The FN Browning Group, based in Liège, Belgium, has completed the acquisition of Accuracy International Ltd. from Portsmouth, United Kingdom, a world-renowned developer and manufacturer of precision rifle systems. The group officially announced this on October 30, 2026. Through this acquisition, Accuracy International (AI) joins one of the world’s leading corporate groups in defense (small arms) according to its own claims, whose activities cover the Defense & Security as well as Hunting & Sports Shooting sectors. The Belgium-based group employs 4,200 people and operates more than 20 industrial sites in nine NATO countries.
Accuracy International Ltd., founded in 1980 in Portsmouth, has earned an international reputation for precision, reliability, and performance. The company enjoys the trust of military, law enforcement, and sport shooters in more than 70 countries. It will continue to operate under its own name and aims to preserve the identity, expertise, and craftsmanship that have made it a benchmark in its field. According to the company, its weapons are deployed by more than 70 armed forces and special units worldwide.
AI’s Arctic Warfare Series Used by Many Armed Forces
Thus British snipers have used since 1984 the L96A1 rifle with a Schmidt & Bender optic 6 × 42. The Bundeswehr has used since 1997 the G22 in the .300 Winchester Magnum (7.62×67 mm) caliber. The bolt-action rifle with a folding stock, a cold-hammered barrel, and high first-shot hit probability is based on AI’s Arctic Warfare platform. In addition, the company’s G24 in .50 BMG (12.7×99 mm) has been introduced. It is based on the AW50/AW50F platform. The PSG 90/90B (Prickskyttegevär 90) is the Swedish armed forces’ standard sniper rifle and is also based on the Arctic Warfare series.
Other publicly known users of Accuracy weapons include, among others, the United Kingdom with the L115A3 in .338 Lapua Magnum for special forces, Australia and South Korea with variants of the AWM or AW50 platforms, Denmark and other NATO users with the AX50 ELR (.50 BMG), Australia with the AXSR as the standard sniper system of the armed forces, the USSOCOM special forces with the Advanced Sniper Rifle (ASR), and the U.S. Army with the Mk 13.
Acquisition strengthens the FN Browning Group in precision rifles and extreme-range systems
For the FN Browning Group, the acquisition of AI strengthens its position in the field of precision rifles and systems for extreme reach and expands the group’s portfolio into a new segment. Additionally, the group is further expanding its presence in the United Kingdom – in addition to FN UK as well as Flee Hawk and the stake in Sentinel Photonics. Through FN UK and Accuracy International, the FN Browning Group is now the only manufacturer in the United Kingdom that produces both military machine guns and rifles.
Julien Compère, CEO of the FN Browning Group, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Accuracy International and its teams to the FN Browning Group. Our group has always been based on industrial expertise, innovation, and a long-term vision – this acquisition is fully aligned with that approach. Our goal is clear: we want to preserve what makes Accuracy International unique, while also creating new opportunities by building on our respective strengths.”
Tom Irwin, Director of Accuracy International, added: “Joining the FN Browning Group opens an exciting new chapter for Accuracy International. We share the same commitment to technical excellence, product quality, and long-term investment. As part of the group, we gain access to additional resources, international reach, and new growth opportunities – while preserving the identity, values, and expertise that have made Accuracy International a global benchmark for precision rifle systems.”
