The UK’s L111A1 heavy machine gun will undergo a significant firepower upgrade under a £20 million ($27.3 million) contract awarded to FN Herstal, part of the government’s wider program to modernize frontline weapons.
The effort combines a two-year mid-life upgrade with eight years of in-service support, the Ministry of Defence confirmed.
The upgrades will be carried out at FN Herstal’s Kent facility, with phased deliveries: 18% completed by March 2026, 50% by March 2027, and the remaining 32% by March 2028.
The company, the UK’s sole manufacturer of military rifles and machine guns, described the contract as a continuation of its long-standing partnership with the MOD, coinciding with its 50th year of UK operations.
The L111A1, derived from the iconic Browning M2, provides adaptable firepower—mountable on tripods for ground use or vehicles for mobile operations.
The upgrade introduces a soft mount and quick-change barrel, improving accuracy, reducing recoil, and extending effective engagement to 2,000 meters (6,600 feet). The weapon weighs 32 kg (70 lbs) and fires .50-caliber rounds at a rate of 485–635 rounds per minute from a 50-round belt.
