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FN Herstal, located in eastern Belgium, is a leading manufacturer of light weapons, including machine guns, assault rifles, and pistols.
The company, known locally as “la FN,” supplies nearly all NATO armies and has gained attention in the EU since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
In June 2024, FN Herstal secured a 20-year contract with the Belgian defence ministry to produce small-calibre ammunition — a crucial deal for the company which employs 3,000 people across Belgium, Finland, the UK, and the US.
“For 20 years, we will be producing all the Belgian defence’s small-calibre ammunition,” explained Henry de Harenne, FN Browning’s Group Communications Director.
“This type of partnership is fundamental because it gives us long-term visibility. In concrete terms, since we have a commitment from the Belgian defence authorities to source small-calibre ammunition from our company, we can invest in new production lines”, which require tens of millions of euros of investment,” he added.
A high-precision sector
Competing in the market with Italy’s Beretta and Germany’s Heckler & Koch, FN Herstal says it is banking on the reliability of its products to remain a relevant player in the defence market.
While machines play an important role in the manufacturing of components, the heart of the company lies in the manual assembly and checking of weapons. Each part is checked, cleaned, dismantled and reassembled by hand.
This “home-made” added value seems to be winning over the armed forces. FN’s turnover is estimated at between €900 million and €1 billion.
Around 90% of sales are in Europe, a major commercial change since 10 years ago – when the company mainly sold its machine guns to the Middle East.
FN Browning also wants to strengthen its continental foothold and establish itself in several EU member states.
“In November 2024, we announced the acquisition of a French group called Sofisport, which operates in France as well as in Spain and Italy, as a way of increasing our European dimension,” explains Henry de Harenne.
Once the process is complete, the Belgian arms manufacturer will have a presence in six European countries.
FN Browning is taking advantage of the political momentum generated by the European “ReArm Europe” plan. This €800 billion project, made up of loans and budget derogations, should enable the 27 countries to start rearming.
Although a domestic company is a major player in its segment, Belgium is still a long way from major arms exporters such as the US, France and Russia.
Between 2015 and 2019, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) ranked it 34th in the world.
