Profile
- Type
- 5.56x45mm NATO light machine gun
- Conflict side
- Yemeni government and coalition forces
- Origin
- Belgium
- Service note
- Late 1970s-present
Infantry Weapons
FN Minimi light machine gun
The FN Minimi is a Belgian belt-fed light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale for squad automatic fire, with 5.56 mm NATO models widely fielded as national variants such as the U.S. M249, Canadian C9, and Australian F89. In the Yemen Civil War, Amnesty International reported Belgian Minimis deployed by The Giants Brigades, tying the weapon to UAE-backed coalition-aligned ground forces around the Hodeidah offensive.
- Conflict side
- Yemeni government and coalition forces
- Built by
- FN Herstal
- Built in
- Belgium
Service History
- In service
- Late 1970s-present
- Used by
- The Giants Brigades, UAE-backed Yemeni forces
- Wars
- Yemen Civil War
Production History
- Designer
- Ernest Vervier / Fabrique Nationale
- Designed
- Early 1970s
- Built by
- FN Herstal
- Built in
- Belgium
- Produced
- 1977-present
- Variants
- FN Minimi Standard, FN Minimi Para, FN Minimi Mk 3, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, C9, F89
Specifications
- Caliber
- 5.56x45mm NATO
- Operation
- Gas-operated, rotating-bolt automatic weapon; open-bolt operation is typical of the Minimi family
- Feed
- Belt-fed with box or pouch, with magazine feed compatibility on many 5.56 mm models
- Barrel length
- 465 mm on standard 5.56 mm models; 349 mm short barrel listed for FN Minimi 5.56 Mk3 short-barrel configurations
- Weight
- About 7.1 kg empty for a standard 5.56 mm Minimi Mk 2 pattern; about 8 kg for the FN Minimi 5.56 Mk3 short-barrel technical-data example
- Rate of fire
- About 700-850 rounds per minute on standard setting; FN Minimi 5.56 Mk3 data sheet lists about 800 rounds per minute
- Effective range
- WeaponSystems.net cites about 500 m for point targets and 800 m for area targets
Conflict Usage
- Yemen Civil War
- Side: Yemeni government and coalition forcesRole: Squad automatic fire support with UAE-backed Giants Brigades
Amnesty International documented Belgian Minimi light machine guns being deployed by The Giants Brigades, a UAE-backed militia involved in the Hodeidah fighting during the Yemen Civil War.
FN Minimi light machine gun Images
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FN MINIMI 5.56 MK3Publisher: FN Herstal | Note: Supports manufacturer background, adoption context, Mk3 variants, barrel options, and official FN Herstal product positioning. | Accessed: 2026-06-20FN MINIMI 5.56 MK3 Technical DataPublisher: FN Herstal | Note: Supports specifications for the FN Minimi 5.56 Mk3, including operating principle, length, barrel length, feed options, weight, and cyclic rate. | Accessed: 2026-06-20FN MinimiPublisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports Minimi background, Belgian origin, development and production context, major designations, feed system, operating system, and standard-model specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20When Arms Go AstrayPublisher: Amnesty International | Note: Directly supports Yemen Civil War use: Belgian Minimi light machine guns were used by, and fielded by, the Emirati-backed militia known as The Giants during the Yemen Civil War. | Accessed: 2026-06-20UAE arming militias in Yemen with weapons from Western countriesPublisher: Amnesty International UK | Note: Directly supports Yemen Civil War use: Belgian Minimi light machine guns were used by, and deployed by, The Giants Brigades in the Yemen Civil War after likely sale to the UAE. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:FN MINIMI Standard.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the primary FN Minimi Standard image, listed on Commons as CC BY 2.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:FN Minimi Para 5.56 mm Light Machine Gun Right Side.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the FN Minimi Para image, listed on Commons as CC BY 2.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:Minimi-img 1012.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a French Army FN Minimi image, listed on Commons under free CeCILL and CC BY-SA 2.0 FR licensing choices. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:Italian Army - Combined Resolve XV - 2021 - FN MINIMIPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for an Italian Army FN Minimi image, listed on Commons as public domain U.S. federal government work. | Accessed: 2026-06-20