The FAA project started in the early 1980s, when the government was still controlled by the
National Reorganization Process. The
DGFM (General Government Directorate for Military Manufacturing, or
Dirección General de Fabricaciones Militares) ordered a replacement be designed for the
FMAP FAL, a
FN FAL license-built in Argentina. The
prototype was completed in 1981, but production didn't start until 1984, and continued until 1990. By the late 1980s, under
Carlos Menem's tenure as president, the country was undergoing economic difficulties. The economic crisis severely limited the production of modern weapons. This factor forced President Menem to cancel several projects, including the
Condor I and Condor II, the FARA 83, and
SAIA 90. He was also forced to close armament factories, including TAMSE (
Tanque Argentino Mediano Sociedad del Estado), which was responsible for the
TAM tanks and
Domecq Garcia Shipyard (the only submarine-related shipyard). Production of the rifle ground to a halt after 1193 rifles had been completed, however, it was resumed in 1990; it is unknown how many rifles were made, but for the most part the Argentine Armed Forces are still armed with the FAL rifle, while the FARA 83 is a secondary weapon. ==Main characteristics==