FN America, Colt's awarded $383.3M to make M16A4s for Iraq, others

April 29 (UPI) -- FN America and Colt's Manufacturing received a $383.3 million, five-year contract to manufacture M16A4 rifles for Afghanistan, Grenada, Iraq, Lebanon and Nepal through the Pentagon's foreign military sales program.

The M16A4 is the fourth generation of the M16 series of military rifles. The Marine Corps began phasing out the M16 in favor of the M4 carbine in 2015.

In 2008 the State Department approved the sale of 80,000 M16A4 rifles to the government of Iraq. It would go on to approve a sale of 4,400 M16A4s to Iraq in 2017. In 2016 it approved the sale of 891 M16A4s to Afghanistan.

According to the contract announcement, work locations and funding will be determined with each order.

The Pentagon said it received three bids for the program through a competitive bidding process.