FN Herstal
Jean-Sébastien Belle, President of FN Herstal, former Cabinet Chief of the Economic Ministry in Belgium
FN Herstal (“Fabrique National Herstal”) is a Belgian arms company that specialises in producing rifles and handguns. The company was founded in 1889 and is owned - via a holding company called Herstal Group – by the regional government of Wallonia. Herstal Group owns a number of other affiliated companies and manufacturing facilities around the world, including:
- Winchester, aka US Repeating Arms Company (USA)
- Browning Arms Company (USA)
- FN America (USA) – a merger of FN Manufacturing and FNH USA
- FNH UK (UK)
- NOPTEL (Finland) – acquired in 2011
Herstal Group revenue from arms sales is in the order of $800 million to $1 billion US dollars anaully.
The Interactive Guide on Small Arms and Light Weapons details a number of weapons used by the Indonesian military and police, and a number of the company's weapons are manufactured by Indonesian companies under license.
FN Herstal HQ
Voie de Liège 33
B-4040 Herstal, Belgium
Weapons
FN FAL
The FN FAL is one of the most widely used assault rifles in the world. The weapon is listed as present in Indonesia on the SALW guide.
FN MAG
The FN MAG - Mitrailleuse d’Appui Général, or “general purpose machine gun” - was first designed in the 1950s and has been used by dozens of armies around the world and is the standard general purpose machine gun of the Indonesian armed forces. In 2003 the Indonesian arms manufacturer Pindad PT began producing the FN MAG under license as the SPM2 GPMG.
The FN MAG has been identified as one of the weapons used in helicopter strafing attacks on villages in West Papua.
FN MAG attached to an Airbus helicopter
FN High Power
The FN High Power is a semi-automatic handgun designed by American arms manufacturer Browning, and finished by FN Herstal. It is one of the most commonly used military pistols in the world and is the standard issue sidearm for the Indonesian armed forces, including special forces group Kopassus and Kopaska. It is also produced under license by Indonesian arms manufacturer Pindad PT as the P1.
FN MINIMI
The FN MINIMI is a light machine gun used by over 35 countries ,and is the standard issue light machine gun used by the Indonesian armed forces. It is produced under license by Pindad PT as the Pindad SM-2.
Kopassus with FN Minimi on patrol in West Papua
FN P90
The P90 is often described as a “personal defence weapon” designed as a compact firearm for vehicle crews, operators of crew-served weapons, support personnel, special forces, and counter-terrorist groups. It is used by Kopassus and Kopaska.
FN FNC
The FN FNC is a rifle, designed in the 1970s as a cheaper alternative to the M16 rifle. Indonesia purchased 10,000 FNC’s in 1982. Indonesia purchased the license in 1984 and began production in 1991. It is now produced under license by Pindad PT as the Pindad SS1 and SS2, and used as the standard assault rifle by the Indonesian armed forces and police.