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Belgium FN Herstal
M240
A gas-operated, belt-fed general-purpose machine gun derived from the FN MAG, adopted by the U.S. military as the standard medium machine gun for infantry, vehicle and aircraft mounts. It fires the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge and is fielded by over 80 countries worldwide.
In service since 1977 · 80 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
1,100
m range
650
rpm
853
m/s
100
rds
💲 ≈ $8,500 — Approximate U.S. military unit procurement cost
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 · 80 operators
In service since 1977. Status: active · ~500,000 built.
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.
- 1,100 m Top 8% of rifles
- Rate of fire
Rounds per minute (cyclic). Higher increases suppression and hit probability.
- 650 rpm Stronger than 31% of rifles
- Muzzle velocity
Projectile speed leaving the barrel. Higher means flatter trajectory and better armor penetration.
- 853 m/s Stronger than 42% of rifles
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 7.62×51 mm NATO
- Caliber
Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.
- 7.6 mm
- Ammunition
Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity.
- 100 Top 5% of rifles
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 1.26 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 13 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.
- 630 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.
- $8,500 Stronger than 20% of rifles
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 500,000 Stronger than 60% of rifles
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 80 Top 6% 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 M240 require? +
The FN Herstal M240 requires a crew of 1.
What is the main armament of the FN Herstal M240? +
The FN Herstal M240's primary weapon is the 7.62×51 mm NATO.
What is the FN Herstal M240 used for? +
The FN Herstal M240 is a rifle & long arms typically used for infantry combat.
How many countries operate the FN Herstal M240? +
The FN Herstal M240 is operated by 80 countries.
How much does the FN Herstal M240 cost? +
The FN Herstal M240 has an approximate unit cost of 8,500 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
