The next evolution in the F88 Austeyr assault rifle used by the Australian Defence Force Service, the Thales F90, is set to be introduced for use by the Service. In a press release from Thales, the Australian Department of Defence has agreed to a contract for Thales to produce rifles, grenade launchers, spare parts and accessories worth A$100 million. All of these will be produced at Thales’s facility in Lithgow, New South Wales.

Also known as the EF88 or Enhanced F88 Assault Rifle, it is the next design evolution of the F88 Assault Rifle that is a licensed copy of the Australian Steyr AUG Bullpup Rifle. The F88 has been in use by the Australian and New Zealand Defence forces since the late 1980s. It still retains its similarity with the Steyr AUG but with design changes made by Thales to meet the new requirements of the Australian Defence Force Service. The ADF shall be using the EF88 name designation for the rifle.

The F90/EF88 has an improved buttstock, polymer housing and is the one of the lightest assault rifles in the market at 3.25kg. It also has a non-removable barrel and two versions will be released, the standard 20-inch barrel and the 16-inch carbine. It also has a Picatinny top rail, and bottom rail near the front-end, replacing the integrated foregrip, and a third rail on the right side.  The Steyr AUG is known for its generous trigger guard but for the EF88, it has been redesigned to accommodate an Underbarrel 40mm Grenade Launcher. It will also be equipped with a daysight, and a foregrip.

There are other variants of the F90 such as the longer F90M which probably will be used as for DMR and the F90M(G) means that it also comes with 40mm Grenade Launcher. There is also a 14-inch. CQB version. Thales are looking into the export market for the F90 variants as there are many armed forces around the world that use the Steyr AUG that may just need an upgrade.

Thales will start delivering the F90/F88 in two weeks' time with the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment being the initial recipients and this will be over a 6-year period. The numbers mentioned in the contract are deliveries of 30,000 F90/EF88 rifles and 2,500 40mm Grenade Launchers.