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 and appears in Textron Aviation Defense's AT-6 Wolverine stores list.

12.7 mm gun pod, 0.50-caliber gun pod, Support Equipment

Image source: Machine-gun pods | FN Herstal

Profile / Specs

Profile

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

aircraft armamentgun pod

Specifications

Caliber: .50 cal / 12.7x99 mm NATO
Ammunition capacity: 250 or 400 rounds, depending on variant
Rate of fire: 1,100 rounds per minute
Mounting: Fixed-forward pod for helicopters and subsonic aircraft
Configuration: Analog or digital; D RMP adds 70 mm rocket launchers

Carrier Aircraft

Published aircraft materials show the HMP-400 .50 caliber gun pod carried on light-attack and training aircraft such as the AT-6 Wolverine and L-39 Skyfox.

Carrier

Carrier type

Carriage evidence

AT-6 Wolverine, Light attack and armed reconnaissance turboprop aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs

Light 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 & UAVs

Jet 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

Service And Conflict Use

Service History

In service: Used on helicopters and subsonic aircraft as a fixed-forward airborne gun pod in analog, digital, and rocket-augmented configurations.

Media

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

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Sources

Machine-gun pods | FN HerstalPublisher: FN Herstal | Note: Supports the airborne gun-pod family background, manufacturer, specifications, and product image provenance. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 AT-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: 2026-06-27 L-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: 2026-06-27 AW109 TrekkerM brochure | LeonardoPublisher: Leonardo Helicopters | Note: Supports the AW109 TrekkerM brochure's 12.7 mm gun-pod carriage context and pod options. | Accessed: 2026-06-27