Partnership enables international production of superior weapon system for UK MoD
KENT, UNITED KINGDOM (August 15, 2024) – FN UK, a part of the FN Browning Group, announced a strategic alliance with U.S. advanced defence technology company TV Ammo, Inc. (“True Velocity”) for the manufacture of True Velocity’s .338 Norma Lightweight Medium Machine Gun (LWMMG) in the United Kingdom.
The announcement amplifies FN UK’s continued advancement as the only UK-based manufacturer of military assault rifles and machine guns. FN UK will produce and assemble components of True Velocity’s lightweight medium machine gun at its manufacturing facility in Slade Green, Kent.
The alliance signals an international extension of a strategic licensing and manufacturing partnership announced last month between True Velocity and FN America, LLC (“FN America”). Both announcements position FN Browning Group subsidiaries as primary manufacturers of True Velocity’s lightweight medium machine gun, an impulse-averaging, recoil-mitigated platform that enables extended range and superb terminal performance while reducing weight and improving controllability.
“This is a great opportunity for FN UK and TV to further their commitment to the UK’s Defence Industrial Strategy by manufacturing the .338 Norma Lightweight Medium Machine Gun (LWMMG) onshore,” said Michelle Cantoni, CEO of FN UK. “As the weapon was designed with input from the UK customer, it is fitting that there will also be a UK manufacturing element to it.”
Military units in the UK, the US and other Allied countries have been keen to explore the advantages of a lightweight machine gun system chambered for the .338 Norma cartridge, with the intent of fielding a weapon that can produce range and terminal effects similar to that of the .50-caliber M2 machine gun with a weight and profile comparable to the M240 machine gun, which is chambered for the significantly less energetic 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge.
True Velocity’s .338 Norma Lightweight Medium Machine Gun was on display at the Close Combat Symposium Range Day sponsored by FN UK at Cranfield University in Shrivenham. The company was awarded a contract in March 2024 from the U.S. Department of Defense for continued evaluation of the weapon system in a military program aimed at fielding a lightweight machine gun chambered in .338 Norma.
“Our lightweight medium machine offers a transformational capability on the battlefield, incorporating a recoil mitigation system that enables greater range, increased lethality, improved accuracy and unprecedented controllability in an automatic weapon,” said True Velocity Chief Operating Officer Chris Tedford. “Our partnership with FN UK makes certain that this capability will be available soon to warfighters in the United Kingdom and beyond.”
For military sales inquiries, please contact True Velocity Executive Vice President of Sales and Business Development Kevin Sims at ksims@tvammo.com or Stephen Crook at stephen.crook@fnhuk.com
About FN UK
FN UK is the UK’s sole manufacturer of military assault rifles and machine guns, priding ourselves on delivering reliable, quality products to all our customers including the UK MOD. We supply the UK Ministry of Defence and law enforcement agencies, as well as provide industrial support to FN Herstal and FN America.
2024 marks a milestone year as we celebrate a decade of being part of the FN Browning Group – a relationship which has allowed us access to a global network of products and partners, along with 135 years of experience.
About True Velocity
True Velocity is an advanced technology manufacturing and licensing company based in Garland, Texas, with a current emphasis on composite ammunition, lightweight machine guns and suppressors. Founded in 2012, True Velocity has more than 315 patents pending or issued surrounding its products, technology and manufacturing processes. True Velocity is focused on revolutionizing the ammunition and weapons industry through the introduction of its composite-cased ammunition, innovative weapons systems and advanced manufacturing technology. True Velocity products are manufactured in the U.S. in a state-of-the-art, 66,000-square-foot facility. The company’s proprietary composite cartridge is designed to provide significant logistical advantages over traditional brass-cased ammunition and give end users enhanced accuracy, repeatability, and reliability, all in a light-weight cartridge.
For more information, visit tvammo.com.
Contacts:
FN UK
Bronwyn Harding
+44 1322 338 052 (Main line) / Ext. 111
True Velocity
Pat Hogan, Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications
(770) 500-0279
