FN has published a press released claiming that “allegations recently found on the web that USSOCOM abandoned the 5.56 version of the SCAR” are untrue. This is an interesting twist considering FN previously published a press release that implicitly confirmed that the program was cancelled.

The latest press release …

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.

FN SCAR Mk.16

Military.com, who had the exclusive on the original story, did not claim that USSCOMOM was destroying their FN SCR Mk.16 inventory. They simply said that no more would be purchased that that the M4 Carbine would be used instead.

I look forward to see how this story develops.

UPDATE: I did not realize when I first posted this that this latest press release came from FN Herstal (Belgium) not their subsidiary FN-USA. I would be willing to bet that the Belgium FNH bosses are not happy with FN-USA after their press release.

UPDATE 2: Military.com Kit Up responds to the latest developments.