Belgium’s FN Browning Group has entered into a strategic acquisition agreement to buy Accuracy International, the Portsmouth-based manufacturer of precision bolt-action rifle systems used by armed forces, law enforcement agencies, and competitive shooters around the world, according to the company.
The deal, announced on 28 May, would see Accuracy International absorbed into FN Browning Group’s existing portfolio, which already includes its flagship FN brand, one of the world’s largest producers of military small arms, as well as the Browning and Winchester sporting brands. According to FN Browning Group, the combination of Accuracy International with its UK subsidiary FN UK would create the United Kingdom’s only established manufacturer of both machine guns and precision rifles for the British Armed Forces, a claim with direct implications for the country’s defence industrial sovereignty.
Accuracy International was founded in 1980 and has built a global reputation on the back of its bolt-action and extreme long-range rifle systems. The company has served armed forces, law enforcement, and sports shooters in over 50 countries during the past five years, and maintains manufacturing bases in both the UK and the United States. Its rifles, including the widely adopted AX-series platforms, are in service with British, American, and allied special operations and infantry units, and the company has long been considered a benchmark in the precision rifle field.
Julien Compère, CEO of FN Browning Group, said in the press release: “Accuracy International brings a unique and highly specialised expertise in precision rifle systems that perfectly complements our defence and security solutions as well as our hunting and sports shooting offerings. This transaction also directly contributes to the UK’s strategic autonomy in defence and reflects our long-term commitment to the United Kingdom and our role as a trusted industrial partner to the UK Ministry of Defence.”
Tom Irwin, Director of Accuracy International, was quoted as saying: “Joining FN Browning Group represents a strong strategic opportunity for Accuracy International. We share the same culture of engineering excellence, performance and dependability. This agreement enables us to preserve what defines Accuracy International while benefiting from the scale, global footprint and long-standing institutional relationships of FN Browning Group.”
The UK Ministry of Defence was also quoted in the press release. Colonel Will Waugh, Dismounted Close Combat Team Leader at National Armaments, Materiel, said: “The MoD has a long history of working with both FN and Accuracy International with some of our most important small arms capabilities being procured from both companies. The joining of these companies is great news for the MoD and gives us continued access to cutting edge capabilities.”
Michelle Cantoni, CEO of FN UK, added: “By combining FN UK’s industrial capabilities with Accuracy International’s expertise, this acquisition strengthens the UK’s sovereign defence industrial base and reinforces our commitment to delivering world-class equipment to the British Armed Forces. By integrating Accuracy International’s specialist manufacturing, innovation culture, and highly skilled workforce with FN UK, we are reinforcing the UK’s ability to design, develop, and sustain critical small-arms capabilities and skills onshore.”
Under the terms of the deal, Accuracy International will continue to operate under its own brand and retain its engineering culture and manufacturing presence in both the UK and US. FN Browning Group said the acquisition would increase export opportunities for Accuracy International by leveraging the group’s global distribution network.
The transaction remains subject to customary regulatory approvals. FN Browning Group was advised by Stephens on the M&A side, Jones Day on legal matters, and PwC on financial and tax issues. Accuracy International was advised by Oaklins S&W for M&A and Trethowans for legal.
FN Browning Group, headquartered in Herstal, Belgium, is one of the oldest and largest small arms manufacturers in the world. FN Herstal, its defence and security division, produces the FN SCAR assault rifle, the FN MAG general-purpose machine gun, and the M240 and M249 variants widely used by US and NATO forces.
FN UK, based in the United Kingdom, already holds contracts with the Ministry of Defence and produces weapon systems domestically. The acquisition of Accuracy International would bring one of Britain’s last independent precision rifle makers into the Belgian group’s fold, consolidating a significant share of the UK’s sovereign small arms manufacturing capability under a single foreign-owned entity.
And this is part of the problem, anything worthwhile in UK defence is sold off .
So you don’t believe the owners, a founder and the other two individuals who rescued from insolvency in 2014, should be allowed to sell what they own?
The state taking control of private individuals property is one of the defining characteristics of communism.
I can’t blame the owners, the Ukraine was has shown the writing is on the wall for long-range snipers:
“Vyacheslav Kovalskiy, an elite Ukrainian special-forces sniper renowned for setting a world-record 2.49-mile confirmed kill in 2023, has transitioned to supporting drone operators rather than deploying as a traditional marksman. This shift reflects a broader tactical reality on the battlefield, where small, explosive-laden drones are faster, cheaper, and more lethal than human sniper teams.”
Yeah, right.
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No they shouldn’t, it’s about defence and domestic owned supply chains that’s vital for our security.
Presumably you’d be happy with the state seizing your home and property under the same justification too.
Very considerate of you, comrade.
What??
Go within 20km of the front-line in Ukraine you’re more likely to be killed by a drone than a sniper’s bullet.
wsj.com/world/europe/military-snipers-are-being-put-out-of-a-job-by-drones-ae85a271
That was not the point made.
Agree. Better to keep our vital manufacture in UK. Graham Ryan have you seen this?
So let’s get this right Ben Wallace was a communist because he privatised SFM and provided the investment that the privately owned company couldn’t raise from commercial sources ? Nope he had a simple choice privatise it and invest or kiss the UK DNE, AUKUS goodbye and await a very angry call from Uncle Sam or watch it quietly bought by China and obliterated.
