Users
Despite being originally intended as a defensive weapon for military personnel whose primary role is not fighting with small arms (such as vehicle drivers), most sales of the P90 have actually been to special forces and counter-terrorist groups who use it for offensive roles. The P90 first saw operational use in the 1991 Gulf War, where it was used by the Belgian special forces group.
In 1997, suppressed P90s were used in combat by the Peruvian special forces group (Grupo de Fuerzas Especiales) in Operation Chavín de Huantar, the hostage rescue siege that ended the Japanese embassy hostage crisis. The operation was a success: all 14 MRTA revolutionaries were killed, and 71 hostages were rescued. The MRTA revolutionaries who had taken the hostages were equipped with body armor, but it was defeated by the Peruvian special forces' P90s. In 2011, P90s were used by Muammar Gaddafi's military forces in the 2011 Libyan civil war, and some of these examples were captured and used in the war by Libyan rebel forces.
By 2009, the P90 was in service with military and police forces in over 40 countries throughout the world. In the United States, Houston Police Department was the first local law enforcement agency to adopt the P90, acquiring it for their SWAT team in 1999. In 2003, the Houston SWAT team also became one of the first agencies in the country to use the weapon in a shootout. By 2009, the P90 was in use with over 200 law enforcement agencies in the United States, including the Secret Service and Federal Protective Service. In response, the National Rifle Association added the P90 and PS90 to its NRA Tactical Police Competition standards, allowing law enforcement agencies to compete in the event using either weapon.
Military and law enforcement organizations using the P90 include:
Country | Organization | Model | Quantity | Date | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Argentina | Agrupación de Buzos Tácticos tactical diver group of the Argentine Navy | P90 | — | — | |
Former Policia Aeronáutica Nacional (PAN; National Aeronautical Police) | P90 | — | — | ||
Austria | Jagdkommando (Jakdo) special group of the Austrian Army | P90, P90 TR |
140 | — | |
Kommando Militärstreife & Militärpolizei (Kdo MilStrf&MP) close protection teams | P90 TR | — | — | ||
Belgium | Composante Maritime (Belgian Navy) commandos | — | — | — | |
Composante Terre (Belgian Army) | — | 80 | 2004– | ||
Détachement d'Agents de Sécurité (DAS) dignitary protection group | P90 | 53 | — | ||
Directorate of Special Units (DSU) group of the Federale Politie/Police Fédérale | — | — | — | ||
Former Gendarmerie/Rijkswacht paramilitary police force | P90 | 114 | — | ||
Special Forces Group (SFG; used in the 1991 Gulf War) | P90 | — | — | ||
Aarschot municipal police force | P90 | — | — | ||
Liège metropolitan police force (replaced the Uzi) | — | — | 2002– | ||
Zone de Police Boraine (Boussu/Colfontaine/Frameries/Quaregnon/Saint-Ghislain municipalities) police force | P90 TR | — | — | ||
Brazil | Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais (BOPE) of the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro State | — | — | — | |
Canada | Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2) special group of the CF Special Operations Forces Command | — | — | 2005– | |
Halifax Regional Police force in Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia | — | — | — | ||
Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) SWAT in Montreal, Quebec | — | — | — | ||
Chile | Fuerzas Especiales (Special Forces) | — | — | — | |
Cyprus | Εθνική Φρουρά (Cypriot National Guard) special forces | P90 | 350 | 2000– | |
Czech Republic | Útvar Rychlého Nasazení (URNA) of the Czech National Police | P90 | — | 2000s- | |
Dominican Republic | Cuerpo de Ayudantes Militares del Presidente de la República | — | — | — | |
Dominican Republic's counter-terrorist group | — | 150 | 2002– | ||
Fuerzas Armadas de la República Dominicana (Military of the Dominican Republic) | — | — | — | ||
El Salvador | Comando Especial Antiterrorista (CEAT) | — | 350 | 2002– | |
France | 1er Régiment Parachutiste d'Infanterie de Marine (1er RPIMa) of the French Army | P90 | — | — | |
Commandement des Opérations Spéciales (COS) joint special operations command | — | — | — | ||
GIGN counter-terrorism group of the Gendarmerie Nationale | P90 TR | — | — | ||
GIPN counter-terrorism group of the Police Nationale | — | — | — | ||
RAID counter-terrorism group of the Police Nationale | — | — | — | ||
Troupes de marine naval infantry regiment of the Armée de Terre (French Army) | P90 | — | — | ||
Germany | Bundeskriminalamt (BKA; Federal Criminal Police Office) Sicherungsgruppe (SG; tasked with protection of the chancellor and other officials) | P90 TR | — | — | |
Greece | Ειδική Κατασταλτική Αντιτρομοκρατική Μονάδα (EKAM) unit of the Hellenic Police | — | — | — | |
Guatemala | Secretaría de Asuntos Administrativos de Seguridad de la Presidencia (SAAS) | P90 | 20 | 2009– | |
India | Special Protection Group (SPG; tasked with protection of the prime minister and other officials) | P90, P90 TR |
— | 2008– | |
Indonesia | Komando Pasukan Katak (Kopaska) tactical diver group of the Indonesian Navy | — | — | — | |
