Infantry Weapons

FN M3P .50-caliber machine gun

The FN M3P is FN Herstal's .50-caliber (12.7x99 mm) single-barrel high-rate-of-fire machine gun for remote firing from aircraft, ground vehicles, naval craft, and weapon pods. Army reporting documents the gun on the AN/TWQ-1 Avenger, where it serves as the system's mounted close-range gun during qualification and live-fire training.

FN M3P .50-caliber machine gun, Remote-fired .50-caliber machine gun, Infantry Weapons

Image source: FN® M3P

Profile

Origin: Belgium
Built by: FN Herstal
Type: Remote-fired .50-caliber machine gun
Service note: Late 20th century design; still in service

machine gun aircraft NATO

Specifications

Caliber: .50 cal / 12.7x99 mm NATO
Rate of fire: About 1,100 rounds per minute in FN pod configurations
Weight: 80.5 lb
Barrel length: 36 in
Maximum range: 6,500 m
Mounting: Aircraft pods, fixed-forward mounts, ground vehicles, naval craft, and remote weapon stations

Service And Conflict Use

Service History

In service: Remote-fire service on aircraft, ground vehicles, naval craft, and air-defense mounts
Used by: AN/TWQ-1 Avenger, OH-58D Kiowa Warrior

Mounted Weapons

Army and DVIDS reporting show the FN M3P mounted on the AN/TWQ-1 Avenger for qualification and live-fire checks.

Firing weapon

Weapon type

Firing evidence

AN/TWQ-1 Avenger

Self-propelled short-range air defense system

Army reporting describes the Avenger's mounted M3P as a secondary gun, and DVIDS shows Avenger crews firing the weapon during live-fire testing and rate-of-fire checks.

Sources: Avenger and Sentinel Advanced Gunnery validates SHORAD capabilities on the Korean Peninsula, U.S. Army Avenger Air Defense System Fires M3P .50-Caliber Machine Gun at Al-Tanf Garrison, Syria

FN M3P .50-caliber machine gun Images

FN M3P .50-caliber machine gun, Remote-fired .50-caliber machine gun, Infantry Weapons - view 1 — Source: FN® M3P

FN M3P .50-caliber machine gun, Remote-fired .50-caliber machine gun, Infantry Weapons - view 2 — Source: FN® M3P

FN M3P .50-caliber machine gun, Remote-fired .50-caliber machine gun, Infantry Weapons - view 3 — Source: FN® M3P

FN M3P .50-caliber machine gun, Remote-fired .50-caliber machine gun, Infantry Weapons - view 4 — Source: FN® M3P

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Sources

FN® M3PPublisher: FN America | Note: Supports manufacturer background, core specifications, and primary image provenance for the FN M3P. | Accessed: 2026-06-23 FN® HMP250 PodPublisher: FN America | Note: Supports official pod-integration context and the HMP250 product image showing the FN M3P in a pod configuration. | Accessed: 2026-06-23 FN® HMP400 PodPublisher: FN America | Note: Supports official pod-integration context and the HMP400 product image showing the FN M3P in a pod configuration. | Accessed: 2026-06-23 MACHINE GUN PODSPublisher: FN Herstal | Note: Supports airborne pod integration, fixed-forward helicopter mounting, and pod-rate-of-fire context for the FN M3P. | Accessed: 2026-06-23 Avenger and Sentinel Advanced Gunnery validates SHORAD capabilities on the Korean PeninsulaPublisher: The United States Army | Note: Supports Avenger-mounted M3P gunnery and qualification training on the Korean Peninsula. | Accessed: 2026-06-23 U.S. Army Avenger Air Defense System Fires M3P .50-Caliber Machine Gun at Al-Tanf Garrison, SyriaPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports Avenger-mounted M3P firing and rate-of-fire testing at Al-Tanf Garrison, Syria. | Accessed: 2026-06-23