Fort grips

RPC Fort (full name: Research and Production Company "Fort" of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs) was founded in 1991 in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, shortly after Ukraine's independence from the Soviet Union on August 24, 1991

Established by the Ministry of Internal Affairs to create a domestic small arms industry for the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, Security Service, and State Border Guard Service, Fort addressed reliance on Soviet-era weapons like the Makarov PM

In the mid-1990s, Fort acquired manufacturing machinery from Czech firm Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod, enabling production of CZ-75-inspired pistols. The breakthrough Fort-12 (9×18mm Makarov) pistol entered serial production in 1998 after prototypes in 1995 and adoption in December 1998—Ukraine's first modern service pistol, replacing outdated models

By March 1998, the Vinnytsia plant—after over ₴5 million (~$1.2 million) investment—launched large-scale output as Ukraine's primary small arms facility

In October 2008, Fort signed a licensing deal with Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) to produce firearms like the Tavor (Fort-221/224), Negev, and others, expanding to rifles and machine guns

Since the late 2010s, Fort shifted to fully Ukrainian-designed modern firearms (e.g., FORT-20 striker pistol, FORT-230 SMG) for domestic forces and export to Middle East, Asia, and Africa markets—emphasizing cost-effective, reliable solutions amid ongoing challenges

Today, RPC Fort remains Ukraine's leading state-owned small arms manufacturer, blending imported tech with indigenous innovation for military, law enforcement, and civilian needs