Support Equipment

12.7 mm gun pod

Also known as
  • 12.7 mm machine-gun pod
  • FN D HMP250
  • FN D HMP400
  • FN D RMP
  • HMP-400
  • FN HMP250
  • FN HMP400
  • RMP

FN Herstal's 12.7 mm HMP family is a fixed-forward airborne gun pod built around the company's .50 cal M3P machine gun for helicopters and subsonic aircraft. The HMP400 variant carries 400 rounds, appears in AT-6 Wolverine stores material, and was documented on Afghan Air Force MD-530 Jengi helicopters deploying to Helmand operations in 2015.

12.7 mm gun pod, 0.50-caliber gun pod, Support Equipment
Image source: Machine-gun pods | FN Herstal

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Belgium
Built by
FN Herstal
Type
0.50-caliber gun pod
Service note
Modern

Specifications

Gun
FN M3P .50-caliber machine gun
Caliber
.50 cal / 12.7x99 mm NATO
Ammunition capacity
250 or 400 rounds, depending on variant
Rate of fire
1,100 rounds per minute per pod
Mounting
Fixed-forward pod for helicopters and subsonic aircraft with 14-inch NATO standard suspension masts
Control integration
Analog or digital; operable from FN or non-FN armament management systems
Configuration
HMP250 and HMP400 gun pods; D RMP adds 70 mm rocket launchers
Carrier Aircraft

Published aircraft materials show the HMP-400 and related 12.7 mm gun-pod class carried on light-attack, training, and light helicopter platforms.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
AT-6 Wolverine, Light attack and armed reconnaissance turboprop aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAT-6 WolverineLight attack and armed reconnaissance aircraft

Textron Aviation Defense lists the HMP-400 .50 caliber gun pod among the AT-6 Wolverine's supported loads.

Sources: AT-6 Wolverine and Beechcraft T-6 Texan II | Textron Aviation Defense

Aero L-39NG, Two-seat subsonic jet trainer and light-attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAero L-39NGJet trainer and light-attack aircraft

The Skyfox brochure includes 12.7 mm gun pods among western payloads and depicts a close-air-support configuration carrying one pod.

Sources: L-39 SKYFOX brochure | Aero

AW-109, Light twin-engine attack and utility helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsAW-109Light utility and armed helicopter

Leonardo's AW109 TrekkerM brochure lists 12.7 mm gun-pod options in the helicopter's external stores context.

Sources: AW109 TrekkerM brochure | Leonardo

Pod Family And Integration

FN Herstal presents the HMP and RMP pods as self-contained fixed-forward weapons for aircraft that use 14-inch NATO standard suspension masts. The same source describes analog and digital configurations, FN or non-FN armament-management-system control, and conversion kits for links collection and rocket-tube options.

ConfigurationLoadoutIntegration note
HMP250FN M3P .50 cal gun with 250 roundsCompact machine-gun pod for helicopters and subsonic aircraft.
HMP400FN M3P .50 cal gun with 400 roundsDocumented on Afghan MD-530 Jengi helicopters and listed by Textron for the AT-6 Wolverine.
RMP.50 cal gun plus 70 mm rocket tubesRocket-augmented member of the same pod family.

Source labels used here: Machine-gun pods | FN Herstal; MD-530 Jengi helicopters depart Kabul for Helmand operations | DVIDS; AT-6 Wolverine and Beechcraft T-6 Texan II | Textron Aviation Defense.

Timeline

12.7 mm gun pod Key Events

  1. Afghan MD-530F firing demonstration

    DVIDS imagery documented an Afghan Air Force MD-530F firing its two FN M3P .50-caliber machine guns near Kabul.

    Sources: Afghan Air Force MD-530F firing image | DVIDS

  2. HMP 400 pods deploy to Helmand operations

    Afghan Air Force MD-530 Jengi helicopters departed Kabul for Helmand operations with two HMP 400 .50-caliber pods on each aircraft.