IMHO if HMG had any sense they would pick the next gen Army firearms and insist they are all built in UK by AI and provide the seed money to do so.
Ask anyone who is a engineer, Scientist or owns a SME what is wrong with this country and they will say our financial system just doesn’t get the idea of providing Capital investment in industry, technology, Science or Engineering skills base.
Which is made far worse as we have a Professional Political and CS class who are clueless, disinterested and either ultra short-termists driven by populist sound bites such as our energy policy (Milibrain) or given to massively expensive fouled up projects such as HS2.
So you can’t differentiate between a unique strategic asset such as SFM and just another company making rifles… disingenuous or stupid?
So you can’t differentiate between saving SFM from closure by the state buying it, and a company buying a competitor to broaden its product-range…. again, disingenuous or stupid?
I am an engineer, working at a science/engineering company that specialises in deep-tech and I know that your claims about the industry are bullshit. As are your claims about energy policy and HS2 (the latter was screwed because of the bloated planning bureaucracy in the UK and the contracts that resulted in it being way over spec’d).
The Belgians used their EU Champions status to ruin British then World brewing. This should be blocked.
How is the joining of these companies ‘great news’? This is another example of government backed companies asset stripping UK strategic firms, this isn’t good for the MOD in the long run as there will be limited competition for future projects so the taxpayer pays more again.
Sovereign capacity. Alan Clark (Diaries) accused Belgium of refusing to sell the U.K. ammunition during some emergency because of ‘reasons’.
More unfavourable news.
…and in his diaries, he also comments that he had found there are people working 24/7 in the Government and Civil Service to undermine the UK.
In two minds, those guys deserve to reap after years of risks and hard work. Their gear is good, used it to effect. The other bit thinks its sad another small British company is swallowed up by a corporate.
So much for domestic owned defence and supply chains. This should be blocked obviously for security and supply chain reasons. Just bizzare where even Belgium will be controlling our weapons supply now. Liebour clueless as always. The Belgium’s themselves would never allow the same in return and for Britain to buy up their gun manufacturers.
Problem is, there’s not enough UK-based investment that could step in and provide that kind of additional funding and opportunity for expansion and improvement instead. It’s one thing to block a foreign acquisition when there’s a domestic alternative, it’s another to deliberately stagnate the growth of successful industry by blocking a sale when there are no British investors around.
I absolutely think that there should be legal and commercial safeguards in place (protection and retaining of IP, design, manufacture, export rights, etc. in the UK) for any strategic foreign sale, and it shouldn’t be allowed to just anyone. But, of all the potential choices, FN isn’t the worst option.
What are you talking about? In Belgium, almost all companies operating in the defence sector are owned by foreign firms:
-Knds Belgium
-Thales Belgium
-The former engine division of FN, which is now part of the Safran Group
-Even FN itself was owned by GIAT for many years before being bought out by the Walloon Region
I am very wary of these company ‘takeovers’, a lot of the time it is just a means to destroy competition.
The playbook goes something like this:
Buy, assimilate technology, start redundancies round, asset strip, move location, close down original company.
It makes you wonder: FN Browning is owned be the Wallon Region, a Federal State of Belgium. Does that mean Belgium are on the road to “Communism”? No, it means, imho, that some enterprises/ industries are worth protecting from a strategic perspective. Not only protecting national security but also protecting jobs locally, production capacity and the ability to maintain technical innovation. Most if not all of our European peer group: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and now Poland chose a different way. Unfortunately we lost the plot many moons and billions of “gbp” ago
UK small arms designs have been predominantly of foreign origin for 150 years-
Snider Enfield, Martini Henry, Lee Metford, Lee Enfield, SLR. Vickers Maxim, Bren , BESA.
But production was owned and controlled here, state owned until sold off by Thatcher to BAE who closed it down.
France, Italy,Germany, Spain, Belgium all have domestically controlled small arms manufacturers.
If the UK private sector cannot ensure sovereign capability, then we should return to a state owned operation.
There is something fundamentally wrong with British Unpatriotism. The Financial sector is very naive at times and led by PPE Grads who are completely clueless in engineering matters. We have to hang on to Rolls Royce or the Germans will grab it in their dying gasp. I dont mind the Germans as it happens.
But I was driving my hot cavalier in London when a Mercedes tried to burn me off at the lights. That was it for me. I went out and invested in Britain. Have stood by them through good times and bad. One of the best decisions I’ve made.
All the talk on news programmes about the out of work and unskilled youth and then this.
It must be very difficult for the politicians joining up the dots.
Related to the Greyburn bid? I know FNUK do a really good job of keeping the L7 and the HMG in service… but don’t hear great things about SCAR L. Obviously I haven’t used it.
Indeed Bob, its a piece being moved on the chess board towards Grayburn.
Greyburn will at least ( hopefully) restore main stram small arms manufacturing, support and refurbishment for the armed forces.
Perhaps Fn’s play will be to use the AI name in its bid??
As they already own the old Manroy Company, I hope AI is left to develop high end Sniper and target rifles as an autonomous Company and isn’t simply asset stripped, with the remains pulled into the main Fn UK site in Kent.
How a culture that changed so much that is repelled by guns-and only allows them to criminals can have a gun industry?
Monopolistic media led by minnows and backed by Britain bashers.