Belgian arms maker FN Browning aims to further boost European presence

Published on 26/05/2025 - 17:42 GMT+2

FN Herstal, located successful eastbound Belgium, is simply a starring shaper of ray weapons, including instrumentality guns, battle rifles, and pistols.

The company, known locally arsenic "la FN," supplies astir each NATO armies and has gained attraction successful nan EU since Russia's full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful early 2022.

In June 2024, FN Herstal secured a 20-year statement pinch nan Belgian defence ministry to nutrient small-calibre ammunition -- a important woody for nan institution which employs 3,000 group crossed Belgium, Finland, nan UK, and nan US.

"For 20 years, we will beryllium producing each nan Belgian defence's small-calibre ammunition," explained Henry de Harenne, FN Browning's Group Communications Director.

"This type of business is basal because it gives america semipermanent visibility. In actual terms, since we person a committedness from nan Belgian defence authorities to root small-calibre ammunition from our company, we tin put successful caller accumulation lines", which require tens of millions of euros of investment," he added.

A high-precision sector

Competing successful nan marketplace pinch Italy's Beretta and Germany's Heckler & Koch, FN Herstal says it is banking connected nan reliability of its products to stay a applicable subordinate successful nan defence market.

While machines play an important domiciled successful nan manufacturing of components, nan bosom of nan institution lies successful nan manual assembly and checking of weapons. Each portion is checked, cleaned, dismantled and reassembled by hand.

This "home-made" added worth seems to beryllium winning complete nan equipped forces. FN's turnover is estimated astatine betwixt €900 cardinal and €1 billion.

Around 90% of income are successful Europe, a awesome commercialized alteration since 10 years agone - erstwhile nan institution chiefly sold its instrumentality guns to nan Middle East.

FN Browning besides wants to fortify its continental foothold and found itself successful respective EU personnel states.

"In November 2024, we announced nan acquisition of a French group called Sofisport, which operates successful France arsenic good arsenic successful Spain and Italy, arsenic a measurement of expanding our European dimension," explains Henry de Harenne.

Once nan process is complete, nan Belgian arms shaper will person a beingness successful six European countries.

FN Browning is taking advantage of nan governmental momentum generated by nan European "ReArm Europe" plan. This €800 cardinal project, made up of loans and fund derogations, should alteration nan 27 countries to commencement rearming.

Although a home institution is simply a awesome subordinate successful its segment, Belgium is still a agelong measurement from awesome arms exporters specified arsenic nan US, France and Russia.

Between 2015 and 2019, nan Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) classed it 34th successful nan world.