FN Minimi

FN Minimi
FN Minimi light machine gun
Type	Light machine gun Squad automatic weapon
Place of origin	Belgium
Service history
In service	1980–present
Used by	See Users
Wars	United States invasion of Panama Tuareg rebellion (1990–1995) Gulf War[1] Burundian Civil War Kosovo War War in Afghanistan[2] Moro conflict[3] Iraq War[4] Mexican Drug War[3] Communist rebellion in the Philippines[5] Militias-Comando Vermelho conflict[6] Second Ivorian Civil War[7] Libyan Civil War[8] Syrian Civil War[9] Northern Mali Conflict[10] Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017)[9] ISIL insurgency in Tunisia[8] Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)[11][better source needed] Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Russo-Ukrainian War Russian invasion of Ukraine[12]
Production history
Designer	Ernest Vervier
Designed	Early 1970s
Manufacturer	FN Herstal FNH USA Thales Australia Beretta Bofors Carl Gustav Pindad
Produced	1977–present
Variants	See Variants
Specifications
Mass	7.1 kg (15.7 lb)
Length	1,040 mm (40.9 in)
Barrel length	465 mm (18.3 in)
Width	110 mm (4.3 in)
Cartridge	5.56×45mm NATO
Action	Gas-actuated, open bolt
Rate of fire	700–1,150 rounds/min[13]
Muzzle velocity	925 m/s (3,035 ft/s)
Effective firing range	300–1,000 m (980–3,280 ft) sight adjustments
Feed system	100 or 200-round belt contained in a 100-round or 200-round soft pouch, or 200-round box or 30-round M16-type STANAG magazine to 60-round STANAG casket magazine
Sights	Rear aperture, front post

The FN Minimi (short for French: Mini Mitrailleuse; "mini machine gun") is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun, also classified as a squad automatic weapon developed by Ernest Vervier for FN Herstal. Introduced in the late 1970s, it is in service in more than 75 countries.^[14] The weapon is manufactured at the FN facility in Herstal and their U.S. subsidiary FN Manufacturing LLC.

The Minimi fires from an open bolt. It is an air-cooled, gas operated long-stroke piston weapon that is capable of fully automatic fire only. It can be belt fed or fired from a magazine. The Minimi is configured in several variants: the Standard model as a platoon or squad support weapon, the shortened Para version for paratroopers and the Vehicle model as secondary armament for fighting vehicles.