FN America, LLC, is a U.S. subsidiary of FN Herstal, S.A had a great showing at the Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) annual conference last month where they exhibited complete line of airborne weapon systems including various pintle mounts, FN PODs and the FN M3M or GAU-21. FN Herstal integrates its well-known .50 cal FN® M3P machine gun into a range of fixed forward-firing pods. Fitted with standard lugs, the pods can be carried by helicopters and subsonic aircraft equipped with 14’’ NATO standard suspension masts. The FN® M3M (GAU-21) is a .50 caliber (12.7x99mm) single barrel rapid-fire machine gun suitable for rotary-wing aircraft applications providing defensive firepower ranging out to nearly 2000 meters. The FN M3M™ was designated by the U.S. Navy as the GAU-21 in 2004.
The U.S. D.O.D. has authorized the use of the GAU-21 for all branches of service, and it is currently in operation on multiple rotary-wing platforms of the US Navy, US Marine Corps, and the US Air Force. An evolution of the M3 .50-caliber heavy machine gun, it produces a blistering 1,100 rounds per minute cyclic rate of fire through the use of open-bolt operation and a dual recoil buffer system. Operating independent of either electrical or hydraulic power sources, the FN M3M™/GAU-21’s unique soft mount system enhances weapon accuracy and minimizes the firing vibration transmitted to the airframe. FN Herstal has been awarded a sole-source U.S. Navy contract to produce the FN® M3M .50-caliber machine guns under the Gun, Aircraft, Unit-21 (GAU-21) designation for Navy and Marine Corps rotary-wing assault aircraft.
Depending on configuration,self-contained airborne pod systems come with 250 rounds (FN® D-HMP250) or 400 rounds (FN® D-HMP400) ammunition boxes, with links collector or links and cases collector, with or without 70mm (2.75’’) rocket launcher tubes (FN® D-RMP), reconfigurable thanks to existing conversion kits. Each pod version is available in analog or digital configuration. They can be operated from FN or non-FN Armament Management Systems (AMS). FN® pods are part of the FN® Airborne Digital Suite, together with the FN® D-PC (digital Pod Controller), FN® D-INT (digital intervalometer) and FN® D-HUD (digital Head-UP Display sighting system). The FN® M3P is a .50-caliber (12.7x99mm) single-barrel high rate-of-fire machine gun optimized for remote firing from aircraft, ground vehicles and naval craft and provides both offensive and defensive firepower ranging out to nearly 1,850 meters.
FN America, LLC, is a U.S. subsidiary of FN Herstal, S.A., a global leader in the development and manufacturing of high quality, reliable firearms for military, law enforcement and commercial customers worldwide. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia with manufacturing operations in Columbia, South Carolina, FN America is passionately committed to providing its customers with a portfolio of products, training and support services under the FN brand name that enhance their performance and safeguard their lives. Fabrique Nationale Herstal, trading as FN Herstal and often referred to as Fabrique Nationale, Factory National, or simply FN, is a leading firearms manufacturer based in Herstal, Belgium, and former vehicle manufacturer. It was the largest exporter of military small arms in Europe as of 2012.
