FN SCAR

Belgium's modular special-operations combat assault rifle — the Mk16 SCAR-L (5.56 mm) and Mk17 SCAR-H (7.62 mm) — adopted by USSOCOM and over a dozen other forces, combining a short-stroke piston with quick-change barrels in a folding-stock platform.

Overview

The FN SCAR (Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle) is a modular, select-fire rifle family engineered by FN Herstal for the US Special Operations Command’s (USSOCOM) SCAR competition. It is fielded in two principal calibers: the Mk16 SCAR-L chambered in 5.56×45 mm NATO and the heavier Mk17 SCAR-H in 7.62×51 mm NATO. The weapon’s short-stroke gas piston, quick-change barrel, and aluminium-alloy receiver give it the flexibility to serve as a compact carbine, a standard infantry rifle, or a designated marksman’s platform, and it has been adopted by both special operations forces and conventional armies across NATO and beyond.

Development

The SCAR program was launched in the early 2000s to replace the M4A1 carbine, Mk 18 CQBR, and several legacy 7.62 mm rifles within USSOCOM, with an emphasis on modularity, enhanced reliability, and the ability to swap barrels in the field. FN Herstal won the competition in 2004 with its SCAR-L and SCAR-H designs, and production began the same year, according to Wikipedia. The rifle entered operational service with USSOCOM in 2009, and FN America was later contracted to supply additional units. Subsequently, FN adapted the platform for a wide range of international customers, including the Belgian Armed Forces, who made the SCAR-L and SCAR-H their standard individual weapon.

🔒 The rest of the FN SCAR file is for BattlePolicy Pro members. Stop here and you miss the part that actually matters: how it performs and where it falls short, its combat record, how it stacks up head-to-head against its real counterparts, the complete specifications table, and our analysts’ procurement, supplier and assessment notes. Unlock the full file with BattlePolicy Pro →