Herstal, Belgium – In the hushed assembly section of FN Browning’s 13-hectare manufacturing complex in Herstal, Liège province, the scene is one of focused precision.
A few skilled workers in black company T-shirts methodically assemble firearm components by hand—part of a production process that resists full automation, even in the age of robotics. Once assembled, each weapon is tested for accuracy in a 50-metre shooting corridor just next door.
Founded in 1889, FN Herstal, the manufacturer behind the famous Browning brand, is Europe’s largest producer of small arms.
Though technological innovation has steadily changed how the company operates—reducing its workforce from around 12,000 in the 1980s to about 1,500 today—it has retained a distinct identity shaped by human skill, historical consciousness, and a renewed relevance in the shifting landscape of European defence.
“We’ve made huge leaps in automation,” explains Henry de Harenne, FN Herstal’s head of communications, “but these workers can’t be replaced by robots. It takes five to seven years to train them properly.”
In a quieter section of the plant, where assembly line workers can enjoy music over the background hum of machinery, even Billie Eilish’s soft vocals seem to underscore the contrast between modern culture and enduring craftsmanship.
A Legacy of Resistance and Reform
Beyond its role as an industrial powerhouse, FN Herstal has also been a stage for landmark social movements. In 1966, the factory was the epicentre of a major feminist and labour rights milestone when more than 3,000 women—over one-third of the then workforce—walked out for 12 weeks demanding equal pay.
Invoking the principle of “À travail égal, salaire égal” (“Equal pay for equal work”), the women took aim at gender pay disparities despite the 1957 Treaty of Rome’s formal endorsement of pay equality across the EU.
Their protest was radical for its time—not led by union bosses but by the rank-and-file women themselves—and helped launch the conversation around gender equity into the national consciousness.
That legacy is proudly displayed on the factory’s internal history panels, which also recount key moments like the company’s acquisition of Japanese shotgun-maker Miroku in 1965 and the founding of Browning Viana in Portugal in 1973.
Women remain an integral part of the FN workforce today, particularly visible in the packaging division of the assembly hall. It’s a quiet tribute to those who paved the way six decades ago.
A Strategic Pivot in Europe’s Defence Landscape
While its historical milestones are proudly remembered, FN Herstal’s present is defined by a pressing new reality: a sharp increase in European demand for homegrown defence manufacturing.
“The shift began after Crimea in 2014,” says de Harenne, referring to Russia’s annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula. “But it was the full-scale invasion in 2022 that truly forced a reckoning.”
Before the war in Ukraine, roughly 80% of European defence ammunition was produced outside the EU, according to the European Commission.
FN Herstal itself used to rely heavily on non-European clients. “Ten years ago, European orders made up just a minority of our business,” says de Harenne. “Now they are the overwhelming majority.”
The company currently lists deliveries to Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. This regional consolidation mirrors broader EU goals to strengthen internal defence capabilities in the face of geopolitical instability.
One guiding document in this transition has been last year’s influential report on European competitiveness authored by former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
The report called for increased consolidation among European defence firms—something FN Herstal took to heart with its recent acquisition of Sofisport, a Paris-based manufacturer of military-grade softshell garments.
Finalised last November and set to be completed by September, the acquisition brings with it production facilities in France, Italy, and Spain—key European Union member states.
“It’s very much in line with the Draghi report’s vision,” de Harenne notes. “Europe has underinvested in its own defence for decades.”
Long-Term Thinking Amid Uncertain Times
Though demand is rising, FN Herstal is taking a measured approach to growth. Rather than expand dramatically to meet short-term wartime surges, the company is focused on stability.
“You do not build new production lines because of a war,” says de Harenne. “I hope, pretty much like you, that the war in Ukraine will stop. What matters is understanding our clients’ long-term defence strategies.”
Most of those clients are public sector: defence ministries, armed forces, and law enforcement agencies. Their strategic outlooks—and not short-term conflicts—are what guide FN Herstal’s production targets.
Indeed, while the war in Ukraine may have catalysed a revival in European defence spending, FN Herstal remains conscious of the risks of boom-and-bust cycles. “We’re not just chasing the current demand curve,” says de Harenne. “We’re building sustainable European partnerships.”
Global Reach, Local Roots
Despite its increasing integration into Europe’s defence strategy, FN Herstal has never strayed far from its roots. The Herstal factory continues to be the beating heart of its operations.
Located just outside Liège, this facility anchors a brand known worldwide—yet one that remains deeply tied to local industry, labour traditions, and community history.
That connection is not only cultural, but also technological. Many of the firearms produced here feature design innovations honed through years of R&D conducted in Belgium.
And while modern logistics allow the company to maintain international subsidiaries and supply chains, the core ethos of quality-through-craftsmanship remains firmly intact.
A Future Forged in Resilience
As Europe navigates a more volatile global order, FN Herstal is adapting, but not abandoning, its principles.
Its employees—whether the deft hands on the assembly line or the women who once marched for equal rights—are part of a longer story of industrial resilience, political agency, and quiet innovation.
In an industry often dominated by giant multinationals and headline-grabbing deals, FN Herstal offers a different narrative: one of steady evolution, informed by history, and grounded in values.
“Our aim is not just to make weapons,” says de Harenne. “It’s to play our part in Europe’s security and industrial independence—while remembering where we came from.”
As Europe contemplates the future of its collective defence, the lessons embedded within FN Herstal’s century-old walls may prove more valuable than ever.
