POTD: NAVY SEALs and FN Herstal MK 17

Today’s Photo of the Day brings more NAVY SEALs with FN SCARs.

We love when we can zoom in on a high-resolution image and read “FN Herstal Belgium MK 17 Mod 0. Cal 7,62 mm” on the side of the firearm. It is even possible to read the serial on the original picture above, if you zoom in.

Every now and then I hear or read that the FN SCAR isn’t (wasn’t) approved by this and that Special Unit. I hope Today’s Photos and this article may straighten out some of that confusion, even if it’s some time since these pictures were taken and they may have moved on with other systems. All of these pictures are from the official NAVY SEALs homepage.

I take the liberty of quoting Wikipedia on the FN SCAR.

In early 2004, United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) issued a solicitation for a family of Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifles, the so-called SCAR, designed around two different calibers but featuring high commonality of parts and identical ergonomics. The FN SCAR system completed low rate initial production testing in June 2007.

After some delays, the first rifles began being issued to operational units in April 2009, and a battalion of the U.S. 75th Ranger Regiment was the first large unit deployed into combat with 600 of the rifles in 2009.

The U.S. Special Operations Command later cancelled their purchase of the SCAR-L and planned to remove the rifle from their inventory by 2013.

However, they will continue to purchase the SCAR-H version, and also plan to purchase 5.56 mm conversion kits for the SCAR-H, allowing it to substitute for the SCAR-L.

Wikipedia continues here for more details.

Below you can enjoy more pictures of NAVY SEALs and their FN SCARs, sound suppressed of course.