FN HMP 400
The FN HMP (Heavy Machine Gun Pod) is a gun container from the Belgian company FN Herstal , in which a modified caliber 50 MG in the M3P version is installed. The HMP was developed in the 1970s and has been continuously improved since then. The first version of this weapon system, the HMP 250, had an ammunition capacity of 250 cartridges and corresponded to the standard NATO 14 "mast. This enabled it to be adapted to all common NATO combat aircraft and rotary wing systems. The weapon system is intended for close air support . In the course of the following decades Various versions followed, which can either hold more ammunition, have additional armor underneath the gun case or, in the version with 250 cartridges, can carry three unguided 70 mm rockets. The weapon itself is stabilized in the gun case on a mount system, which prevents the recoil of the The FN HMP 400 can fire all common 50 caliber types of ammunition.
This weapon system is used in the Tiger UHT attack helicopter, among others .
Versions of the FN HMP
| version | description |
|---|---|
| FN HMP 250 LCC (Links and case collector) | 250 cartridges |
| FN HMP 400 LC (links only) | 400 cartridges and no additional armor |
| FN HMP 400 LCC | 400 cartridges and additional armor to protect the weapon under the POD (this version is used in the German Tiger UHT) |
| FN RMP LC | 250 cartridge capacity and three unguided 70 mm missiles under the POD |
The effective maximum operating range of the HMP 400 is specified by FN Herstal as 1850 m and the maximum range (ballistic) as 6500 m.
| Type of use | Range |
|---|---|
| Support and defensive fire against soft targets | up to 3000 m |
| Support fire against lightly armored targets (10 mm armor steel at 1000 m and 35 mm armor steel at 500-800 m) | up to 1000 m APEI ammunition |
| Inflammation and penetration of container units and tanks | up to 2500 m APEI ammunition |
| Combat air targets | up to 3000 m APEI ammunition |