FN Browning Group’s 2025 performance marked a significant industrial milestone, with revenue above €1 billion, stronger profitability, higher capital expenditure and continued expansion across defence, security, hunting and sports shooting markets, as the Herstal-based group entered 2026 with a larger global footprint and a broader strategic agenda.
Published on Jul 8,2026 at 9:55 AM | Updated on Jul 8,2026 at 12:10 PM

In June 2026, FN Browning Group announced that 2025 had delivered the strongest results in its history, taking the Belgian-headquartered company above the €1 billion revenue threshold for the first time. FN Herstal, the Group’s flagship defence and security brand, was an exhibitor at Milipol Paris 2025, where it presented security and law-enforcement technologies within the wider homeland security ecosystem.

The announcement positioned 2025 as both a financial and strategic turning point. FN Browning Group reported revenue exceeding €1 billion and EBITDA of €138 million, while its EBITDA margin rose to 14%, compared with 12% in 2024. The Group attributed the performance to strong execution, sustained demand and the contribution of its Defence & Security division, where FN Herstal reached its highest-ever turnover at €422 million and an EBITDA margin of 19.5%. FN UK and Noptel also recorded record levels of activity, with all three entities posting double-digit growth.

A group built around defence, security and sporting brands

FN Browning Group traces its roots to Herstal, Belgium, and describes itself as a global company supplying world-leading brands across defence, security, hunting and sports shooting. Its portfolio includes FN, Browning, Winchester and Noptel, with activities organised into two main divisions. The Defence & Security division designs, manufactures and markets products and services for armed forces and law enforcement agencies, primarily under the FN brand. The Hunting & Sports Shooting division covers firearms, ammunition and components under several brands and labels.

This dual-market structure is central to the Group’s industrial profile. FN Herstal specialises in small arms, integrated weapon systems, NATO-standard ammunition and high-technology equipment for defence and security institutions, while Browning and Winchester address hunting and sports shooting markets. Noptel adds expertise in optoelectronic and training-related systems. FN Browning Group states that its purpose is to support operational excellence, industrial development and research and development across subsidiaries that retain operational autonomy in their respective markets.

Historic red-brick FN Browning Group building with Belgian flags in front of the main entrance.

The 2025 results also illustrated the Group’s expanding geographic base. According to FN Herstal, FN Browning Group operated during 2025 across nine NATO countries, employed more than 4,100 people and maintained more than twenty production sites worldwide. Its footprint spans European and North American ecosystems, which is significant as NATO members and allied states emphasise supply resilience, defence-industrial capacity and strategic autonomy.

Record results and accelerated investment

The financial figures reported for 2025 indicate more than a one-off increase in turnover. The Group combined record revenue with improved operating profitability and a substantial rise in capital expenditure. FN Browning Group invested €80 million in CAPEX during the year, with priorities including production capacity expansion, digitalisation and long-term industrial partnerships. The company stated that investment levels had nearly quadrupled compared with five years earlier.

The Defence & Security division appears to have been a major driver of the performance. FN Herstal’s €422 million turnover suggests that the Group’s core defence and law-enforcement activities remained highly profitable in 2025. The announcement also stated that activity was expected to remain high in the coming months, supported by a strong 18-month order book.

One of the year’s most significant corporate developments was the acquisition of Sofisport, completed on 30 September 2025. FN Browning Group describes Sofisport as a global leader in shotshell ammunition and components, with full-year revenue of approximately €400 million in 2025. Only the final quarter of Sofisport’s year was consolidated into the Group’s accounts, meaning the acquisition’s full revenue contribution was not yet reflected in the headline annual figure. Strategically, Sofisport strengthens FN Browning Group’s position in ammunition and components, while also reinforcing supply security.

Consolidation and the Accuracy International agreement

FN Browning Group’s expansion continued into 2026 with the announcement, on 28 May, of a strategic acquisition agreement with Accuracy International. Under the agreement, FN Browning Group would acquire the Portsmouth-headquartered specialist in precision bolt-action rifle systems, subject to customary regulatory approvals. Accuracy International was founded in 1980 and is an internationally recognised company that specialises in precision bolt-action and extreme long-range rifle systems, serving armed forces, law-enforcement agencies and demanding sports shooters.

The proposed transaction is significant because it would add a specialist precision-rifle capability to a Group already strong in small arms, integrated weapon systems and ammunition. FN Herstal stated that Accuracy International would complement both the Defence & Security division and the Hunting & Sports Shooting division. The company would continue to operate under its own brand, preserving its engineering culture and its UK and US manufacturing bases.

The agreement also has a sovereignty dimension. FN Herstal said that, together, FN UK and Accuracy International would be the United Kingdom’s only established manufacturers of machine guns and precision rifles for the UK armed forces. The company framed the acquisition as a contribution to the UK’s defence industrial base, with potential benefits for national security, innovation and high-value engineering employment.

Two people in suits shaking hands during a business meeting.

For FN Browning Group, the Accuracy International agreement fits a broader pattern of portfolio consolidation. Sofisport expanded ammunition and components capacity, while Accuracy International would deepen the Group’s precision-weapons offer.

The relevance to homeland security lies not in scale alone, but in the link between dependable supply, technology development and institutional trust. FN Herstal’s presence at Milipol Paris 2025 and its plans to exhibit at Milipol Qatar in October show how the Group’s defence and security activities intersect with law-enforcement requirements and integrated security solutions around the world. As buyers place greater weight on resilience, traceability and long-term support, FN Browning Group’s 2025 performance provides a useful indicator of how established manufacturers are adapting. The company’s trajectory is therefore closely aligned with the themes of capability, sovereignty and operational readiness that define Milipol Paris.

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FN Browning Group
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