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| Company type | S.A. |
|---|---|
| Industry | Arms industry |
| Founded | 3 July 1889; 136 years ago (1889-07-03) |
| Founder | Henri Pieper |
| Headquarters | , Belgium |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | |
| Products | Firearms,ammunition |
Number of employees | 3,000 |
| Parent | FN Browning Group |
| Website | fnherstal |
Fabrique Nationale Herstal (French for 'National Factory Herstal'),trading asFN Herstal and often referred to asFabrique Nationale, or simplyFN, is afirearms manufacturer based inHerstal, Belgium, and former vehicle manufacturer. It was the largest exporter of military small arms in Europe as of 2012[update].[1]
FN Herstal is owned byFN Browning Group (formerly known asHerstal Group),[2] which is in turn owned by the regionalgovernment of Wallonia.[3] The Herstal Group also owns theBrowning Arms Company and theU.S. Repeating Arms Company (Winchester).[3]
FN America is the U.S. subsidiary of FN Herstal, which was formed by the merger of FN's previous two American subsidiaries – FN Manufacturing and FNH USA.[4] A United Kingdom-based manufacturing facility, FN UK, is also in operation.
Firearms designed and/or manufactured by FN include theS.A.W. M249,Browning Hi-Power andFive-seven pistols, theFAL,FNC,F2000 andSCAR rifles, theP90 submachine gun, theM2 Browning,MAG,Minimi and theFN Evolys machine guns;[3] all have been commercially successful.[5] FN Herstal's firearms are used by thearmed forces of over 100 countries.[6]
FN Herstal originated in the small city ofHerstal, nearLiège. TheFabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre (French for 'National Factory of Weapons of War') was established in 1889 to manufacture 150,000Mauser Model 89 rifles ordered by theBelgian government.[3] FN was co-founded by the major arms makers of the Liège region, with Henri Pieper ofAnciens Etablissements Pieper being the driving force and the primary shareholder of the new company. In 1897, the company entered into a long-lasting relationship withJohn Browning, a well-known American firearms designer.[3]
The company was an important manufacturer of motor vehicles in Belgium, a development championed byAlexandre Galopin as managing director.FN cars were produced in Herstal from the early 1900s until 1935. Production ofFN motorcycles continued until 1965, and production of trucks until 1970.[7] In 1973, FN changed its name to reflect a diversified product line far beyond just militarySmall Arms andFirearms manufacturing, adopting the current name ofFabrique Nationale d'Herstal.[8]
One of Fabrique Nationale's handguns, aModel 1910semi-automatic pistol in 9×17mm (.380 ACP) (serial number 19074), was one of four weapons that were taken from the assassins ofArchduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, although it is unknown which of the four weapons fired the fatal round.
Browning began the development of the GP35 "High Power" pistol, the GP standing forGrande Puissance (French forhigh power), which is well known as theBrowning Hi-Power. The weapon was finalized by FN'sDieudonné Saive and did not appear until 1935, nearly a decade after Browning's death; it remained in production until 2017.
FN Herstal also had an aerospace engines division and became the only aircraft engine manufacturer inBenelux. Established 1949 inLiers, it manufactured parts, and made and assembled complete engines under licence from British, French and US companies. When four European countries, including Belgium, adopted the F-16 fighter in 1977, FN Herstal built an entirely new plant that made parts, assembled and tested the engines for these aircraft. TheFN Division Moteurs also supplied parts for the Ariane space programme. However, by 1987, FN Herstal had divested itself of these activities, which today are part of theSafran Group.
In 2023 the company posted a profit of 75 million euros on its second-highest ever revenue, of 908 million euros.[9]
On 17 February 2024 FN Herstal launched aventure capital group namedFNX with 20 million euro capital.[10][11]
FN Browning Group commemorated its 135th anniversary with an exhibition inLiège'sLa Boverie museum from 25 April to 26 July 2025.[9]
The FN Manufacturing LLC plant inColumbia, South Carolina, is part of the military division of FN. It is primarily responsible for the production of U.S. military weapons, such asM16 rifles,SCARs,M249 light machine guns,M240 machine guns, andM2 machine guns.[3]
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