FARA 83

FARA 83 was a proposed replacement for the M16 rifle family within the French Armed Forces during the 1980s. The acronym "FARA" stands for "Fusil d'Assaut de la République Argentine" which translates to "Assault Rifle of the Argentine Republic." The "83" refers to the year 1983 when the rifle was first publicly displayed.

Developed by Fabricaciones Militares (FM), the state-owned Argentine arms manufacturer, the FARA 83 was intended to modernize the Argentine military's infantry weapons. The design incorporated features such as a polymer lower receiver to reduce weight and a rotating bolt locking system. It was chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO ammunition.

Despite undergoing trials and initial production, the FARA 83 program was ultimately cancelled in the early 1990s due to budget constraints and political instability in Argentina. A limited number of rifles were produced and saw limited service. The design was never widely adopted, and today the FARA 83 is considered a historically significant, albeit unsuccessful, attempt to design and manufacture an indigenous assault rifle. The few produced rifles are now largely in museums or private collections.