Colombia has launched a $1.68 billion program to develop a nationwide “anti-drone shield” aimed at countering the growing use of drones by illegal armed groups, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Friday.
Speaking in a video statement, Sánchez described the initiative as a major shift in Colombia’s security posture:
“Colombia is embarking on one of the boldest and most innovative strategies for our national security and defense,” he said.
The government has already approved an initial budget of $271.1 million for the first phase of the project.
The plan comes amid a sharp rise in drone-based attacks linked to Colombia’s long-running internal conflict, which has spanned more than six decades and involved leftist guerrillas, criminal gangs descended from right-wing paramilitaries and powerful drug cartels. The conflict has claimed more than 450,000 lives.
Between 2024 and 2025, Colombian authorities recorded 264 attacks using drones loaded with explosives, according to official figures. Most incidents occurred in dense jungle and mountainous regions where coca leaf cultivation is concentrated.
The attacks were attributed primarily to fighters from the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Those drone strikes killed 15 soldiers and wounded another 153, demonstrating the growing lethality and accessibility of improvised aerial attack systems in the hands of non-state actors.
As part of the new initiative, Colombia convened a meeting in Bogotá on Friday with countries and companies potentially interested in participating in the project, though officials did not disclose technical details or timelines for specific capabilities. The “anti-drone shield” is expected to focus on detection, tracking and neutralization technologies to protect both military forces and critical infrastructure.
The counter-drone effort forms part of a broader modernization push by Colombia’s armed forces. In November, the government signed a $3.6 billion agreement with Swedish defense firm Saab to acquire 17 Gripen fighter jets over the next five years.
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