FN Herstal Develops M3M ENDURANCE 12.7 mm Machine Gun With 50% Longer Service Life

Belgian company FN Herstal has developed a new version of its 12.7 mm FN M3M machine gun, designated ENDURANCE. The upgrade extends the weapon’s service life by 50% while tripling maintenance intervals.

FN announced the development in a press release.

The new version was developed as part of an integrated turret system designed to counter existing and emerging threats, including drones.

The FN M3M ENDURANCE has completed qualification testing. It was specifically designed for seamless integration into new or existing crew-served FN weapon systems on airborne, land, and naval platforms, as well as fixed ground installations.

The new version has a service life of 60,000 rounds, up from 40,000. Meanwhile, preventive maintenance intervals have increased from 5,000 to 15,000 rounds. The rate of fire remains unchanged at 1,100 rounds per minute.

The stated effective range is up to 2,500 meters, with a maximum range of 6,500 meters. Ammunition can be fed from either side.

The system is fully mechanical and independent of the host platform’s electrical power supply. It requires no electricity to operate, keeping the weapon ready even if the power supply fails, is lost, or is limited by the host platform’s electrical system.

In June 2025, FN presented a new lightweight FN M3M machine-gun mount for helicopters. Advanced composite materials reduced the mount’s weight by 40% compared with previous versions.