINE GUNS Extremely compact, the FN P90 is ideal for An important add-on is a 40mm grenade close-quarters work, and is available in a launcher that replaces the handgrip. The Two pistols are produced by FN Herstal, standard version, or a tactical version with launcher has been designed so that it can FN SCAR familY Designed to meet the demands of situation, and maintain the previously operation, simple field stripping, the most discerning special forces established weapon zeroing. The long adjustable cheek piece, and Picatinny customers, the FN SCAR assault rifle barrel is intended for general-purpose rails for accepting a wide variety of family was developed to provide variants use, while the short barrel can be fitted sighting systems and other accessories. with two calibres (the FN SCAR-L for close-quarters combat.