The future is uncertain.
Nobody really knows what lies around the corner:
But there's never any harm in being well prepared.
The P90.
An odd-looking weapon with some equally unusual traits.
So, what prompted the need for a new breed of SMGs?
Who was the P90's key rival - and how did it fare?
And how do you cram fifty rounds into such a small package?
The MP5 was king.
Since its introduction in the 1960s, no other submachine gun came close to HK's offering:
and while expensive - if you wanted the best, you bought German.
However, the SMG was in danger of becoming obsolete.
The development of Kevlar armour in the 1970s - and its subsequently increasing availability
- raised concerns amongst military and police units.
SMGs had to adapt: They needed the ability to defeat body armour whilst retaining their
compact size.
A new class of weapon: part SMG, part carbine:
The Personal Defence Weapon.
In 1986, Belgian firearm manufacturer FN Herstal put their expertise to task.
A new weapon, designed from the ground up.
To fit the PDW role, it had to be compact - so a bullpup configuration was the logical
choice: with the magazine feed point located behind the trigger.
However, unlike most bullpups the magazine is inserted at the top of the weapon - and
lies parallel to the barrel instead of the more conventional perpendicular arrangement.
This required a crafty bit of engineering to rotate the cartridges ready for feeding
- a spiral ramp integrated into the magazine, with the rounds pushed into the correct orientation
as they're fed by the spring.
The magazine's translucent polymer construction also means you can see how many rounds remain
at all times - in fact, the entire weapon makes extensive use of polymers, reducing
both cost and weight.
Although the ergonomics are unusual, they are carefully considered: it has an integrated
reflex sight; and all controls are ambidextrous, with the weapon even ejecting spent cases
downwards.
However, despite all its high-tech features, the most interesting aspect is the cartridge
it fires - the FN 5.7×28mm round, designed specifically for the weapon.
Unlike typical pistol cartridges, with squat form and rounded tip, this new calibre resembles
a miniature rifle round - with spitzer point and a higher relative charge.
This means that while the projectile is small - a quarter of the mass of a typical 9mm round
- it travels over twice as fast.
More energy over a smaller area means greater penetrative force - and as a result, the 5.7mm
is able to pierce body armour that would otherwise stop a typical SMG.
By 1990, the project was complete - hence the name given to the weapon, the FN Project
90 -
The P90.
It was compact - less than a shoulders-width:
lightweight - thanks to its modern materials;
with high capacity magazines - and that all-important armor-piercing capability.
FN had one seriously impressive weapon on offer - all they had to do now was get people
to use it.
If they could gain NATO's approval the subsequent contracts would be extraordinarily lucrative
- so there was no shortage of incentive to meet their needs.
The original SS90 ammunition was designed a with plastic core, but in 1993 a revision
was needed in response to NATO CRISAT specification.
Any PDW for consideration needed to be able to penetrate 1.6mm of titanium plate, along
with 20 layers of kevlar - at a distance of at least 150 metres.
In order to achieve this, FN added a composite core to the bullet: steel tipped with aluminium
rear - and these revised SS190 rounds could tackle the required level of armour even beyond
200 metres.
NATO's requirements also prompted the development of a complementary pistol firing the same
calibre: the FN Five seveN.
Altogether, FN had the perfect package for modern close quarter operations: but it wasn't
long before they had a rival.
Meanwhile, Heckler & Koch were stuck in a bureaucratic mire: the German reunification
had slashed available defence budgets, forcing them to abandon the ambitious G11 project
in favour of the more conventional G36.
It was only after Germany's new service rifle was realised that H&K could finally invest
in something new:
A rival to the P90, come to defend the throne - the MP7.
Now there were two key contenders - and by 2002 NATO were ready to proceed with tests.
Both weapons share similar traits - compact, and firing a small, high velocity cartridge
designed to defeat armour.
The MP7's round was a little less powerful, and its magazines lower capacity - but the
ergonomics did more closely resemble a conventional weapon, and the platform was more flexible,
with better support for rail-mounted accessories.
In the end, the Belgian 5.7mm won, by a significant margin.
It was more mature, already had suitable PDW and pistol designs, and it performed better
against armour.
However - the Germans vetoed its adoption.
And so, with no consensus, there would be no standard NATO PDW calibre - nor nominated
weapon.
Today, the P90 and MP7 both see use amongst police and special forces units all over the
world - a shared victory - but proof at least that SMGs still remain relevant.
Beyond the real world, the odd appearance of the P90 also made it a desirable choice
for television and film - after all, it looks like it came straight out of science fiction.
Perhaps this is why it was chosen as a key weapon in the Stargate SG-1 television series:
the P90 was new, and thus unfamiliar to most.
It's clearly a human design - but there's something otherworldly about it.
It also found its way into the hands of the armourers behind the Bond films of the late
90s - appearing quite prominently in The World is Not Enough.
It is, after all, a high tech gadget: understated, yet powerful - a mirror of James Bond's suave
demeanour.
The Bond franchises' video games were performing quite well around this time too, courtesy
of the success of Rare's Goldeneye 007 - which featured its own interpretation of the P90.
It isn't the most accurate rendition of the weapon - but it is one of the earliest.
From here, it would quickly become a regular sight in games - especially in those with
a focus on realistic weapons.
Whether practical or not, any realistic military shooter worth its salt has to have the latest
gear.
Newer weapons have a certain 'novelty' factor that makes them interesting - although this
is never a guarantee of real-world success, as both the OICW and XM8 will attest.
There was a risk of the P90 fading into obscurity for a while, but the successful NATO tests
- and increasing real-world use of the weapon - meant that it outlived its time as a gimmick
weapon and has since become a staple SMG in many an FPS line-up.
And so, instead of sci-fi, the P90 now looks more at home in the hands of special forces.
It's a common part of the loadouts seen in Call of Duty and Battlefield - and its close-range
function obvious.
Regular appearance has meant that the unusual has become familiar - and also a favourite.
It's an easy weapon to like - one consistent trait across all its depictions is the colossal
50-round magazine.
A pocket LMG!
It's not without corresponding downside - the per-shot damage is never the greatest, particularly
at longer ranges: and sometimes the reloads or other handling aspect in-game can be slow.
However, with the typically high rate of fire you'd expect from an SMG, the P90's ability
to dispense rounds quickly is remarkable - making for quite a forgiving weapon to use.
In some cases - CounterStrike: Global Offensive being one notable example - this can lead
to the P90 being seen as weapon for the less experienced: a reckless tool for rushing headlong.
Still, even in the hands of noobs it's a hard weapon to dislike - in its relatively short
lifespan, the odd looking SMG has found more favour than haters.
After all, establishing a new weapon both as a viable tool for combat and a cultural
touchstone is no mean feat.
FN's foresight helped ensure that the P90 was in the right place at the right time - and
its unconventional appearance meant that no-one would forget.
It might be impossible to know what the future holds -
but you'll know it when you see it.
It might not have enjoyed a decisive victory over its rival, but its bold design certainly
made an impression.
An evolutionary step for small arms, and notice to the incumbent king that their reign has
come to an end.
The P90.
Future vision.
Exotic calibre.
Kingslayer.
Thank you very much for watching - Iconic Arms will return - but until next time, farewell.