Thales F90
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Barrel
- 407 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.25 kg
- Introduced
- 2012
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Thales F90 is a select-fire bullpup assault rifle chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO, developed by Thales Australia at the historic Lithgow Small Arms Factory as the export designation of the Enhanced F88 (EF88). Unveiled in 2012 as a next-generation evolution of the Steyr AUG platform, the standard F90 pairs a 407mm fixed, cold hammer-forged, chrome-lined and fluted barrel with a compact 700mm overall length, weighing 3.25kg empty. The short-stroke gas-piston action drives a rotating bolt and supports both semi-automatic and fully automatic fire at a cyclic rate of around 750 rounds per minute, feeding from a translucent 30-round detachable box magazine. Fully ambidextrous controls, an integrated Picatinny rail system on top, sides, and underside, and a modular open architecture let the rifle be reconfigured across marksman, close-quarters, and grenade-launcher roles. The F90 retains the proven bullpup ergonomics of the AUG lineage while delivering Australian-developed improvements in accuracy, durability, and accessory mounting.
The F90 is built at the Lithgow Small Arms Factory in New South Wales, established in 1912 and the oldest continuously operating small arms factory in the Southern Hemisphere, now run by Thales Australia.
The F90 is the international export name for the Australian EF88 / Enhanced F88. The base F90 uses a 407mm barrel; the F90M Marksman extends this to 508mm, while the F90 CQB shortens it to roughly 360mm for close-quarters work. The (G) suffix denotes a configuration mounting a 40mm grenade launcher. The F90 has been marketed worldwide by Thales and offered for licensed local production in several countries.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Thales Australia
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Country
- Australia
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2012
- Variant of
- Export designation
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 407 mm
- Overall length
- 700 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.25 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated short stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Two stage
- Capacity
- 30
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Polymer
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Cerakote
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 940 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 1700 J
- Effective range
- 500 m
- Maximum range
- 3600 m
- Rate of fire
- 750 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Bullpup configuration
Rotating bolt
Chrome lined barrel
Chrome lined chamber
Select fire
Picatinny rail top
Picatinny rail sides
Picatinny rail bottom
Ambidextrous controls
Cold hammer forged barrel
Fluted barrel
Threaded muzzle
Bolt hold open
Translucent magazine
Grenade launcher compatible
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 158 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 3.25 kg | 3.60 kg | Lighter than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 156 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 700 mm | 920 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 157 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 407 mm | 449 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 158 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 30 | 30 | Near the median |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the Thales F90
How much does the Thales F90 weigh?
The Thales F90 weighs 3.25 kg (7.17 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Thales F90?
The Thales F90 is chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO.
How many rounds does the Thales F90 hold?
The Thales F90 holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Thales F90?
The Thales F90 is 700 mm (27.6 in) long overall, with a 407 mm (16.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Thales F90?
The Thales F90 is made by Thales Australia (Australia).
When was the Thales F90 introduced?
The Thales F90 was introduced in 2012.
How does the Thales F90 operate?
The Thales F90 uses a gas operated short stroke action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Australian Defence Force
- 2016
Provenance
Confidence in this record
85%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/f90-steyr' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "f90-steyr", "name": "Thales F90", "manufacturer": { "id": "thales-australia", "name": "Thales Australia", "countryCode": "AU", "foundedYear": 1912, "website": "https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/countries-asia-pacific/australia", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:46", "version": "c6deb48428779f338eaa9561900613581919b43eae594b4b29ee46dc4553f613" }, "category": { "id": "assault-rifle", "name": "Assault Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in intermediate cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "AU", "year_introduced": 2012, "barrel_length_mm": 407, "weight_empty_g": 3250, "action_type": "gas_operated_short_stroke"}