    Sources: MD-530 Jengi helicopters depart Kabul for Helmand operations | DVIDS

Media

12.7 mm gun pod Videos

12.7 mm gun pod Images

12.7 mm gun pod, 0.50-caliber gun pod, Support Equipment - view 1
Source: Machine-gun pods | FN Herstal
12.7 mm gun pod, 0.50-caliber gun pod, Support Equipment - view 2
Source: Machine-gun pods | FN Herstal
12.7 mm gun pod, 0.50-caliber gun pod, Support Equipment - view 3
Source: Machine-gun pods | FN Herstal
12.7 mm gun pod, 0.50-caliber gun pod, Support Equipment - view 4
Source: Machine-gun pods | FN Herstal
Related Weapon Systems
FN MAG general-purpose machine gun, 7.62x51mm NATO general-purpose machine gun, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsFN MAG general-purpose machine gun7.62x51mm NATO general-purpose machine gunThe FN MAG is FN Herstal's Belgian 7.62x51mm NATO belt-fed general-purpose machine gun family, fielded from infantry bipods, tripods, vehicles, aircraft, ships, and boats. The catalog record connects the MAG and its M240/L7A2/MAG 58 designations to directly sourced conflict evidence: surrendered Boko Haram-held stocks in Nigeria, coalition base-defense training during Operation Inherent Resolve, and Afghan special-operations weapons training during the War in Afghanistan.
AN/TWQ-1 Avenger, Self-propelled short-range air defense system, Air DefenseAir DefenseAN/TWQ-1 AvengerSelf-propelled short-range air defense systemThe AN/TWQ-1 Avenger, often captioned in Army imagery as the M1097 Avenger, is a Boeing-developed short-range air-defense system built around a HMMWV-mounted turret with two Stinger missile pods and an M3P .50-caliber machine gun. Boeing records first firing in April 1984 and first delivery on 1988-11-01, with more than 1,100 systems delivered by 2002. The system appears in the catalog through Gulf War service, Iraq War up-gun conversions, Ukrainian mobile air-defense use against Shahed drones, and U.S. coalition force-protection activity at Al-Tanf in Syria.
76mm HEP-T M329, 76 mm fixed HESH-T / HEP-T tank-gun round, MunitionsMunitions76mm HEP-T M32976 mm fixed HESH-T / HEP-T tank-gun roundThe 76mm HEP-T M329 is a MECAR high-explosive squash head service round for the British L5A1 and L23/L23A1 76 mm gun family used on Saladin and Scorpion vehicles. Nexter's 2016 ammunition catalog lists it as an in-service fixed HESH-T round for personnel, bunkers, light armour, structures, and other material targets, with a Composition A3-filled projectile, base-detonating graze fuze, M23 tracer, and 533 m/s nominal muzzle velocity.

Sources

Machine-gun pods | FN HerstalPublisher: FN Herstal | Note: Supports the airborne gun-pod family background, manufacturer, specifications, and product image provenance. | Accessed: 2026-06-29AT-6 Wolverine and Beechcraft T-6 Texan II | Textron Aviation DefensePublisher: Textron Aviation Defense | Note: Supports the AT-6 Wolverine stores list naming the HMP-400 .50 caliber gun pod as a supported load. | Accessed: 2026-06-29L-39 SKYFOX brochure | AeroPublisher: Aero Vodochody | Note: Supports the L-39 Skyfox payload list showing 12.7 mm gun pods among western stores and a close-air-support configuration carrying one pod. | Accessed: 2026-06-29AW109 TrekkerM brochure | LeonardoPublisher: Leonardo Helicopters | Note: Supports the AW109 TrekkerM brochure's 12.7 mm gun-pod carriage context and pod options. | Accessed: 2026-06-29MD-530 Jengi helicopters depart Kabul for Helmand operations | DVIDSPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Direct 2001 War in Afghanistan conflict-use source: documents Afghan Air Force MD-530 Jengi helicopters deploying to Helmand operations with two HMP 400 .50-caliber machine-gun pods per aircraft. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Afghan Air Force MD-530F firing image | DVIDSPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports gallery image provenance and background context for an Afghan Air Force MD-530F firing its two FN M3P .50-caliber machine guns near Kabul. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Afghan Air Force MD-530s launch from Kabul image | DVIDSPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports gallery image provenance for Afghan Air Force MD-530s launching from Kabul for a combat mission on 2015-09-27. | Accessed: 2026-06-29