The fur continues to fly in the controversy that just won’t end. Two weeks ago, Kit up! broke the story that SOCOM would not be purchasing or fielding any of the 5.56 Mk16 SCAR-Lights. Then, the deluge of fanboys and shills hit the internet like a tsunami denying the story. Next, FNH USA issued a press release that was more plea than promise. Unfortunately, they also admitted on message boards that they had not yet been informed of SOCOM’s decision. Welcome to the world of Government contracting. It happens. SOCOM asked them to build a beast. They built it, and then SOCOM decided they didn’t want what they had asked for.
Now like a spurned lover, the parent company, FN Herstal in Belgium has taken the offensive issuing a new press release originally posted through The Firearm Blog, refuting the Kit Up! story. Looks like FNH hired a wily English major to craft this one because it splits more hairs than Donald Trump’s barber.
Belgium-based firearms manufacturer FN Herstal hereby refutes the allegations recently found on the web that USSOCOM abandoned the 5.56 version of the SCAR® rifle and reconfirms USSOCOM’s decision to acquire the full FN SCAR® family of weapons, including the 5.56mm rifle.
The FN SCAR® family of weapons consists of the 5.56mm SCAR® rifle, 7.62mm SCAR® rifle and 40mm LV Enhanced Grenade Launcher Module (respectively designated as MK 16, MK 17 and MK 13 by USSOCOM). These three components were developed by FN Herstal in close cooperation with USSOCOM and have each met all the operational and fielding tests required by the program. This resulted in the notification by USSOCOM last May that the full SCAR® system entered into Milestone C phase, allowing production and deployment of the full range of SCAR® weapons. The 5.56 version will be part of USSOCOM’s inventory.
The choice between the 5.56 and the 7.62 caliber will be left to the discretion of each constitutive component of USSOCOM’s Joint Command (e.g. Seals, Rangers, Army Special Forces, USMC, AFSOC) depending on their specific missions on today’s battlefield.
We have emphasized a few key terms in the release and find it quite interesting that a foreign company, FN Herstal is now speaking for USSOCOM especially considering that Kit Up! followed up with SOCOM and they confirmed the details of his earlier story. The last bit is also telling in that it seems that FN Herstal has worked out a deal with one or more of the components to take the Mk16s off of their hands. It will be interesting to see how that works out.
A word or two for FN writ large. Stop fanning the flames. It will all go away if you just keep building great guns and stop issuing ill-thought press releases. We’ve been fans of FNH for years, but to perpetuate this is costing you in terms of good will.
