The Armed Forces received the first batch of 250 ARAD-5 and ARAD-7 rifles, manufactured by IWI, as part of the individual weapon modernization process
Designed by Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) and combat-tested by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the deserts of Negev and Judea, the ARAD rifle arrives to address the progressive replacement of the historic Light Automatic Rifle (FAL) and the M-16. Its modular platform features a short-stroke gas piston system, quick-detach barrel, ambidextrous design, and a long Picatinny rail suitable for optics, accessories, stocks, silencers, and pistol grips.
The first batch includes a total of 250 units:
50 units of the IWI ARAD-7 (caliber 7.62 × 51 mm NATO) intended for the Argentine Army for the optimization of security and protection of EMCO facilities.
200 units of the IWI ARAD-5 (caliber 5.56 × 45 mm NATO), divided into 100 units for the Argentine Air Force and 100 units for the Naval Infantry of the Argentine Navy, aimed at self-defense in United Nations peacekeeping missions.
In financial terms, as of August 31, the program recorded an accumulated expenditure amount of $4,752,665,040 pesos, broken down into $2,052,419,040 pesos for the 5.56 mm variant and $2,700,246,000 pesos for the 7.62 mm.
For his part, the head of EMCO, Admiral Marcelo Alejandro Dalle Nogare, emphasized the integrated work of the three forces stating: “My responsibility is to lead that effort and transform the jointness of a doctrinal concept into a concrete operational reality”. Additionally, the highest military authority announced the strategic objective of achieving industrial autonomy: “The feasibility of implementing an assembly or manufacturing line in our country is being evaluated”.
In the context of the reconstruction of the military instrument driven by the Government of Javier Milei, the Republic of Argentina initiated an unprecedented technological transformation process. This political commitment to recover operational capabilities translates into a broad equipment program that includes the incorporation of F-16 fighters, armored vehicles, P-3 Orion aircraft, Black Hawk helicopters, and the launch of a nanosatellite.
On September 29, in the Plaza de Armas of the 1st Infantry Regiment “Patricios” in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, the Ministry of Defense officially announced the arrival of the first batch of modular assault rifles. The acquisition, led by the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces (EMCO), was the result of more than two years of rigorous technical-operational evaluation. In 2024, the three military institutions defined their technical requirements; in 2025, joint teams evaluated alternatives in Israel, United States, and Europe; and in June 2026, the implementation agreement was signed between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Argentina and the Ministry of Defense of the State of Israel.
During the ceremony, the Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Carlos Alberto Presti, highlighted the operational value of the new weaponry and emphasized the modernization leap: “The ARAD represents a qualitative leap in our individual armament”.
Emphasizing the significance of this milestone for military history, the head of the defense portfolio stated: “It is not common for a military generation to have the privilege of experiencing the change of its individual armament”, adding that “we are beginning to close one stage and open another. The ARAD-5 and ARAD-7 will accompany the Argentine combatant for many years”.
The minister Carlos Presti justified the choice by stating: “The decision started from an essential question: what individual weapon system do the Armed Forces of the Republic of Argentina really need?... That is why we had to find not the best rifle in the abstract. We had to find the best system for our reality”.
Moreover, he acknowledged the commitment of the personnel in light of the past: “For years our forces coexisted with disinvestment and obsolescence in the material... But there was something that remained: the military ethos, the vocation to prepare, the commitment to the profession, the discipline, the knowledge of the trade, and the willingness to be ready”, concluding that “military innovation is fundamentally cultural, in addition to being technological. The real leap occurs when an organization modifies its behavior in response to a new tool”.
