FN America, LLC

Did you know that FN Herstal was centred on small arms and ammunition in 1889, and today, 135 years later, has returned exclusively to its core business of small arms, ammunition and closely associated products, but that during the intervening years it ventured into many other fields? From before WW1 until after WW2, FN Herstal ventured into designing and manufacturing bicycles, motorcycles, cars, and lorries (trucks). By 1970, production of the last vehicles (scooters and trucks) had stopped. After WW2, FN Herstal also had an aero engines division, manufacturing parts, and making and assembling complete engines under licence from British, French and US companies. When four European countries, including Belgium, adopted the F16 fighter in 1977, FN Herstal built an entirely new plant that made parts, assembled and tested the engines for these aircraft. The Engines Division also supplied parts for the Ariane space programme. However, by 1987, FN Herstal had divested itself of these activities, which today live on as part of the Safran Group. There were also smaller and more surprising long forgotten fields of diversification, such as typewriters and milking machines (yes, really). But over the past three decades FN Herstal has resolutely moved back to what it does best, small arms and ammunition, together with specialized associated products such as accessories that operate closely with the weapon. The integrated weapon systems are also intimately linked to the weapons they carry as they affect the reliability of the gun and the safety of the carrier. Interested in seeing an exhibition that will display many rarely seen artifacts that illustrate the rich history of our first 135 years? Mark your calendar and visit the exhibition to be held in Belgium from 25 April to 26 July 2025, organised by the FONDATION ARS MECHANICA, guardian of our heritage. #didyouknow #Defence #Security