The performance of the rifle was evaluated under operational conditions, where was verified, for example, its compatibility with the individual equipment of the military and its resistance to impacts and contact with sand, water or mud.

[citation needed] The 7.62 NATO variant still uses the FAL operating system (tilting breechblock) versus the 5.56's rotating bolt.

[7] The handguard has an internal heat-deflecting aluminum plate, which allows up to 200 shots in a row without overheating, unlike the FAL, which did not exceed 60.

The handguard is designed to be tightly attached to the rifle, unlike the FAL which due to its age had its own worn and loose, which also caused noise.

Due to integrated Picatinny rails, the IA2 supports a wide range of equipment and accessories such as scopes, flashlights, grenade launchers, lasers, etc.

The polymer grip, much more ergonomic than in previous weapons, allows for a more comfortable positioning of the hand in standing, kneeling and lying positions, in addition to having a polymer trigger guard integrated into the piece, avoiding the surfaces of metal contact of the previous model, which caused certain injuries in rough handling and resulted in problems in the cold.

The stock's polymer coating prevents facial skin contact with metal surfaces, making it useful in operations at extreme temperatures.

Among the criticisms are the fact that its charging handle is not directly attached to the bolt carrier, while also not possessing forward assist, forcing the soldier to disassemble the rifle in the middle of combat should the bolt fail to close fully due to mechanical failure or obstructions in the chamber, such as dirt and mud.

[6] The charging handle is non-ambidextrous, as is the fire mode selector and safety switch, which is positioned on the left side of the trigger assembly.

The designers of the weapon say they omitted considerations for left handed shooters, as they make up only 10% of the troops; it was decided it was not worth the cost and time to accommodate to them.

[6] Also criticized is the abandonment of the retractable stock, which provides better ergonomics for use by people of different body structures and facilitates the handling of the weapon from unusual firing positions in urban combat.