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Belgium FN Herstal
SCAR-L
The 5.56x45mm 'light' variant of FN's Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle, developed for U.S. Special Operations Command. It shares a modular, gas-piston-driven architecture with the heavier SCAR-H, differing mainly in caliber and receiver size.
In service since 2009 · 15 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
500
m range
625
rpm
880
m/s
30
rds
💲 ≈ $3,000 (public figure)
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
National export licensing
Subject to Belgium export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Widely fielded · 15 operators
In service since 2009. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
Unit cost known; one-shot / small-arms class has no meaningful O&S tail to model.
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Effective range
Distance at which the weapon reliably hits point targets. Higher extends engagement envelope.
- 500 m Stronger than 52% of rifles
- Rate of fire
Rounds per minute (cyclic). Higher increases suppression and hit probability.
- 625 rpm Stronger than 22% of rifles
- Muzzle velocity
Projectile speed leaving the barrel. Higher means flatter trajectory and better armor penetration.
- 880 m/s Stronger than 46% of rifles
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 5.56×45 mm NATO
- Caliber
Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.
- 5.6 mm
- Ammunition
Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity.
- 30 Stronger than 58% of rifles
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 0.99 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 3 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 1
- Barrel length
Barrel length — longer improves muzzle velocity and accuracy, shorter improves handling.
- 355 mm
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $3,000 Stronger than 42% of rifles
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 15 Stronger than 55% of rifles
Specifications compiled from public FN Herstal and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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Tula Arms Plant AEK-971 Frequently asked questions
How many crew does the FN Herstal SCAR-L require? +
The FN Herstal SCAR-L requires a crew of 1.
What is the main armament of the FN Herstal SCAR-L? +
The FN Herstal SCAR-L's primary weapon is the 5.56×45 mm NATO.
What is the FN Herstal SCAR-L used for? +
The FN Herstal SCAR-L is a rifle & long arms typically used for infantry combat.
How many countries operate the FN Herstal SCAR-L? +
The FN Herstal SCAR-L is operated by 15 countries.
How much does the FN Herstal SCAR-L cost? +
The FN Herstal SCAR-L has an approximate unit cost of 3,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