Komando Pasukan Khusus (Kopassus) special forces group of the Indonesian Army | — | — | — | ||
Ireland | Sciathán Fianóglach an Airm (Army Ranger Wing) of the Irish Defence Forces | — | — | 2003– | |
Italy | Col Moschin 9o Reggimento d'Assalto Paracadutisti (9th Parachute Assault Regiment) special forces of the Italian Army | P90 TR | — | — | |
Jordan | Jordanian Armed Forces | — | — | — | |
Lebanon | Forces de Sécurité Intérieure (FSI) | — | — | — | |
Libya | Military of Libya (used by Muammar Gaddafi's military forces in the 2011 Libyan civil war, and some of these examples were captured and used in the war by Libyan rebel forces) | — | 367 | 2008– | |
Luxembourg | Unité Spéciale de la Police (USP) group of the Grand Ducal Police | P90 TR | — | — | |
Malaysia | Pasukan Khas Laut (PASKAL) special operations group of the Royal Malaysian Navy | — | — | — | |
Mauritania | BASEP presidential security battalion | — | — | — | |
Mauritius | Various police forces | P90 | — | — | |
Mexico | Ejército Méxicano (Mexican Army) Special Forces | P90 | — | — | |
Estado Mayor Presidencial (EMP; Presidential Guard) | — | — | — | ||
Fuerzas Especiales (FES) of the Mexican Navy | — | — | — | ||
Policía Federal (PF; Federal Police) of the Secretaría de Seguridad Pública | — | — | — | ||
Netherlands | Korps Commandotroepen (KCT) of the Royal Netherlands Army (replaced the Uzi) | P90 TR | — | 2000– | |
Unit Interventie Mariniers (UIM) of the Netherlands Marine Corps | P90 TR | — | 2001– | ||
Nigeria | National Intelligence Agency (NIA), State Security Service (SSS) | P90 | 100 | 2011– | |
Pakistan | Special Service Group (SSG) of the Pakistan Army | — | — | — | |
Papua New Guinea | Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) | — | — | — | |
Peru | Grupo de Fuerzas Especiales (GRUFE) of the Peruvian Armed Forces (used in the rescue of hostages in the 1997 Japanese embassy hostage crisis known as Operation Chavín de Huantar) | — | — | — | |
Fuerza de Operaciones Especiales (FOES) of the Peruvian Navy | P90 | 53 | — | ||
Paracaidistas del Ejército (Peruvian Army paratroopers) | — | — | — | ||
Philippines | Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police | — | — | — | |
Poland | Grupa Reagowania Operacyjno-Manewrowego (GROM) special forces | P90 TR | — | 2006– | |
Biuro Ochrony Rządu (BOR) (used primarily for dignitary protection) | P90 | — | 2007– | ||
Portugal | Grupo de Operações Especiais (GOE) of the Polícia de Segurança Pública | — | — | 2002– | |
Romania | Detaşamentul de Intervenţie Rapidă special operations group of the Romanian Military | — | — | — | |
Saudi Arabia | Special Emergency Force | P90 | 500 | 1992– | |
Singapore | Singapore Armed Forces Commando Formation (CDO FN) | — | 500 | 2002– | |
Spain | Grupo Especial de Operaciones (GEO) of the Cuerpo Nacional de Policía | P90 TR | — | — | |
Escuadrón de Zapadores Paracaidistas (EZAPAC) special group of the Ejército del Aire (Spanish Air Force) | P90, P90 TR |
— | — | ||
Suriname | Military of Suriname | — | 900 | 2001– | |
Taiwan | Republic of China Armed Forces | P90 | — | 1992– | |
Thailand | กองทัพบกไทย (Royal Thai Army) special units | — | — | — | |
Trinidad and Tobago | Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force | — | — | — | |
Turkey | Prime Minister's close protection teams | — | — | — | |
Polis Özel tim-Özel Harekat Timi counter-terrorism group | — | — | — | ||
Ukraine | Ukrainian police force (unspecified) | P90 LV | 30 | 2008– | |
United States | U.S. Federal Protective Service branch of the ICE | P90 | — | 2001– | |
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service | — | — | — | ||
U.S. Secret Service | P90 TR | — | 1990s- | ||
Addison police department in Texas (first agency in the country to issue it to patrol cars) | PS90 TR | 52 | 2007– | ||
Alaska State Troopers in Alaska | P90 LV | 9 | — | ||
Birmingham Police Department SWAT in Alabama | P90 | — | — | ||
Bryan police department SWAT in Texas | — | — | — | ||
Creve Coeur police department in Missouri | — | — | — | ||
Edina police department in Minnesota | — | 11 | 2005– | ||
Houston Police Department SWAT in Texas (first local law enforcement agency in the country to adopt and use the weapon) | P90 | 5 | 1999– | ||
Kutztown police department in Pennsylvania | — | — | — | ||
Olathe police department ERT in Kansas | — | 23 | 2001– | ||
Passaic County sheriff's department SWAT in New Jersey | — | — | 2002– | ||
Richland County Sheriff's Department SRT in South Carolina | — | — | 2000– | ||
Sioux Falls Police Department SWAT in South Dakota | — | — | — | ||
Sparta Police Department in New Jersey | — | — | — | ||
Zapata County sheriff's department in Texas | — | — | — | ||
Venezuela | Bodyguards assigned to the Ministerio del Poder Popular para Relaciones Exteriores | — | — | — | |
COPEMI unit of the Armada Bolivariana de Venezuela (Venezuelan Navy) | — | — | — | ||
CSAR unit of the Aviación Militar Venezolana (Venezuelan Air Force) | — | — | — | ||
Ejército Libertador de Venezuela (Venezuelan Army) | — | — | — | ||
Guardia Nacional de Venezuela (Venezuelan National Guard) | — | — | — | ||
Various police forces | — | — | — |
Read more about this topic: FN P90