The FN Minimi is a Belgian light machine gun and squad automatic weapon designed by Ernest Vervier and produced by FN Herstal, entering production in the late 1970s and adopted by the United States military in 1982 under the designation M249. Gas-operated and capable of firing from a disintegrating belt or, in some roles, from a standard rifle magazine, the Minimi was designed to give an infantry squad sustained automatic fire support at a weight a single soldier could carry, most commonly chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO with a heavier 7.62x51mm NATO variant also produced. It has since been adopted by more than seventy countries and manufactured or license-built in several of them, seeing extensive combat use with NATO and allied forces in Afghanistan, Iraq and numerous other conflicts, and it remains one of the most widely fielded squad automatic weapons in the world.
Facts
Classification
Service Status Weapon Class Introduced Year Introduced Year Weapon Class
Weapon Class (category) FAQs
Is the M249 the same weapon as the FN Minimi?
Yes. The M249 was originally developed by FN Herstal as the FN Minimi.
Essentially yes. The M249 squad automatic weapon used by the United States military was originally developed by FN Herstal as the FN Minimi, so the two names refer to the same light machine gun design under its Belgian and American designations.
Connections
Operated By
Source Wikipedia: FN Minimi
Source Wikipedia: FN Minimi
Used In
Source Wikipedia: FN Minimi
Source Wikipedia: FN Minimi
Source Wikipedia: FN Minimi
Source Wikipedia: FN Minimi
In the Other Atlases
Manufactured By
Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.
Source Wikidata: FN Minimi
Sources
1. Wikipedia: FN Minimi
WikipediaArticle text
The 7.62 Minimi TR was selected in Feb 2012 to replace the C9 LSW Minimi and will be known as the 7.62 LSW Minimi in NZDF service. Norway: Para version in use with HJK/FSK, and MJK since the late 1980s, since 2011 in use with armed forces of Norway (1,900 machine guns were purchased in 2011).
Infobox: cartridge
5.56×45mm NATO / 7.62×51mm NATO
- Used In: Burundian Civil War, infobox wars field: 'Burundian Civil War'
- Used In: Kosovo War, infobox wars field: 'Kosovo War'
- Used In: Syrian Civil War, infobox wars field: 'Syrian Civil War'
- Used In: Russo-Ukrainian War, infobox wars field: 'Russo-Ukrainian War'
Operated By: Royal Navy, Wikipedia article text
It was also used by the Royal Navy, Royal Marines Commandos and the RAF Regiment.
Operated By: United States Navy, Wikipedia article text
An improved variant known as the Mk 46 Mod 1 with an improved forward rail and lightweight titanium bipod has been adopted by the United States Navy.
In Group: Light Machine Guns, Lead sentence
The FN Minimi (short for French: mini-mitrailleuse; "mini machine gun") is a Belgian 5.56mm or 7.62mm light machine gun, also classified as a squad automatic weapon developed by Ernest Vervier for FN Herstal.
View the Source 2. FN MINIMI 5.56 MK3, FN Herstal
3. Wikidata: FN Minimi
Wikidata Q844707, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source 4. FN M249S, FN America
product description paragraphQuote, product description paragraph
was originally developed by FN Herstal as the FN MINIMI® and adopted by the U.S. military in 1988.
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